Buddy of the Apes: A messy, wild jungle scramble

Is this thing worth the watch?

Honestly, only if you're a weirdo like me who digs through archives for stuff that probably should have stayed buried. If you are into The Student of Prague for the high-minded atmosphere, you will likely hate this. It is loud, it is messy, and it feels like a fever dream that didn't quite wake up.

The whole thing moves with a strange, jagged energy. One minute we are in the jungle, the next we are just watching people run around in circles. It is almost hypnotic in how little it cares about pacing.

Oddly specific observations

• The foliage looks like it was made of damp construction paper.
• There is a moment where Buddy just stares at a tree for way too long. I think he was waiting for a cue.
• Billy Bletcher gives it his all, which is frankly both impressive and slightly sad.

It’s funny how these old films treat "kidnapping" like it's just a grocery store run. Buddy doesn't really seem *that* worried. He just kind of strolls through the danger. Maybe he knows he's the star? 🐒

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of Buddy of the Apes (1934) through its definitive frames.

I caught myself wondering if the actors were actually tired or just bad at acting out breathlessness. They spend a lot of time panting. It gets old fast.

Compare this to something like Peacock Alley, which at least had a sense of where it was going. Buddy of the Apes just kind of ends. It doesn't even feel like a climax. It just stops because the reel probably ran out or everyone got hungry.

I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, obviously. But there is something refreshing about a movie that doesn't try to teach you a lesson or explore the human condition. It is just a guy, some natives, and a whole lot of weird jungle noise.

Worth a look if you have twenty minutes and a lot of patience. Otherwise, maybe just watch the trees blow in the wind. Probably more exciting.