King Kong: Why Did People Seek Out Monsters During the Great Depression? [Film x Class #18]

1. Why King Kong, Now?

Looking at recent news,
we see rising stock prices for AI-related companies and a boom in the semiconductor sector.

On the other hand,
there are companies struggling with soaring raw material costs and an increase in bankruptcies.

Even when people say the economy is good, many do not feel it. Some are doing well, while others are struggling.

The state of the economy varies drastically from person to person. Looking at such an unstable era, I am reminded of a certain film.

It is the film King Kong, in which a giant monster runs wild.

However, 1933, the year this film was made, was in the midst of the Great Depression, often called the world's worst economic downturn.

2. A Monster Born in the Era of the Great Depression

Due to the Great Depression,
banks went bankrupt, companies closed, and the unemployment rate reached nearly 25%.
Many people lost their jobs and lost hope for the future.

It was in such an era that King Kong, which I am introducing today, was released.

In class, I first asked this question:

The students then answered with things like,
I wanted to escape reality,
I wanted to forget my anxiety,
I wanted some excitement,
and so on.

Certainly, none of these are wrong. In fact, movies, which could be seen for a low admission fee, seem to have been one of the few forms of entertainment for people during the Depression.

Now, for the climax scene of the film.

Kong climbs the Empire State Building.

Although it is now a symbol of New York, this building is actually deeply connected to the Great Depression.

Completed in 1931, this skyscraper struggled to attract tenants due to the Depression,

and it was even called the Empty State Building.

It is said that it was once called that.

In other words, the very building Kong climbs was a structure that symbolized the era of the Great Depression.

Kong, a symbol of anxiety, climbs the building that is a symbol of the Great Depression.

When you think about it that way, that final scene starts to look different, too.

After the movie ended, I asked my students this question:

One student said,
Kong didn't look angry to me; he looked like he was screaming for help.

Of course, there is no single correct answer to this question.
However, I believe it can be seen as a symbol of
uncontrollable, massive anxiety.
I think it can be viewed as a symbol of 'uncontrollable, massive anxiety'.

A giant entity that appears suddenly, destroys the city, and plunges people into terror. Perhaps Kong was the Great Depression itself, which struck the people of that time.

The anxiety of losing one's job, the anxiety of one's life falling apart, the anxiety of not being able to see the future... the sheer size of Kong might have been the scale of the people's fear.

3. The Movie That Saved the Company

What is even more interesting is that

RKO, the film studio that produced this movie, was also in a financial crisis.
But 'King Kong,' which was produced at great risk, became a huge hit and served as the catalyst for the company's recovery.

In other words, they were fighting a monster inside the movie, and fighting the economic downturn outside of it.

That is the kind of work 'King Kong' was.

4. What Students Realized in Class

I concluded the class with this question:

Then,
'They wanted hope,'
'They wanted to escape reality for a while,'
'They wanted to see the same thing together,'
were some of the opinions that came up.

Here, the students realized something.
That movies are not just entertainment, but also a mirror that reflects the times.

5. Conclusion

Why did people seek out monsters?

Perhaps it was not because they wanted to see a monster, but because they were seeking the strength to survive an anxious era.

"King Kong" is a movie about a giant monster. However, what it truly depicts is the image of people facing the immense anxiety of the Great Depression.

Even now, as AI and technological innovation take center stage, anxiety about the future has not disappeared. In an anxious era, where do people find hope?

I feel that this question is being posed not only to those in 1933, but also to us in 2026.

I hope today's movie discussion serves as a trigger to remember the fascination of social studies. The lesson that interprets this work from the "perspective of junior high school social studies" is delivered exclusively to members. Why not enjoy social studies as a way for adults to relearn together?
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