Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness

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"Chang (film)" redirects here. For the 1997 South Korean Film, see Downfall (1997 film).
Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness
Chang poster.jpg
Directed byMerian C. Cooper
Ernest B. Schoedsack
Written byAchmed Abdullah
Produced byMerian C. Cooper
Ernest B. Schoedsack
StarringKru
Chantui
Nah
CinematographyErnest B. Schoedsack
Edited byLouis R. Loeffler
Music byHugo Riesenfeld
Production
companies
Famous Players-Lasky Corporation
Paramount Famous Lasky Corporation
Distributed byParamount Pictures
Release date
  • April 29, 1927 (1927-04-29)
Running time
64 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguagesSilent film
English intertitles

Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) (also known simply as Chang) is a silent film about a poor farmer in northern Nan Province (northern Thailand) and his daily struggle for survival in the jungle. The film was directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack.[1] It was released by Famous Players-Lasky, a division of Paramount Pictures.

Plot[]

Kru, the farmer depicted in the film, battles leopards, tigers, and even a herd of elephants, all of which pose a constant threat to his livelihood. As filmmakers, Cooper and Schoedsack attempted to capture real life with their cameras, though they often re-staged events that had not been captured adequately on film. The danger was real to all the people and animals involved. Tigers, leopards, and bears are slaughtered on camera,[2] while the film's climax shows Kru's house being demolished by a stampeding elephant.

Release[]

Home media[]

Chang was released for the first time on DVD by Image Entertainment on November 21, 2000.[3] Milestone Video would release the film on VHS and on DVD on January 8, 2002[4] and October 29, 2013 respectively.[3]

Reception[]

Chang was one of the "biggest movies of 1928".[2]

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on eight reviews, with a weighted average rating of 7.6/10.[5] Author and film critic Leonard Maltin awarded the film three and a half of four stars, calling the film "[a] fascinating ethnographic documentary/narrative".[6] Mordaunt Hall from The New York Times praised the film, calling it "vivid and thrilling".[7]

Awards[]

Chang was nominated for the Academy Award for Unique and Artistic Production at the first Academy Awards in 1929,[2] the only time that award was presented.

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Hall, Mordaunt (April 30, 1927). "Chang A Drama of the Wilderness (1927)". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Biggs, Andrew (July 21, 2019). "What's past is prologue". Bangkok Post. Retrieved July 21, 2019.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) - Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack". Allmovie.com. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  4. ^ "Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness Silent VHS". Amazon. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  5. ^ "Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.com. Flixer. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  6. ^ Leonard Maltin; Spencer Green; Rob Edelman (January 2010). Leonard Maltin's Classic Movie Guide. Plume. p. 109. ISBN 978-0-452-29577-3.
  7. ^ Hall, Mordaunt. "THE SCREEN". New York Times. Mordaunt Hall. Retrieved April 9, 2018.

External links[]


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