Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness

Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness
Directed by	Merian C. Cooper Ernest B. Schoedsack
Produced by	Merian C. Cooper Ernest B. Schoedsack
Written by	Achmed Abdullah
Starring	Kru Chantui Nah
Music by	Hugo Riesenfeld
Cinematography	Ernest B. Schoedsack
Edited by	Louis R. Loeffler
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release dates	April 29, 1927 (1927-04-29)
Running time	64 min.
Country	United States
Language	Silent film English intertitles
Budget	$60

Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) is a silent film about a poor farmer in Issan (Northeastern Thailand) and his daily struggle for survival in the jungle, the film was directed by Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. It was released by Famous Players-Lasky, a division of Paramount Pictures.

Plot

In the directors' own words, Chang is a "melodrama with man, the jungle, and wild animals as its cast." 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, while the film's climax shows Kru's house being demolished by a stampeding elephant.

Awards

Chang was nominated for the Academy Award for Unique and Artistic Production at the first Academy Awards in 1929, the only year when that award was presented.

External links

• Chang at IMDb
• Chang at AllMovie