‘Kong: Skull Island’ should serve as more than a marketing ploy

WESTMINSTER, California (NV) – Filming of the recently released feature, “Kong: Skull Island,” bounced around between the United States, Australia and Vietnam.  And scenes filmed in Vietnam have brought attention to the nation. But is it the right kind of attention?

“Kong: Skull Island” is the latest entry into the series of King Kong movies. Directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts, the $185 million film already has been a box-office smash around the world, taking in $62 million on the opening weekend ending March 12 in the United States alone. It features a big-name cast and is full of action, with, of course, a heroic white male protagonist who saves and brings civility to a lost, uncivilized world.

The film depicts a jungle filled with ancient monsters who live near the native humans, who are incapable of saving themselves and exist in fear of losing their planet to these monstrous creatures.  Kong, which was created using a combination of classic King Kong (1933) and a Japanese adaptation of “kaiju” aspects of ancient monster, serve as the protector of this scary “Skull Island.”  Exaggeration of real life animals –a chimpanzee (Kong), a lizard (skull crawler), and a water-buffalo (a meekly docile humongous buffalo often used for field work on rice paddies in Vietnam)–seemed to be the theme used to transport movie-goers’ experience back to an untouched ancient world.

And while the film contains elements that harken back to the first “King Kong,” the 1933 classic starring Fay Wray, “Kong: Skull Island” is heavily influenced by “Apocalypse Now,” a classic 1979 war movie set in war-era Vietnam.

Americans’ connection with Vietnam seems to be associated only with war and death, even still now, 42 years after the war ended. And should war equate with profit and publicity?

Vietnam’s leaders have tried to use the film to promote the country for tourism and culture. “Kong” is an international movie that caters to a global audience, yet it highlights the local Vietnamese land’s ties to imperial colonizers and invaders.

Last week, government officials in Ha Noi, turned down a proposal from the ministry of culture to erect a temporary 100-foot statue of King Kong at historic Hoan Kiem Lake (or Hồ Gươm), translated as Sword Lake.

As legend has it, Sword Lake was a place where the God of Water lent his mystical sword to a King of Vietnam — Lê Lợi — to fight against Chinese invaders. As a result, Sword Lake became Vietnam’s symbol of sovereignty with a recognition of the higher natural power.

Despite this common knowledge, which is taught to every student in school, the Vietnamese cultural department proposed the “King” anyway, contending it would “advertise tourism to Vietnam and Ha Noi.”

The idea met with criticism and backlash from online network users on facebook and social sites.

“It’s just a entertaining movie,” said Ha Thuy, a facebook user from Vietnam, “Why make it so important, so official?”

“Even if the movie has made gazillions of dollars, there can be no humongous monkey standing and looking at the Sword Lake,” agreed Doan Tien, another facebook user in Vietnam.

In entertainment, there is soft power to shape the world view of younger generations about Vietnam as a country and a people. The financial power to influence policies, regulations and toward better tomorrow can result from such entertainment outlets. One can only hope that the government of Vietnam will consider the nation’s resources and values before renting out its beautiful lands for exploitation.