Documentary Movie Reviews
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Koko: A Talking Gorilla (1978)
Rate:
7
Viewed:
8/21
8/21:
Koko: A Talking Gorilla?
Um, they mean a communicating gorilla because she certainly doesn't talk. Because I saw the fingerspelling signs next to the
letters on the DVD cover, I was curious to see if Koko could do it. Well, it never happened. So much for being tricked.
Because of Koko's thick hands, it's hard to make out her signs and whether any of them is distinct.
The idea of teaching Koko sign language is keen and all, but I'll have to say it will take some generations
for gorillas to be able to communicate. Then again, I fail to see the point which is why Dian Fossey was adamant about
refusing Barbet Schroeder the privilege of visiting the mountain gorillas in Africa.
Trying to make people out of gorillas is a ludicrous idea. They're animals, and that's how nature shaped them to be.
I'm not convinced by Koko's display of sign language; it's just mimicry and memorization based on the correspondence between
sounds and signs. Francine "Penny" Patterson does too much work for Koko through operant conditioning
via food. If left alone, Koko won't make signs out of her own volition.
Born in 1971, Koko lived for forty-six years, passing away two years ago. His companion, Michael, also died in 2000. The
documentary was produced in 1978, and it's safe to say there's been a lot of progress since then. Koko built up a working
knowledge of over 1,000 signs and understood approximately 2,000 words of spoken English. However, she never matured to the
point of using them in a conversational manner.
As for the documentary, it's interesting but badly edited. I'll like to hear more facts about gorillas and their
history. Watching Koko interact with Penny is great, but the heavy amount of repetition of their work dooms my attention
span. Even Koko looks bored by it. Penny's statements about gorillas are wacky to listen to. Worse is the need to put make-up
on Koko's face.
All in all, teaching gorillas a new language is one thing, but messing with their heads is another.