Tarzan: Read and Watch

Tarzan of the Apes

John and Alice (Rutherford) Clayton, Viscount and Lady Greystoke from England, are marooned in the western coastal jungles of equatorial Africa in 1888. Some time later, their son John Clayton II is born. When he is one year old his mother dies from malaria, and soon thereafter his father is killed by the savage king ape Kerchak. The infant is then adopted by the she-ape widow Kala, who lost her previous son after dropping it from a treetop while being chased by Kerchak.

Clayton is named "Tarzan" ("White Skin" in the ape language) and raised in ignorance of his human heritage.

As a boy, feeling alienated from his peers due to their physical differences, he discovers his true parents' cabin, where he first learns of others like himself in their books. Using basic primers with pictures, over many years he teaches himself to read English, but having "never heard it, cannot speak it."

Upon his return from one visit to the cabin, he is attacked by a huge gorilla which he manages to kill with his father's knife, although he is terribly wounded in the struggle. As he grows up, Tarzan becomes a skilled hunter, exciting the jealousy of Kerchak, who finally attacks him. Tarzan kills Kerchak and takes his place as "king" of the apes.

Later, a tribe of black Africans settle in the area, and Kala is killed by one of its hunters. Avenging himself on the killer, Tarzan begins an antagonistic relationship with the tribe, raiding its village for weapons and practicing cruel pranks on them. They, in turn, regard him as an evil spirit and attempt to placate him.

A few years later, when Tarzan is twenty-one, a new party is marooned on the coast, including nineteen-year-old Jane Porter, the first white woman he has ever seen. Tarzan's cousin, William Cecil Clayton, unwitting usurper of the ape man's ancestral English estate, is also among the party. Tarzan spies on the newcomers, aids them in secret, and saves Jane from the perils of the jungle.

With another ship comes French naval officer Paul D'Arnot. While Tarzan is rescuing D'Arnot from the natives, D'Arnot's crew recover the castaways and depart Africa, presuming Tarzan and D'Arnot dead. D'Arnot teaches Tarzan to speak French and offers to take Tarzan to the land of white men where he might connect with Jane again. On their journey, D'Arnot teaches him how to behave among white men.

Ultimately, Tarzan travels to find Jane in northern Wisconsin, where he rescues her from a fire. Tarzan learns the bitter news that she has become engaged to another man. Meanwhile, clues from his parents' cabin have enabled D'Arnot to prove Tarzan's true identity as John Clayton II, the Earl of Greystoke. Instead of reclaiming his inheritance from William, Tarzan chooses to conceal and renounce his heritage for the sake of Jane's happiness.

Tarzan

In the 1890s, a British couple and their infant son are shipwrecked on the coast of equatorial West Africa. After building a treehouse with parts salvaged from the wreckage, the couple are soon killed by Sabor, a leopard. Kala, a gorilla who lost her own infant to Sabor, discovers the orphaned infant in the treehouse. She rescues him from Sabor and adopts him, naming him Tarzan.

As a child, Tarzan lives in the jungle with Kala, befriending her niece Terk, and the paranoid elephant Tantor. Tarzan finds himself treated differently by the gorillas, including Kerchak, the troop's stern leader and Kala's mate. When Tarzan accepts a dare from Terk, he accidentally triggers an elephant stampede. Infuriated, Kerchak declares Tarzan an outsider. With the support from Kala, Terk and Tantor, Tarzan makes valiant efforts to improve himself as he grows. Years later, Tarzan protects Kerchak against Sabor's ambush and kills her, earning his reluctant respect.

Meanwhile, British explorer Archimedes Q. Porter, his daughter Jane, and their hunter escort Clayton arrive in Africa to study gorillas. Jane gets distracted by a baby baboon, and is chased by an entire troop, until a curious Tarzan rescues her. Comparing himself to Jane, Tarzan discovers that they are from the same species. He returns Jane to her camp, where Porter and Clayton both take an interest in him. Despite Kerchak's orders to stay away from the humans, Tarzan repeatedly visits the camp to know more about the human world, and falls in love with Jane. But fearing Kerchak's fury, Tarzan refuses to take the trio to the gorillas.

The explorers' ship arrives to retrieve them. Jane persuades Tarzan to return to England with her, explaining he belongs to civilization, and not the jungle. After Jane tearfully rejects Tarzan's pleas, Clayton convinces him to lead the trio to the gorillas, saying that Jane will stay if she sees the gorillas. Having fallen for Jane, Tarzan gets Terk and Tantor to distract Kerchak, allowing Tarzan to guide the trio to the nesting grounds. Discovering the gorillas, the Porters excitedly mingle with them. Kerchak returns unexpectedly and attacks the humans upon seeing Clayton threatening a gorilla. The trio escapes as Tarzan restrains Kerchak who deeply reproaches Tarzan afterwards for betraying the troop. After Tarzan flees in guilt, Kala comforts him and takes him to the treehouse to reveal his heritage. As Kala will support whatever decision he makes, Tarzan decides to return to England and bids Kala a fond farewell.

Upon boarding the ship, Tarzan and the Porters are ambushed by a group of stowaway poachers. Clayton shows himself and with knowledge of the gorillas' territory, explains to Tarzan his plan to capture and sell all the gorillas for profit before imprisoning him and the Porters in the hold to prevent their interference. Hearing Tarzan's distant anguished yell, Terk and Tantor storm the ship and free the captives, allowing Tarzan to race back to land.

As Clayton and his henchmen begin capturing the gorillas, Tarzan, his friends, and the rallied animals intervene to scare away the henchmen and free the gorillas, including a caged Kala. Clayton mortally shoots Kerchak, and personally battles Tarzan through the rainforest canopy. While pursuing Tarzan across the dense vines with his machete, Clayton becomes entangled and desperately cuts through them, before accidentally hanging himself. Tarzan returns to the dying Kerchak who finally accepts Tarzan as his son, and names him the new gorilla troop's leader.

The next day, as the Porters leave on the ship's rowboat while Tarzan stays behind with the gorillas, Porter encourages Jane to stay with the man she loves. Jane jumps overboard, followed by her father and reunite with Tarzan and his family, solidifying their new life in the jungle.