Congo, 1995

Kongo, 1995
Director: Frank Marshall
Cast: Laura Linney, Tim Curry, Dylan Walsh




Stage: Home theatre (surprisingly our local TV has numerous good pieces from recent past)



Kongo in short: A megalomaniac C.E.O. sends his son into the dangerous African Congo on a quest for a source of diamonds large enough and pure enough to function as powerful laser communications transmitters (or is it laser weapons?). When contact is lost with his son and the team, his sometime daughter- in-law is sent after them. She is a former CIA operative and, accompanied by gee-whiz gadgetry and a few eccentric characters (including a mercenary, a researcher with a talking gorilla, and a a nutty Indiana-Jones-type looking for King Solomon's Mines), sets out to rescue her former fiancé. What they all discover is that often what we most want turns out to be the source of our downfall.


Preps: again, I have this piece in my head as one of the more polished ones in terms of raising animal abuse issues, human greed, beautiful nature and underestimation of pure nature's abilities to defend itself.


Reality: This piece is one of the more dominant in the time it was made. However, nowadays it seems somehow out of date, in terms of delivery. By that I mean, I have enjoyed watching this much more for the first time. Apart from the plot (storyline), which is always something we should think about - everything else seems somehow under my expectations. In some ways the cast is awful, the only true relationship I see in the movie is between the scientist and his Amy, gorilla. And it breaks my heart as he tries to bring her into environment she yearns for, only to see human abuse of natural wonders, gold yearning and diamond search. Obviously, nowadays even more, the race for diamonds, gold, silver, oil - seems more and more aggressive. In this piece we see abuse of animals as the means to get to the goods. The way the message is delivered - is very pure and brings pure flesh and soul of the deed in front of the viewer.

However, everything else - bad gorillas (grey ones) that represent the ghosts that are guarding the treasures - well, this is not really likely (not shown as if they were real). Now I see that the costumography, scenography made a HUGE step forward in delivering this and more could be done at that time. In 1995, I was really thrilled to see this piece, now I see it as really something average or on average level, not even close to what I would have expected.

Some truths still remain, though, Kongo and unknown teritory is hard to handle if you aren't an expert or at least a warrior. A lot of "hidden treasures" in shape of animals, that might eat you while you are strolling down your way, well, those creatures are waiting for you. Still, the underestimation of the nature wonders and nature itself will show in a decent way that you will be swollen by some weird animal or a plant. To show respect, a human should always consider himself as a part of the chain, not the leader in it.

The movie has a Hollywood ending and all is well - obviously. It might have a better message. For instance, Gorillas in the mist has some conotation with this piece (in terms of gorilla abuse and chopping down the forest). However, a much stronger movie compared to Congo on all levels.


My personal rate : 5,5 (watch it, but don't get overexcited about it :)

Congo on IMDB