Lord Of The Flies Movie Review (1963)
A stark adaptation of William Golding’s novel about boys stranded on an island, Lord Of The Flies is visually striking and faithful to the book, but the tension never quite builds as it should.
To say that I didn’t read the books assigned for us in high school English class is an understatement. I believe I read only 2 or 3 in full, and Cliffs Notes for the rest. We didn’t have Google yet, so this basic coverage of what every book was about was enough for me. I did actually read Lord Of The Flies, though, although I don’t remember every detail, and I’ve always wanted to watch the original film.
Lord Of The Flies is about a large bunch of children who get stranded on an island. Ralph and a boy only referred to as “Piggy” meet before being slowly introduced to the rest of the boys, including Jack, the head boy at his school. The boys try to form a society among themselves, but things slowly descend into disagreement and a more primal way of life.
Shot in a stark black-and-white with almost no score and only beach, forest, or cave-like settings, the film is distinctive right away. It is clear that the filmmakers worked to make this faithful to the book and not sensational in any way. And while that works quite a bit, there are some issues.
Lord Of The Flies has an excellent first half. I was completely captivated by the small world the boys were attempting to arrange, as well as each character, although they are more “mob” than individuals. I took in every little clue about each boy, though, because I was taken with the tone, the ideas, and what might happen with these innocent children. I remember thinking, “This is really spectacular, it has to be one of our great films.”
But the second half of the movie feels flat. Some remarkable incidents occur at the climax of the film, but the tone remains the same as in the first half. There is no tension building, and the entire movie stays on the same note. That works for the beginning, but not the end.
Out of curiosity, I did some digging into that, and it seems the director made a specific choice not to make any incident more important than another, because that is what happens with boys on an island. I appreciate the intention, but for this film, I think that was a misstep.
The children are one of the best parts of Lord Of The Flies, and they are incredible. There is an unbelievably authentic feel to the point where sometimes the words come out strangely or slowly. But the real playing and the real worries that are captured here are remarkable. It turns out that most of the children were not actors, which is a brilliant choice.
I was particularly engrossed by Hugh Edwards, who played “Piggy,” an honest, moral child who gets relentlessly picked on. There is a sensible gentleness to him that makes you want to envelop him in your coat and protect him from the world. Apparently, this was Edwards’s only role to date. Amazing.
Lord Of The Flies does a fantastic job of adapting the book to the screen, covering all the important points, but it is incredibly uneven. Still, the performances and visuals are enough to get you through, so it is a good way to revisit a classic story.
Runtime: 91 minutes
Motion Picture Rating: Not Rated (I’d say PG)
Languages Spoken In The Film: English
Should You Watch It? Yes
Did I Cry? Nope
My Rating: 3/5 Stars
Available: Free on Hulu and Max, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms
