Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness | |
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Directed by | |
Written by | Achmed Abdullah |
Produced by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Ernest B. Schoedsack |
Edited by | Louis R. Loeffler |
Music by | Hugo Riesenfeld |
Production companies | |
Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 64 minutes |
Country | United States |
Languages |
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Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness, also known simply as Chang (from Thai ช้าง, " elephant") is a 1927 American silent documentary 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.
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.
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]
Chang was one of the "biggest movies of 1928." [2]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 18 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10. [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]
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.