They both adapt the classic novel by William Golding but which Lord Of The Flies movie is better – the 1963 version or the 1990 movie? Published in 1954, Golding’s debut novel Lord Of The Flies tells the tale of a group of British schoolboys who find themselves stranded without adult supervision on a desert island after their plane crashes into the Pacific Ocean. Factions soon form between the boys as they wait to be rescued and civility gives way to savagery with devastating consequences.
Golding’s book has inspired countless other works from songs by the likes of Iron Maiden or The Offspring to the reality series Survivor and TV shows like Lost and The Society. It’s been adapted for the big screen several times too and if recent rumors prove true Italian director Luca Guadagnino of Call Me By Your Name fame could be the next filmmaker to tackle the text. To date, however, there are two Lord Of The Flies films directly adapted from the novel. Each of those movies has its merits and flaws, but one of them is ever-so-slightly better than the other.
The 1963 Lord Of The Flies movie was helmed by theater and film director Peter Brook and is by and large the more faithful adaptation of Golding’s novel. Shot in black-and-white on a shoestring budget, it brought together a cast composed mostly of amateur actors – many of whom improvised their lines. Brook employs minimal camera movement (possibly a result of his theater background) which gives the movie an almost documentary feel. However, the stark cinematography and non-professional cast often make the movie seem a tad stilted.
Directed by Harry Hook, the 1990 Lord Of The Flies movie deviates from its source material in several ways. Not only does the film feature a contemporary setting, but it also swaps the book’s British schoolboys for American military school cadets and throws a surviving adult character into the mix. It’s a more graphic adaptation than its 1963 predecessor too, but still follows the major plot points of Golding’s novel. The 1990 version of Lord Of The Flies features more convincing performances from its young cast as well and boasts better production values and camerawork.
On paper, the 1990 adaptation sounds like the better Lord Of The Flies movie adaptation and in some ways, it is. That said, the 1963 film captures the essence of the book better despite its flaws. For that reason, the 1963 adaptation is the better Lord Of The Flies movie but neither it nor the 1990 version is as great as the book they’re based on.