Stars: James Aubrey, Tom Chapin, Roger Elwin, Tom Gaman, Hugh Edwards

Director: Peter Brook

Summary: A bleak rebuke to the Rousseauvian notion of the noble savage, director Peter Brook's faithful adaptation of William Golding's 1954 novel stars James Aubrey and Tom Chapin as antagonists Ralph and Jack, respectively. When a plane carrying thirty-odd British schoolboys out of a war zone crashes on an island, all of the adults are killed. The boys organize for survival, naming Ralph as their chief, in charge of providing fire and shelter. Jack is designated to lead a group of boys to hunt the wild pigs that roam the island. Almost inevitably, as time passes, the two boys, representatives of civiliation and savagery, begin a deadly struggle for dominance. The frequently invoked image of life as a war of all against all, in which civility is merely another weapon in the battle to gain one's ends, is here given a particularly disturbing twist in being enacted by children. Brooks shot an enormous amount of footage, a documentary-style ratio of 60-1, and used non-professional actors to achieve a raw, visceral realism. The film, which features a jauntily ironic score by Raymond Leppard, succeeds completely in suggesting the chilling malignity that may lurk beneath the blandest exterior.

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Reviewed by: davybozal24-7
Posted on October 1, 2006 12:11 PM

This wee gem is one of my most favourite films and in my opinion really sets the heather on fire ! This iconic version from 1963 and directed by Peter Brook is a daring translation of William Golding's symbolic best selling novel about the human spirit and the terrifying thesis - that there is a beast in us all. The story goes something like this ! A plane crashes on a tropical island and the only survivors are 30 British schoolboys, all the adults have been killed and the kids then have to fend for themselves. Bitter rivalries then emerge causing mayhem.

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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

Aspect Ratio:	1.66 Wide Screen
Main Language:	English
Region:	Region 2
Year:	1963
Release Date:	September 16, 2002
Runtime:	87 minutes
Certification:
Catalogue Number:	D 038271
Label:	Canal Plus
Keywords:	General, Wide, Screen, Lord, Flies, Drama
Genre:	Drama