Decision Making Authority in Peter Brook's Lord of the Flies

Decision Making Authority in Peter Brook's Lord of the Flies

Director Peter Brook based Lord of the Flies on the novel by William Golding. The film, released in 1963, is the tale of a group of upscale British schoolchildren who are being flown out of London to the supposed safety of the South Pacific before war erupts. Their airplane crashes and the lads are left to fend for themselves on a remote island. The storyline takes the boys from innocence to savagery. The film did not receive rave reviews from critics. “The film version takes away some of the creative imagination that comes from reading the story, but its images are as shocking as one might imagine – little boys turned into violent savages”(Webster, Apollo Guide). The reviews could be in part from the inexperience of the actors. “The little boys were almost all non-actors whose parents volunteered them for the job out of respect for the book” (Webster, Apollo Guide). However, Peter Brook did an excellent job of depicting the possible outcome of the situation with which the children are faced. This film shows human nature in its truest form. Society is faced with people who are vulnerable to others, those who are capable of making the right decisions, and some who feel the need to violate the rules.

Piggy, portrayed by Hugh Edwards, is the most vulnerable character. At the beginning, he makes the mistake of divulging his nickname. Piggy seems to be intelligent and sensible, but lacking the confidence in himself to put it to use. Jack belittles Piggy throughout the film. He continuously calls him “Fatty” and at one point slaps him in the face, which causes his glasses to break. Piggy’s only hope is the friendship of Ralph, who betrayed him at the beginning, only to eventually become his best friend. Piggy never succumbed to the savagery of the others. In his last words, “What is it better to be, a bunch of savages like you are, or sensible like Ralph is”, he proves that it is possible for someone to remain themselves and not succumb to the pressures of others. Piggy is the symbol of rationality and adult society.

Ralph is the character who always tried the orderly approach. Throughout the film, he tried to care for the others and be the leader that the younger children needed.