As evidenced by allusions to mental instability in the main characters of King Kong, and through the process that these characters follow throughout the course of the plot, this paper proposes that the 1933 release of this film is a projection of the social ideology that the mentally ill must be confined in order to treat their symptoms. This paper also posits that King Kong himself is a collective representation of the mental illness that is present in the main characters of this film. When viewed from these perspectives, the film King Kong itself becomes a projection of a real social ideology that exists in the world: a prescription for the mentally ill that places them at a distance from the normal of society in an attempt to correct those cognitive processes that the social structure deems to be abnormal.
The psychiatric institution had existed for some time prior to the filming of King Kong in 1933. According to the Highbeam Encyclopedia, the year 1400 marks the opening date of Bethlem Royal Hospital in London, England, the first “institution for the care and confinement of the mentally ill” (encyclopedia). The idea that those people who have mental deficiencies are to be placed in confinement has thus been present in society for a long enough period of time to not only be normal, but to also be a widely-accepted practice. This is not to say that the methods pursued by these institutions are inhumane or unwarranted. It is apparent, however, that the method society has chosen to deal with the mentally ill has been adapted over a long period of time, and is based around the idea that alienation is an effective and acceptable practice for their treatment.
A parallel exists between this ideology, and the formal features in the film King Kong. Quoting Joshua Bellin, “If so many fantasy film narratives are devoted to issues of mental illness, this may be because the form of fantasy film is related to the condition of mental illness” (138). Another way of viewing this claim is that fantasy film combines diegetic and non-diegetic elements with mise-en-scene, cinematography, editing, and sound in a way that is paralleled with mental illness. Assuming that King Kong is a fantasy film, a map can be drawn within the film’s plot construction that follows a path: diagnosis of mental illness; containment of the diagnosed; confrontation, treatment, and control of mental illness; the display of control over metal illness for admittance back into society; and the continuing treatment and containment. This is the path that the mentally ill must follow to overcome social alienation in the real world, and it parallels the major plot segments found in King Kong: Pre-Voyage (diagnosis); Voyage (containment); Skull Island (confrontation & control); The Opera House (display of control); and Rampage on New York (continuing need for treatment).
By adapting this reading of King Kong, the viewer can begin to put events within the film into the context of the paper’s argument. As Bellin argues, “fantasy film is concerned-one might say morbidly obsessed-with the representation of mentally unstable characters” (137). Assuming that King Kong is a fantasy film, close examination of its formal features will provide a link between mental insanity and the main characters of the film.
Immediately upon the opening of the first scene, Karl Denham and his voyage are both deemed to be crazy by a mariner on the dock outside of the ship. Specifically, the man calls Denham’s plan a “crazy voyage.” This also points to the fact that as a “crazy voyage” the people on this ship are actually the “crazy.” In other words, the crazies are going away. A precedent is established through these two words, as the viewer is immediately presented with the glaring social ideology of alienating the mentally ill. There is no other introduction to the film’s main character at this stage in the plot construction, except for the allusion to his mental state by the mariner. What the viewing audience is given at this point is a frame of reference for the future viewing of Denham and his mission.
It can also be argued that Denham is delusional. This is discovered through the grandiose assumption that he will “make the greatest picture in the world, something that no one’s ever seen or heard of.” Despite his past filmmaking history, delusions of this nature are the fundamental structure that Denham has assigned to the environment that he lives in and is influenced by. This is a gross overestimation of his power and worth as an individual as the viewing audience is merely led to assume that he has produced previous, profitable films. No evidence of his success or existence is present beyond the claim that he has made. If one is to argue that Anne Darrow has in fact heard of Denham, and therefore his fame is justified, consider that Darrow herself is also insane.
Anne Darrow can fit the mold of mentally insane under the assumption of a quote from Bellin’s book, Framing Monsters:
[T]here is great difficulty in establishing “the presence of psychopathology in an individual who is suffering extreme physical deprivation” (16) [citation Bellin’s own]. Indeed, some scholars argue that such deprivation may be a cause, not an effect, of mental illness; as Paul Koegel and M. Audrey Burnam point out “Chronic malnutrition, sleep deprivation, hypothermia, and many other consequences of extreme privation are known to induce delirium, memory impairment, apathy, dementia, personality disorganization, and even paranoid psychosis.” (155)
The fact that Darrow is fatigued and starving when Denham finds her has great significance in further developing the claim that mental illness is very much present within the form of the King Kong film. The look on Darrow’s face when she first meets Denham is a prime indicator of her mental state. Confused, almost staring through Denham, with a distant gaze marks an inherent deficiency in mental soundness. It is also apparent that Darrow’s inhibitions have been all but destroyed by her lack of nutrition and exposure to the elements. She is willing to follow where Denham, a perfect stranger, leads her. Any mentally-sound individual would at least find the capacity to pose a question of destination while being led by an unknown counterpart. Additionally, as Denham persuades Darrow to join him on his voyage, there is very little resistance from Darrow herself. Some questioning occurs, but all in all she is fairly compliant with Denham’s suggestions.
The first stage in conforming the mentally ill to the processes required for their treatment is diagnosis. It is apparent in the opening scenes that Denham and Darrow have been diagnosed as potentially insane. This is in line with the relationship between the pre-voyage plot segment and diagnosis stage of the mentally ill. Returning to the mariner on the dock enables us to view the post-diagnosis stage of containment. The mariner, despite his relatively insignificant role in the film, does in fact have a critical role in establishing the framework for a reading of the ship as the metaphorical representation of the sanctuary for the mentally ill, or the mental institution. There are two pieces of information provided by this character, in reference to the make-up of the ship, that carry weight for the argument of this paper: the cargo being hauled, and the number of men manning the ship. The mariner states that with so many men aboard this ship, there won’t be enough room for them to sleep. This information uncovers the potential mental state of the men on this ship, as we have established previously that mental instability can be an effect of sleep deprivation. Viewing the occupants of the ship through this lens establishes the ship itself as a place where a body of insane people can be contained, serving a function similar to that of the mental institution.
Continuing to trace the path that the mentally ill must follow to overcome social alienation in the real world leads us from diagnosis, to containment, to the next phase, which is treatment. I argue that Kong himself is the collective representation of mental illness, as the confrontation and control of his being by Denham and his crew stands as a metaphorical representation of treatment. If the monster or illness can be controlled, then the return to normal society will be made more realistic, as display of this control will be required for social acceptance. There are many elements of this film that point to the possibility that Kong is fitted to the collective representation of Denham and Darrow’s mental illness.
The first indicator that Kong is actually within the mind comes within chapter six of the King Kong DVD where Denham is presenting the skipper and first mate with maps of their destination. On the close up shot of the map it can be argued that the island is similar in shape to that of a human brain. It appears to be a diagram, with a section identified as Skull Mountain, the home of King Kong, or a potential identification of the part of the brain being affected by mental illness. Additional allusions to Kong’s role as mental illness exist as well.
The scene from chapter 14 of the King Kong DVD provides an interesting snapshot of how Kong fits into Ms. Darrow’s mind. While confronting a beast such as Kong would obviously spark terror and fear in the heart of any human, it is at this moment that Darrow’s insanity is revealed through her actions. To regress temporarily from the actual confrontation scene will provide deeper insight into how this claim is possible. Chapter 7 of the DVD is a scene in which Denham creates a “profile” of Anne for filming purposes. This “profile” film can also be viewed as a confrontation with mental illness. Bellin states, “ given Kong’s film within a film plot, it is not surprising that critics have called attention to the self-reflexive elements in it” (167). The elements contained in chapter 7 of this DVD may in fact point to the possibility that the terror and fear of the unknown (possibly as a confrontation of mental illness) are placed in this scene as a reflection of both Denham and Darrow’s mental state. The reaction of Anne within Denham’s film may be representative of a confrontation fabricated within both of the characters’ minds. It is the same progression that occurs within chapter 12, as a duplicate occurrence, a situation in which Anne is helpless with no chance for escape. Anne is in fact struggling to overcome her mental tormenter. Kong is the definition of that mental torment, and it is further proven through the following reading of the island.
If the island is in fact a representation of the mind, three dimensions of the island exist: the tribe, the landmass, and the monsters. A Freudian context can be applied to this triad as well. The rational mind, or Ego, being the tribe; the mind controlled by social context, or Superego, being the landmass; the pleasure-seeking irrational mind, or Id, being Kong. This is an interesting claim to look at. In Freudian theory, the Ego is constantly struggling to control the Id, in the same way that the tribe is constantly trying to control Kong through their sacrificial offerings. The Ego looks to the Superego for cultural guidance. To quote Baran & Davis “Caught between the primitive Id and the overly restrictive Superego, the Ego fights a losing battle. When the Ego loses control to the Id, hysteria or worse results” (81). In the same way, the island tribe attempts to control Kong and contain hysteria through the ceremony of sacrifice. Hysteria instead results when our crew passes through the gates into the jungle.
Kong is in fact receiving some pleasure from holding Darrow as a hostage. If he wasn’t he would have killed her. The pleasure-seeking mind, or Id, is also revealed in Kong’s future actions as he will vehemently search for Ms. Darrow both as she escapes the island and as he is set loose upon the city. When and if this part of the mind is left to its devices, the outcomes may be regrettable at least, if not disastrous, because being removed from the boundaries that the Ego and Superego regulate, the Id will literally be uncontrollable, just as Kong will prove to be impossible to restrain when he is removed from the confines of the island and the control of the native peoples.
In the initial capture sequence of King Kong there is another metaphor to point out. And thus, we return to our mariner, who through his identification of the surmounting mental states of the men on the ship as potentially insane, also identified the cargo of the ship as “crazy.” More specifically, we will see as Denham deals the final blow to Kong, that the cargo on the ship is a metaphorical representation of the pill: a prescription intended to control insanity, or in this case King Kong, and control the monstrous effects of mental illness. If we return to our opening sequence, we are in fact given a view of the explosive device that is used against Kong prior to his capture. As Denham and his skipper discuss the explosive cargo, a single unit is examined, and while large in size, the oval-shaped explosive unit is wholly representative of a pill.
This device debilitates King Kong and makes him docile and controllable. Under chain and shackle he is returned to society where his exhibition gives Denham and Darrow the opportunity to achieve social acceptance. This marks the fulfillment of the fourth stage in the defined process of treating the mentally ill. It is still a test however, as Kong, our metaphor for mental illness, will only be kept under control for a limited time. Ultimately, people will flee from Kong, and distance will once again be placed between the mentally ill and the socially “normal.”
The end sequence in which Kong rampages upon the city will mark the final stage of the process that has been defined. The continuing treatment of the mentally ill is really the only way to keep their cognitive processes under control. In order to control him it is Kong himself that will again need to be treated. What’s interesting in this scenario is that Kong represents the fact that the mentally ill can’t be made normal. They can only be contained, medicated, and ultimately left at a distance, alienated from the socially normal. Even though the normal community may grant moderate acceptance to the mentally ill, the end result is still going to return to more alienation and more medication.
Throughout the length of this discussion it has been evidenced that many elements within the film King Kong do in fact point to the ideology that the mentally ill must be confined in order to treat their symptoms. It has also been evidenced that Kong may in fact be the collective representation of Denham and Darrow’s mental insanity. Whether the reading is in relation to racism, sexism, or in this case mental illness, what is apparent in all cases is that the form of this film, and its placement within the fantasy genre, has provided a multitude of readings that are rich with those ideologies that fabricate our society. As a relic of the past King Kong provides both new and old insights and analyses into those social ideologies of alienation that have existed in the past, the present, and will continue to exist in the future.
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