Barbet Schroeder's (Reversal of Fortune, Single White Female) 1978 documentary focuses on the titular young gorilla, who was borrowed from the San Francisco Zoo and taken to Stanford University by Dr. Penny Patterson, a researcher hoping to communicate with Koko by teaching her human sign language. Most of the footage is of the interaction between Patterson and Koko, a relationship more like mother and child than teacher and student. The issues raised by the film concern the proximity of gorillas and humans on the evolutionary ladder, and specifically whether Koko's apparent ability to learn language at a child's level demonstrates that she should be deserving (in an ethical if not a legal sense) of some form of fundamental rights. This point comes up explicitly near the close, when the zoo director attempts to reclaim Koko, believing that she should not be falsely “humanized” but returned to live with her natural family. Though nearly three decades old, the questions raised by Koko: A Talking Gorilla still resonate, and the film remains both charming and thought-provoking. Boasting a typically excellent digital transfer, this Criterion Collection entry also features a recent interview with Schroeder. Highly recommended. (F. Swietek)
Koko: A Talking Gorilla
Criterion, 80 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95 Volume 21, Issue 5
Koko: A Talking Gorilla
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: