Day 196: "Whoever holds the conch gets to speak."

I never watched the 1963 version of Lord Of The Flies.  Don't really know why, but after seeing the 1990 version, I really want to, and may actually review it later in the year, assuming I can find it.  The version I did watch, the 1990 one, wasn't a bad adaptation of the amazing William Golding novel, but it had some serious omissions.  If you have ever read the book, you will see.  As it stands, however, I did enjoy Lord Of The Flies for the movie that it was.  The film begins with the survivors of a plane crash making their way to a deserted island.  The survivors, as it turns out, are a group of pre-teenage boys from a military academy.  Initially their training and discipline keep them busy and productive on the island, planning and working to aid searchers in their hopeful, eventual rescue.  As time passes, however, it becomes clear to a splinter group that rescue is never coming, and all pretense of societal graces go out the window, barbarism ensues, and survival on the island becomes the priority.  The splinter group grows into the dominant force and eventually encompasses all but two of the boys.  I've read this book more times than I can count, and the movie just seems to be missing the heart of it.  It is well crafted and acted, but to me seemed go for the shock factor rather than the lessons shown in the book.

Luckily, the cast of newcomers and unknown actors does a marvelous job with the script they had.  Each of the boys has their own distinct personality and they maintain them throughout the film.  My favorite was Danuel Pipoly as Piggy.  I genuinely felt for this kid throughout.  Balthazar Getty played Ralph, but at times seemed lost in the enormity of emotions that the part called for.  Chris Furrh was Jack.  The completely amoral center of the entire breakdown of the group.  He played the part to the hilt and was, at times, one of the most completely reprehensible characters I've seen.  This kid didn't deserve to get rescued.

A really good, powerful movie, but missing some of the soul and inner character from the novel.  I'm definitely going to watch the original 1963 version, and hope that those excised portions are in there, because they are HUGE in the telling of this tale.  7.25/10.

See you tomorrow, and GO WATCH A MOVIE!!