Spoilers for Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies by William Golding is one of the first books students at Bellarmine read. It is a classic that has recently been adapted into a four-episode series, giving viewers a chance to revisit the story in a more visual way. This series closely follows the events of the novel, but what really makes it stand out is its incredible acting and cinematography.
The first episode follows Piggy, as the island is introduced after the plane crash. The island is shown through intense lighting and wide shots to highlight its beauty. The show makes Piggy seem much more sympathetic, and immediately demonstrates his intelligence. When the conch is blown and the rest of the boys come down to the beach, the age of them really becomes real. In the book, readers can only imagine how young they were, but it is quite clear in the show, with the “littluns” being around four or five years old. It makes it much more morbid when gruesome events occur.
The second episode revolves around Jack and the fire on the mountain. Jack takes it upon himself and his choir group to keep the fire running, but ultimately makes it too strong, setting half the island ablaze and potentially killing some of the boys. It also explores the beginning of “the beast” by highlighting the darkness of the forest. This is one of the strongest episodes because it really shows how Jack reacts to certain situations and how he slowly turns to a darker path. He comes across as quite nonchalant in the book, but the actor really shows his secret worries and doubts.
Simon is the focus of episode three, and this episode takes a drastic turn. Whenever it’s Simon’s perspective, the forest turns blood red. His actor really demonstrates how aware Simon is of their situation, before he descends into a metal break. The whispers in the background and the voice of the severed pig head or “lord of the flies” create a creepy atmosphere and build suspense for the inevitable death of Simon. The episode ends with Simon’s body gracefully being swept out into the ocean, showing the deadly calm after those gruesome events.
The last part follows Ralph’s point of view as he is chased around the island by Jack’s tribe. As Ralph runs through the jungle, it looks almost like a maze of vines and trees, highlighting the trapped feeling Ralph has and the ominous qualities of the first. This episode also follows Piggy’s death. In the book, Piggy is killed instantly by getting knocked off the mountain, but the show draws it out. Piggy instead dies slowly from a head wound, allowing Ralph and Piggy more time together before he passes and carrying more emotional weight for the audience. They then get rescued by the Navy as no one wants to admit what’s happened on the island.
This show was an incredible adaptation of the book that allows the actors to really shine in their parts. The audience never forgets that they are really children and it makes the violence so much more real, both physically and emotionally. It gives the chance to explore the characters in greater depth and the cinematography plays a key part in creating an offputting, almost ethereal setting. I highly recommend giving it a watch if you are a fan of the book, or are just looking for a great show.
