Savage Jungle (1959)

• 70%
• 1959
• Thamrong Rujanaphand

In a coastal town in the south of Thailand, a giant ape nicknamed King Kong terrorizes villagers and abducts a local girl to a forest, prompting a frantic rescue mission by the town sheriff and a fugitive bandit. Tamone Prai is an example of a regional film made by an amateur filmmaker that was popular in Thailand in the 1950s. Thamrong Rujanaphand shot the 16mm film in the south of Thailand, a predominantly Muslim region with Malay ancestry. The film has a simple, almost naive storyline typical of homemade movies of those days and features scenes that are as humorous as they are likely to raise eyebrows of present-day audiences. However, it also captures the authentic vibe and scenery of Thailand's south. The film's central attraction is the giant ape nicknamed King Kong, clearly inspired by the classic film of that title. Thamrong was also an amateur taxidermist, and his skill in creating stuffed creatures was obviously utilised in the film.