The Most Dangerous Game – 1932
The Most Dangerous Game is indeed a classic story. I think I first came in contact with it in a book aimed at teens when I was a kid. Of course, I can’t remember the exact story, I’m way too old to remember that. But at least it was similar and I remember liking it pretty much. The story itself was first published in 1924 and was written by Richard Connell. I imagine the topic would have been shocking back then. Well, it would be shocking even today if we were to be made aware of a real case like this. In case you’re not aware of the general idea. It’s about the hunt for the most dangerous game – human prey.
There are loads of films, TV series, and stories based on the theme these days. Most of them don’t credit Rickard Donnell and his story at all, but it’s obvious that The Most Dangerous Game has been an inspiration for 100 years by now. I think this is the first adaptation for the movie screen and since it’s almost as old as the story it must have had quite a shock value in its time. These days it’s not really shocking and most people watching it, or even reading this, are well aware of the basic idea.
Sub-context
But there is also a deeper being of the story, it becomes obvious when the great Game Gunter and author of many hunting books becomes the Game himself. At first, it’s just survival but later we return to a question told earlier in the film. If hunting is a sport for humans, is it an equal sport for the tiger, och whatever animal is being hunted? Is this a sport for the animal as well? I guess this only applies to carnivores. In all other cases, you cannot really argue that man and animal are hunting each other. It’s also a question if it’s a deliberate act or not. Just to counter-hunt the hunt for your own survival can be said to be instinct and not applicable either.
The bottom line is that there is some suspense here. It doesn’t hold up to today’s standards. But the pacing of the film and how the gradually increasing terror when realizing that you’re the hunter’s next prey is very well executed. By today’s standards, I would claim that The Most Dangerous Game is overacted at times. Heavily overacted even. But you can easily forgive such things when the theme of the movie itself is so ghastly.
