The Lord Of The Flies

"We're not savages! We're English!" says a school boy in The Lord Of The Flies. He is one of several boys who have been marooned on an uninhabited island after a plane crash. They become a society in miniature, and by the end savagery has taken hold.

Based on the classic novel by William Golding, directed by Peter Brook and released in 1963, The Lord Of The Flies reminds me of Thomas Hobbes' statement that life was "brutish, nasty, and short." The film qualifies in all those categories. It's not a bad film, and in some ways is quite gripping, but it certainly isn't a feel good movie.

The film starts with still images of idyllic school life--choirs, cricket matches, etc., but then there are shots of planes. The implication is that there is a war on. The action starts with the boys already on the island. They are from different schools, and introduce each other. The early leader is Ralph, who is elected chief and is the voice of reason. His friend and supporter is the unfortunate Piggy, known only by his nickname.

Soon there is a schism, as a boy named Jack leads a group of hunters and declares the rules do not apply to him. He forms a tribe who are only interested in hunting, and when they kill a pig chant, "Kill the pig! Slit her throat! Bash her in!" Their bloodlust increases, and they believe their is a beast that needs to be appeased by a sacrifice. They set up a pig's head, but when a boy named Simon goes to look at it he is mistaken for the beast and killed.

The Lord Of The Flies is a declaration that the core of humanity is savagery, and that left to our own devices we will resort to our animal natures. Whether that's true I'm not sure, but certainly boys of a certain age are at heart cruel. 

Brook, renowned for his stage work, shapes the film beautifully. It is in black and white, which might have been a financial decision, but that a film set in the jungle is without vivid colors makes a statement. The cast were nonprofessionals, and some are better than others, but on the whole it works because they don't seem like actors.

One touch that I think sums up the film: a small boy, when asked his name, responds with his name, address, and phone number. Midway through the film he has forgotten his phone number. By the end of the film he's forgotten his name.