I was a budding cinephile when Peter Jackson’s King Kong came out in 2005. And like many, I was excited. It was unavoidable, much like the marketing and subsequent public frenzy of anticipation. Jackson was fresh off of the wildly successful The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and now he was about to make what was clearly a passion project.
This was also obviously before the endless reboots, prequels, and sequels, so everyone was anticipating seeing the imagery we all knew with fresh new eyes. Jackson proved he could respect what made a property so beloved while meticulously bringing his signature blend of epic action fueled by human connection. So like any cinephile would, I decided to watch the original 1933 movie that inspired it. And when I did, there was a lingering question in my mind: why was no one talking about the racism of it all?
