"Lord of the Flies" 1963



Posted: Monday, March 29, 2010

by Christian Jentz
Blue Cowboy Trading Post

I was first introduced to the story "Lord of the Flies" as a college student. While casually chatting with a classmate in the library, we began discussing the different books that we had read. "Lord of the Flies" had been a required reading project for him as a high school student. His description of the book intrigued me. I checked out the first available copy, and hid myself in a recliner, underneath a blanket for the next three days. It is a story that has fascinated my to this day.

Years later I found out that a movie had been made during the sixties which was based on this book. Now, normally I am very skeptical about movies based on books, and tend not to watch them, especially if I have previously read the book. This is one time I went ahead and watched the movie, and I've never regretted it.

The story itself is fairly basic. A group of schoolboys is stranded on an island without any adults. At first, a few of the more mature boys strive to have some kind of order and discipline instilled so that they can survive until they are rescued. However, being that the majority of the boys are ill-prepared to take on the responsibilities of an adult world, they are soon split into two camps: one that desires some semblance of order led by a mature-for-his-age Ralph (James Aubrey), and one that is more interested in hunting and having an enjoyable and irresponsible existence on the island which is led by Jack (Tom Chapin), a chap who relies more on brawn than brain to survive.

This second group is soon led down a path of destruction, even murder, in their desire to reign supreme over the boys of the other group which they deem to be weak. By the end of the story we see a decline into total chaos as by now the whole island is on fire and Ralph is being chased through the burning trees by the other boys who are intent on skewering him.

"They have a stick that is sharpened at both ends", a weary ally tells him in secret.

Just as the Great Fire of London of 1666 was instrumental in saving millions of lives by destroying the city of the rats and fleas that were the vehicles by which the Black Plague spread itself, so to was the fire on the island partly responsible for saving Ralph's life, as well as many of the other boys. For had it not been for the fire, the rescue planes would have had great difficulty in spotting the island.

The Peter Brook film emulates the original story perfectly. His use of nonprofessional actors gives the film a raw sense of reality. The inexperience of the actors doesn't give a sense of poor acting to the viewer, but rather a sense of insecurity and anxiety which is exactly what would be expected of children stranded on an island.

Brook's use of black-and-white imagery, unknown actors, and no special effects allows the viewer to see the story for what it really is. We are forced to use our imaginations and we thus take away a piece of a story that will be with us forever.
Christian Jentz is a world traveler who has visited nine different countries, and has lived in three. His travels have taken him to seven countries in Europe, one in North America, and one in Asia. He is an avid film buff, and through his travels has developed a love for foreign movies. He has written several articles for BlueCowboyFilms.com.
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