Tarzan Response

I watched Tarzan for the first time. Honestly, I had not realized the depth behind the story of Tarzan before I watched the movie. Previously, I had thought it was just a man living in the jungle who learned how to become a part of human society. Now, being able to understand the multiple messages and the villain after watching the movie, I understand why Tarzan is such a popular movie.

Basically, the story begins with Tarzan's parents being stuck at sea during a storm, but then washing up to shore and building a tree house. Tarzan's parents are killed, and Tarzan is found by a gorilla who just recently lost her baby. The gorilla's adopt Tarzan and raise him, although he struggles to keep up with the gorillas much of the time. Tarzan winds up saving Jane's life from baboons, and then realizing that she is the same type of creature as he is. He takes her back to the campsite where the gorillas are creating a mess by using her, her father's, and Clayton's belongings as instruments. After Jane realizes that Tarzan is like one of the gorillas, her crew begins to teach Tarzan how to speak English and she teaches him about the human world. One day, while trying to make Jane stay longer when she is about to leave, Tarzan makes the mistake of bringing Jane's crew to where the gorilla nesting site is. Tarzan is not aware that Clayton is trying to shoot the gorillas, capture them, and sell them off. When Kerchak, a gorilla from his troop, attacks Clayton because he has a gun, Tarzan saves Clayton's life, showing disrespect to his troop. At this point, Tarzan is torn between the ape world and the human world. When Clayton's gang raids the apes at night, however, Tarzan battles Clayton and saves the troop. As a result, Tarzan is fully accepted back into the troop and Jane lives with Tarzan and the apes in a romantic ending. 

A strong message sent through this story is that family is not necessarily defined by those who are similar to you genetically or exactly like you. Family, instead, is defined by those around who care about you and those who you care about, regardless of genetics. Tarzan ends up figuring out that his real family is the ape family he grew up with, not the humans that he is genetically similar to. 

Another message is sent through having the villain portrayed as man in this movie. Clayton and his gang raid the apes to try to capture and sell them for substantial profit. The apes have great characterization in this movie and they are seen as humane creatures that the audience can sympathize with. When the apes, portrayed as Tarzan's family, are unjustifiably attacked and Clayton turns to attempting to kill Tarzan, the movie calls to attention the cruelty that accompanies the capturing of wildlife and the damages that ensue. In essence, Tarzan provides another example of humans versus the environment in order to persuade man to take better care of wildlife and the environment instead of destroying it.