Product Details

• Actors: Koko (III), Penny Patterson, Saul Kitchener, Carl Pribram, Roger Fouts
• Directors: Barbet Schroeder
• Format: Color, Dolby, DVD, Full Screen, Subtitled, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 1.0), French (Dolby Digital 1.0)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: Criterion
• DVD Release Date: July 11, 2006
• Run Time: 80 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000FILVNW
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #81,177 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

In 1977, acclaimed director Barbet Schroeder and cinematographer Nestor Almendros entered the universe of the world’s most famous primate, to create the captivating documentary Koko: A Talking Gorilla. The film introduces us to the remarkable Koko at the age of three, recently brought from the San Francisco Zoo to Stanford University by Dr. Penny Patterson for a controversial experiment—she would be taught the basics of human communication through American sign language. An entertaining, troubling, and still relevant documentary, Koko: A Talking Gorilla sheds light on the ongoing ethical and philosophical debates over the individual rights of animals and brings us face to face with the amazing "individual" caught in the middle.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awe Inspiring!, March 15, 2001

By 

Pam (Valrico, FL USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Koko, A Talking Gorilla [VHS] (VHS Tape)

One word! Awesome! KoKo changes our view about Gorillas. Koko's emotions seem almost human. I found myself laughing and crying, but most of all unable to move from my seat. The scene after KoKo is told about the kitten is heartbreaking, and should make everyone look at animals, especially Gorillas differently. I will never look at a gorilla at the zoo in the same manner. It just makes me sad to think about these incredible, intelligent, gentle, but yet so fierce and wild animals.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a unique Criterion release, September 10, 2006

By 

Ted "Ted" (Pennsylvania, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Koko: A Talking Gorilla (The Criterion Collection) (DVD)

This review is for the Criterion Collection DVD edition of the film.

Koko: A Talking Gorilla is a documentary about Koko the Gorilla who has become famous for having learned American Sign Language.

The film explores Koko's life living in a modified trailer at Stanford University. This film is older so it does not explore most of Koko's life who has become much more famous since the film's release. The film also was done at a time where Koko was on loan from the San Francisco Zoo and was in danger of being taken back.

This also is the only Criterion released film to date where the main subject is not a human.

The DVD includes a new interview with the film's director Barbet Schroeder and an optional French language audio track made for the film's release in France.

I liked this film and highly recommend it

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not like us?, December 30, 2007

By 

Joseph Kimsey "Fareastnibelung" (Pac NW) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Koko: A Talking Gorilla (The Criterion Collection) (DVD)

I just watched an extraordinary documentary called Koko - A Talking Gorilla, and was truly moved by what I saw. Although this film has been discounted as emotionalist, anecdotal blather by many scientists and philosophers, it offers further proof that non-human animals have consciousness and can experience the myriad of moods that we do. Non-human animals may not have the higher caliber of reflection that our species possesses (although observing some of the cretins that I see on daily basis tends to negate that assumption), they certainly experience emotions, retain memories and possess consciousness. Seeing this film makes me resent even more the philosophical assumptions put forward by Rene Descartes. For those not in the know, Descartes saw animals as mere automatons that don't think, feel or possess any real sense of consciousness. What twaddle. I am tempted to resort to some patented American anti-Franco invective and call Descartes a ridiculous Froggie moron who couldn't cogito to save his life, except that this film was produced by a French team. So Viva la France! So please see Koko - A Talking Gorilla, and revel in that fact that all life evolved from the same source.