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Lord Of The Flies [1963] | | |
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Amazon.co.uk Review
In this classic 1963 adaptation of William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies, a planeload of schoolboys are stranded on a tropical island. They've got food and water; all that's left is to govern themselves peacefully until they are rescued. "After all", says choir leader Jack, "We're English. We're the best in the world at everything!" Unfortunately, living peacefully is not as easy as it seems. Though Ralph is named chief, Jack and the choristers quickly form a clique of their own, using the ever-effective political promise of fun rather than responsibility to draw converts. Director Peter Brook draws some excellent performances out of his young cast: the moment when Ralph realises that even if he blows the conch for a meeting people might not come is an excruciating one. Well acted and faithfully executed, Lord of the Flies is as compelling today as when first released. --Ali Davis
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 Shocking September 3, 2001
24 out of 25 found this review helpful
Lord of the Flies has to be one of the most surprising and horrifying films every created. For someone who has not yet read the book, but is on the verge of buying it, I must say that this disturbing classic is excellent. I'm 13, and I know very few of my friends would appreciate a black and white film, but I reccomend it. When a plane crash lands and children are left bewildered and scared on a deserted, a tribe is formed, the leader being a boy named Ralph. But there are rifts in the congregation of survivors, and manipulative choir boy named Jack seizes the lead. Things then go downhill- fighting, murder, fear- but at the end there is a great twist... A compelling film and definitely worth a see. A good film which experiments with greed, diplomacy and much more.
Lord of the Flies Criterion Collection DVD February 19, 2004
JD (London, England)
23 out of 23 found this review helpful
The Lord of the Flies Criterion Collection DVD, which does not have any region encoding, is excellent. The picture quality is sharp and the sound clear, but it is the extras with the 1963 film that make this version so special. Listening to William Golding reading excerpts from the book and offering his comments (recorded in 1976) is a real insight both into the story and his thoughts. Also, hearing Peter Brook and his principal crew talk (in 1993) about the making of the film is fascinating. We are also told how an initial cut of over 4 hours was produced but, unsurprisingly, had to be severely edited. As I understand, the version presented at the Cannes Film Festival was about 100 minutes long, but this had to be reduced to 90 minutes so that it would be acceptable to a distributor; it is this version that is presented on the Criterion DVD. The final cutting from 100 to 90 minutes must have been devastating for Peter Brook when his whole intention in making the film as an independent production was to have control over his work. Perhaps he considered a Director's Cut for this edition, perhaps he thought it best to now leave the released version alone. Fortunately, some - although I would have liked to seen more - of this very poignant material that was deleted from the final version is included on the DVD. Overall Criterion is to be congratulated on their release, which - for anyone interested in the themes of civilization and the potential evil within it - has provided most valuable and additional perspectives to both the novel and the original film.
 A little rushed, a few omissions, but very good February 29, 2004
C. MCCALLISTER (The waters of the Great Lakes)
14 out of 17 found this review helpful
"The Lord of the Flies" tells the tale of a group of English schoolboys stranded on a tropical island, with no adults, after a plane crash, while war rages on worldwide. The boys, ages 5 or 6 through 12 or 13, have food, water, and a pleasant climate. Their only challenges are to fight boredom and stay civilized until they are rescued.I saw this videotape for the first time only a few weeks after reading the book for the first time. To me, the film was a little rushed, and there were a few important omissions, but it was still quite faithful to the brilliantly disturbing novel. The picture quality was a bit grainy, and the dialogue of a few of the child actors was a bit stilted at times, but Jack, Ralph, Piggy, and Simon were portrayed very well. The dialogue is hard to hear at times, against the sounds of surf and jungle, but I wonder if that was intentional and symbolic (i.e., the words of civilization struggling to rise above the roar of primitive Nature). The important omissions were: Ralph's gradually increasing difficulty with thinking things through and needing more and more help from Piggy; Ralph's encounter with "The Lord of the Flies" in his mad dash for survival; the disappearance of the never-named boy with the birthmark, in the very beginning, which, in the novel, set off the fears and wild imaginings of the boys. The whole movie had a rushed pace to it, as if the producer and/or director had been given a tight budget. Overall, I found this to be a good rendering of an excellent novel. I have never seen the remake, but have heard it's shallower.
Excellent and very close adaptation of the book July 23, 2002
13 out of 14 found this review helpful
Peter Brook did an excellent job in coverting William Golding's Lord of the Flies. All of the events that occured in the book occured in exactly the same way in the film.Written at a time of post war, Golding understood the implications of future wars. A group of boys, spanning all the ages, from the littleuns to the biguns, are set to survive on a paradise island. There is a large supply of fruit, clean water and the weather suited them perfectly. An evil battle for leadership turns into a battle for survival. Simon realises the truth and is unable to share it with the ignorant tribes. The reality figure is destroyed by the savages and all have to come to terms with there changing way of life. Beauty, Tension, Fear and Death are portrayed by Golding. The Lord of the Flies ~ a horrific and beautiful story, true in every way.
Lord of the Flies 1963 Edition April 20, 2004
12 out of 14 found this review helpful
After watching a very disappointing more modern American version, this1963 edition was a real treat. Although filmed in Black and White, thisgives a dramatic effect to the story, which is fairly true to the book. Aclassic film which I am very pleased to add to my collection.
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