Lord of the Flies on VHS. Starring James Aubrey, Tom Chapin, Hugh Edwards, Roger Elwin. Directed by Peter Brook. Based on the novel by William Golding. 1963.
From the box:
“A near perfect adaptation… Visually hypnotic and powerful.” — Video Movie Guide
The original film adaptation of William Golding’s classic moral parable, Peter Brook’s Lord of the Flies has been praised as “one of those rare instances in which the movie is better than the book.” Stranded on a remote island, a group of British schoolboys try to organize themselves into a law-abiding society: “After all, we’re not savages — we’re English,” one of them proclaims. The decent, levelheaded Ralph is picked to lead them, but is soon rivaled by the brash and outspoken Jack, whose appeals to the boys’ primal urges of food and fear soon threaten Ralph’s rule. As Jack’s unruly bank of hunters quickly grows in number, the boys’ fragile society disintegrates, and they plunge headlong into anarchy and bloodshed. Brook’s decision to shoot his tropical film in black and white is inspired: The resulting stark images add depth and weight to the chilling study of the inherent defects of society and man. In today’s post-Cold War world, with its lack of simple “us versus them” conclusions, Lord of the Flies becomes an even more compelling film, exploring how easily the threads that hold our social fabric together can thin, fray, and ultimately unravel.
DVD Upgrade: Lord of the Flies: Essential Art House
Put On Your (Reading) Glasses: Lord of the Flies by William Golding
