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Lord of the Flies (1963, UK)
In Peter Brook's adaptation of William Golding's dark
novel - a nightmarish and pessimistic story of about 30 English schoolboys
(all non-professionals) stranded on a deserted tropical island following
a North Pacific Ocean plane crash (seen in a montage of still photographs
during the opening credits, hinting at a nuclear war threatening
England and the subsequent evacuation), who became savages and murderers
- [Note: also remade in color as Lord of the Flies (1990) by
director Harry Hook]:
- the early scene of the marooned castaways assembling
together to elect a thoughtful, democratic leader or chief named
Ralph (James Aubrey); the second in command choir leader Jack Merridew
(Tom Chapin) announced to the group: "We're on an uninhabited
island. We shall have to look after ourselves. But it's a good
island. There's lots of fruit, water, and I'm pretty sure there
aren't any dangerous animals. So things aren't so bad. None of
us are hurt. There isn't any danger, and we can build shelters
and be comfortable. So if we're sensible, if we do things properly,
if we don't lose our head, we'll be all right"
- afterwards, Ralph then advised them: "And another
thing. We can't have everybody talking at once. We shall have to
put our hands up, like we do at school. Then I'll give him the conch";
Jack agreed with Ralph - and added the ironic statement: "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...so we'll have lots
of rules, and when anybody breaks them..."
- the capture of a wild pig - its slaughter, roasting,
and devouring - and the boys' repetitive chant afterwards - repeated
often in the film:
"Kill the pig! Slit her throat! Bash her in! Kill the pig!..."
- the scenes of Jack's obsessed belief in a threatening,
shape-shifting but imaginary "Beast" - and his creation
of a sow's head on a stick (with flies swarming around) as an offering
to the mythical "Beast" - their new God - and as a way
to align the war-painted 'hunter' boys behind him for protection
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Pig on a Stick: "The Beast"
or "Lord of the Flies"
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The Firelight Dance
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- the sequence of the frenzied firelight dance around
a large campfire by Jack's followers - soon followed by the accidental
murder of young, innocent, blonde-haired Simon (Tom Gaman) who
raced back to the camp with news of the discovery of the sow's
head (the titular "Lord of the Flies"), and was mistaken
for the
"Beast" itself - the boy was impaled to death with sharpened
spears by the others in the darkness
- the two emerging leaders in the group: warlike and
cruel Roger (Roger Elwin), along with Jack, who were only interested
in hunting, feasting, dancing, and combat, and his remaining two
rivals: the exiled Ralph and his friend - the pudgy, asthmatic and
bespectacled Piggy (Hugh Edwards) (who had lost his glasses, and
found them smashed); the boys who were allied with the barbaric Roger
(now wearing body paint) stood at the top of the cliff and ignored
that Piggy had the 'conch' in his hand and was speaking to them: "Let
me speak. I've got the conch. Which is it better to be, a pack of
painted savages like you are, or sensible like Ralph is? Which is
better, to have rules and agree, or to hunt and kill?"; Piggy
was answered by a large rock boulder dislodged from the cliff by
Roger above that fell on him and crushed him to death
- and the concluding scene - the island burned while
the body-painted boys rushed to the beach to pursue after Ralph;
a naval officer (dressed in white) was shocked to discover Ralph
at his feet and crawling up to him while being hunted by the more
sinister, violence-prone and savage rival Jack and his tribal followers;
one of the younger boys Percival (Kent Fletcher) approached the officer
to speak to him, but was unable to remember his name (a symbol of
lost civilization); the rescued Ralph stared at the officers of a
landing party standing on the shore, dropped his head, and silently
sobbed as the film ended (with flames and smoke behind him)
The Savage Boys Discovered by Naval Officers
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Jack: "We're not savages"
Roasting Wild Pig
Piggy: "I've got the conch..."
Roger Toppling Boulder
The Deadly Assault on Piggy - Crushed by the Falling Boulder
The Schoolboy Castaways - Turned into Wild, Painted and
Tribal Warriors
Jack Looking Down at Piggy's Death
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