Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness

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.

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

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 21 November 2000.[3] Milestone Video would release the film on VHS and on DVD on 8 January 2002[4] and 29 October 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.

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See also

References
  1. Hall, Mordaunt (April 30, 1927). "Chang A Drama of the Wilderness (1927)". The New York Times.
  2. Biggs, Andrew (21 July 2019). "What's past is prologue". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 21 July 2019.
  3. "Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) - Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack". Allmovie.com. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  4. "Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness Silent VHS". Amazon. Retrieved 9 April 2018.
  5. "Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) Tomatoes". Rotten Tomatoes.com. Flixer. Retrieved 9 April 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 9 April 2018.


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