History TearJerker / KingKong

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/king_kong.png]]

!Fims with their own pages:

** Doesn't help that he hits the edge of the building several times as he falls to his death

* The death of Kong. Yes, ItWasHisSled applies in full, but the two main versions still wring it out for all its worth. The 1933 version had this happen unintentionally, as technically, Kong is the villain, but the way the music is used and the "Performance" Willis O'Brian gives Kong really rank up the sympathy, and though it's inevitable--everyone still felt sorry for the poor beast. The 2005 version's music and performance are equally evocative.

* Doesn't help that he hits the edge of the building several times as he falls to his death

** You can argue that Kong being so sympathetic wasn't unintentional. You can argue the original is designed to be a tragedy; even when the monster is killed, the famous last line makes it that there's no sense of accomplishment or victory. In the end, you can only feel heartbroken for Kong.

* The coffee-table book ''A Natural History Of Skull Island'', in its description of Kong's species, includes a heartbreaking illustration of an orphaned baby Kong, uncomprehendingly clutching the fur of his dead mother.
* Jimmy's reaction to Hayes' death.
** Also, Lumpy's reaction to Choy's.

* How is it that in this whole movie the person you sympathize most with is Jack Black's ruthless film director? Virtually everything he did from the moment someone tells us that his character "destroys everything he loves" was given such a heartbreaking gravitas as we realize that he really does care about things (including the monkey) and yet he never changes his course of action to save it.
* The scene of Ann and Kong in Central Park, because it showed that they were far more than their archetypes of damsel in distress and monster. The tear jerker factor here derives from the fact that we know how the film will end (like the remake would change it), and so know that there is no hope for a happy ending for them.

* Seventeen people died to rescue Ann, yet she only cares about Kong. All the TooCoolToLive characters [[spoiler:like Lumpy and Hayes]] died and she doesn't even care.
** For that matter, neither did Jack. Seventeen people died to save ''his'' girlfriend, the thing was ''his'' idea, and he never once appeared to give a second thought about them, going so far as to scornfully deride actor Bruce Baxter for seeing what a Fool's Errand the whole thing was.
*** To be fair, some of them died before they even ''reached'' Anne. She probably didn't understand how costly the rescue mission had been until later. Plus, her protests when they capture Kong may not have been ''entirely'' for Kong's sake: she'd seen Kong beat down multiple ''V. rexes'' when he was angry, so could've feared that taking him prisoner might cost still more men their lives.
** The original 1933 version gives her a more plausible reason for not spending to much screen time on grieving. She usually spent her time scared to death!
* The scene where Kong and Anne are sliding on the frozen lake, happy and laughing and then the army starts shooting at them again.
* Sure the 70s remake isn't that good and it may come too little too late but Kong getting gunned down by helicopters, a total blood bath, and then falling to his seemingly death is pretty sad. Also the pilots of the planes/helicopter that perished since like it or not it is pretty dangerous having an animal that big on the loose.

* The coffee-table book ''A Natural History Of Skull Island'', in its description of Kong's species, includes a heartbreaking illustration of an orphaned baby Kong, uncomprehendingly clutching the fur of his dead mother. [[http://www.flickr.com/photos/teohyc/2950245793/#/ See it here, in the lower righthand corner.]]

*** To be fair, most of them died before they even ''reached'' Anne, so she wouldn't necessarily have had any idea that the rescue party had lost anyone along the way, not knowing how many men had originally set out to retrieve her.

* The death of Kong. Yes, ItWasHisSled applies in full, but the two main versions still wring it out for all its worth. The 1933 version had this happen unintentionally, as technically, Kong is the villain, but the way the music is used and the "Performance" Willis O'Brian gives Kong really rank up the sympathy, and even though it's inevitable--everyone still felt sorry for the poor beast. The 2005 version's music and performance are equally evocative.

* I was nearly moved to tears by the scene of Ann and Kong in Central Park, because it showed that they were far more than their archetypes of damsel in distress and monster. The tear jerker factor here was derived from the fact that I knew how the film would end (like the remake would change it), and so knew that there was no hope for a happy ending for them.
** Nearly? That scene is the one that ''always'' makes me cry whenever I see the film.
* 1933 and 2005 versions of Kong's final battle on the Empire State Building get [[@/MajinGojira this troper]] all water-y eyed to this day. His last moments are spent looking at Ann for comfort and then the last plane swoops in and...(sob)
* Seventeen people died to rescue Ann, yet she doesn't give a damn and only cares about Kong. This troper always gets sad that all the TooCoolToLive characters [[spoiler:like Lumpy and Hayes]] died and she doesn't even care.
** For that matter, neither did Jack. Seventeen people died to save ''his'' girlfriend, the entire thing was ''his'' idea, and he never once appeared to give a second thought about them, going so far as to scornfully deride actor Bruce Baxter for seeing what a Fool's Errand the whole thing was.

* The death of Kong. Yes, ItWasHisSled applies in full, but the two main versions still wring it out for all its worth. The 1933 version had this happen unintentionally, as technically, Kong is the villain, but the way the music is used and the "Performance" Willis O'Brian gives Kong really rank up the sympathy, and even though it's inevitable--everyone still felt sorry for the poor beast. the 2005 version's music and performance are equally evocative.

* Baby Kong using the last moments of his life to save Carl Denham from drowning, and is himself drowned.

* Baby Kong using the last moments of his life to save Carl Denham from drownig, and is hiself drowned.

* Also, Lumpy's reaction to Choy's.

* How is it that in this whole movie that person you sympathize most with is Jack Black's ruthless film director? Virtually everything he did from the moment someone tells us that his character "destroys everything he loves" was given such a heartbreaking gravitas as we realize that he really does care about things (including the monkey) and yet he never changes his course of action to save it.

* Seventeen people died to rescue Ann, yet she doesn't give a damn and only cares about Kong. This troper always gets sad that all the TooCoolToLive characters [[spoiler: like Lumpy and Hayes]] died and she doesn't even care.

* The scene where Kong and Anne are sliding on the frozen lake, happy and laughing and then the army starts shooting at them again.

** For that matter, neither did Jack. Seventeen people died to save ''his'' girlfriend, the entire thing was ''his'' idea, and he never one appeared to give a second thought about them, going so far as to scornfully deride actor Bruce Baxter for seeing what a Fool's Errand the whole thing was.

* Seventeen peopl] died to rescue Ann, yet she doesn't give a damn and only cares about Kong. This troper always gets sad that all the TooCoolToLive characters [[spoiler: like Lumpy and Hayes]] died and she doesn't even care.

* [[BeyondTheImpossible Seventeen people]] died to rescue Ann, yet she doesn't give a damn and only cares about Kong. This troper always gets sad that all the TooCoolToLive characters [[spoiler: like Lumpy and Hayes]] died and she doesn't even care.