A plane filled with English school children fleeing an unnamed ‘nuclear’ war crashes near a deserted island. Shortly after the crash, two boys Ralph (James Aubrey) and Piggy (Hugh Edwards), meet on a beach. Ralph is a mature, sympathetic kid; Piggy is an outcast with heavy glasses, given his nickname by schoolmates as a result of his weight and asthmatic condition. Alone, the two get along fine, but things begin to shift when they discover that several other boys are stranded on the island with them.
The children split of into two separate groups. One is led by Jack (Tom Chapin) a spoiled, headstrong wannabe who takes command of a group of choirboys. Jack decides that his group will be the hunters; providing the others with food. Ralph, who takes charge of the other group, is a natural leader. The son of a naval a naval officer, he tries to bring a sense of structure (with Piggy’s help), to a decidedly chaotic situation. As weeks go by with no rescue in sight, alliances begin to shift and the hunters become bullies who simply intimidate the others. It’s not long before they’re taking what they want and controlling everything that happens. In the end, the schoolboy’s belief that a mythical ‘beast’ inhabits the island turns them into savages with no regard for law and order, or human life.
Never coalesced into a traditional screenplay, director Peter Brook developed the story through a series of workshops based on the original novel. Despite the unique approach, Brook managed to capture many of the novels well known scenes and point out some important symbols—the conch shell, the pig’s head and Piggy’s glasses. Brook also wasn’t afraid to show the children once they’d lost all civility and essentially become savages. Brook’s most important decision was to cast non-professional actors in the leading roles. Though the performances are far from perfect, the more polished work of professionals would have undermined one of Golding’s central themes: much of what makes up society politically, socially and economically is a rather weak façade; when its structure is removed, chaos ensues.
Presented in the 1.37:1 aspect ratio, Criterion’s 1080p transfer is top shelf. Sharpness is superb and the image is immaculate. Contrast is perfect, with fully realized grays and dark blacks. Digital anomalies are nonexistent. Criterion has created another amazing viewing experience.
Audio is provided via a linear PCM mono track. A little bit of bass is present, while still remaining true to the simplistic nature of the original recording. The score by Raymond Leppard sounds surprisingly full, apparently benefiting from the uncompressed nature of the transfer. The dialogue is clean and clear throughout.
English subtitles are available.
The following special features are included:
- Audio commentary featuring director Peter Brook, producer Lewis Allen, director of photography Tom Hollyman, and Feil: Recorded by Criterion in 1993, this entertaining and informative commentary takes you behind the scenes, with lots of information about the making of the film.
- Audio recordings of William Golding reading from his novel Lord of the Flies, accompanied by the corresponding scenes from the film: Recorded in 1977 for Random House’s Listening Library.
- Deleted Scene with Optional Commentary and Golding Reading (SD, 1:57) The scene features a conversation between Jack and Ralph which would have appeared in chapter four of the film.
- Interview with Director Peter Brook (SD, 32:32) Recorded in 2008, Brook discusses the production history, style and structure of Lord of the Flies.
- Behind the Scenes Material (SD, 15:37) Home movies, screen tests, outtakes, and stills from the production of Lord of the Flies. All three are offered with optional commentaries by Peter Brook, Lewis Allen, Tom Hollyman, and Gerald Feil.
- The South Bank Show: William Golding (HD, 24:36) An excerpt from an episode of the British television series The South Bank Show, which was broadcast on November 16, 1980. In it writer William Golding recalls how Lord of the Flies came to exist, and discusses the success of the novel and more.
- Interview with Gerald Feil (HD, 19:36) In this new interview, Feil discusses his work on Lord of the Flies and some of the challenges during filming.
- The Empty Space (HD, 16:32) An excerpt from Gerald Feil’s 1975 documentary film The Empty Spaces which examines Peter Brook’s work as a theater director.
- Living Lord of the Flies (HD, 6:08) Never before seen footage of the young actors on-and-off set. Also includes a reading by Tom Gaman (who played Simon) from an essay he wrote in 1998.
- Trailer (SD, 1:54) Original theatrical trailer, with optional commentary by Gerald Feil.
- Booklet: An illustrated booklet featuring an essay by film critic Geoffrey Macnab and an excerpt from Peter Brook’s book The Shifting Point.
