Lord of the Flies
Directed by Peter Brook
Written Peter Brook from a novel by William Golding
1963/UK
Two Arts Ltd.
First viewing/FilmStruck
[box] Jack: We’ve got to have rules and obey them. After all, we’re not savages. We’re English! And the English are best at everything![/box]
Well, this is a hell of a note to end a year on.
The film begins with a group of still photographs that wordlessly tell of a coming war and the evacuation of children. The story proper finds the boys located on a desert island which will be their new home following a plane crash. These are evidently all upper class public school pupils but strangers to each other. It takes no time at all before the youngsters form up tribes, select leaders, and descend into brutality.
The movie tells a very simple story in which a few rational but weak boys are no match for a few bullies and the groupies they attract. It’s not clear whether the savagery depicted is fascist or anarchist but I suppose it doesn’t matter. I really was not in the mood for something that held out so little hope for mankind.
I watched this one in high school and had nightmares about it. This is really terribly bleak. Not the right movie for the last day of the year.
The novel was always on our high school reading lists. I’ve always wondered why. I guess it has high possibilities for discussion in book reports. Yuck!