This article contains spoilers for theLord of the Fliesbook and TV show.The Lord of the FliesBBC drama must honor its source material and do right by the book’s key moments. Fans of1963’sLord of the Fliesmoviecan celebrate - the four-part BBC drama will provide a brand-new adaptation of William Golding’s timeless story. With news of the adaptation shared last year, the recent filming and cast updates prove that the show is picking up momentum. Now that there is no stopping the BBC drama, it’s time to pin down which moments it has to nail, from the story’s opening setup to the shock of its dark climax and its strange, ironic ending.
William Golding’s novel explored themes of order and chaos, morality and violence, and much more to boot. The schoolboys that constituted the story’s main characters arrived on a Pacific island as castaways, and the island began functioning as a microcosm for society. This story was in turn scary, thrilling, tragic, and violent, andLord of the Flies’confirmation of Hans Zimmeron soundtrack duty promises to adapt it well. Screenwriter Jack Thorne, ofHis Dark Materialsrenown, will also work on the movie. Thorne and Zimmer stand a good chance of bringing the novel’s best moments to life.
10Ralph Finding The Conch
Ralph found a seashell on the shore that would go on to shape the entire narrative, and the show should give this moment due importance.Ralph’s finding of the conch was probably the first main moment of his arc, marking his rise to power on the island. More than that, Ralph noticing the conch showed that he was intelligent and humane - it was the first sign of Ralph’s leadership skills.
Filming for BBC’sLord of the Fliesis underway in Malaysia.
Ralph often seemed like the main character of the book, but the show will give each of its four episodes over to one character in terms of its focus. This actually makes a lot of sense in terms of the book’s themes, with the show’s four focal characters each representing something unique and important. Even despite not focusing on Ralph throughout,Ralph’s discovery of the conch should be made to seem importantsomehow.
9The Pig Hunt
The Boys Tearing At The Pig
When the boys on the island killed the sow, Golding created one of the most disturbing scenes in English literature, and the TV show should put this across.The chant “kill the pig” was tied to the killing of the sowas a reflection of the boys' savagery. This was something that started with the sow’s death and mounted to a terrifying crescendo.
Tackling this plot point honestly could make for one of television’s most powerful moments.
There were bizarre sexual overtones to Golding’s imagery, and it made a story about children a decidedly adult read, communicating horror in a way that only adults could understand. The show needs to communicate what was innately primal and horrifying about this moment. If the show chooses to leave some of the most sordid details of Golding’s brutal story implicit, that may be understandable. However, tackling this plot point honestly could make for one of television’s most powerful moments.
8Ralph Blowing The Conch
Ralph Was A Child Hero At First
Ralph rose quickly in the island’s miniature societyto become a heroic figure, and the first time he blew the conch was the moment he sealed this fate. Choosing order, civility, technology, and community, Ralph was a young boy who thought to rally other survivors to him by blowing a conch. Every blowing of the conch thereafter was the spirit of Ralph’s outreach made manifest, deserving emphasis in the show.
Choosing order, civility, technology, and community, Ralph was a young boy who thought to rally other survivors to him by blowing a conch.
The conch made a beautiful sound, and it proved the beauty that was inherent to nature. Ralph clung to this as his schoolmates descended into primal aggression, and nature began looking increasingly ominous.The conch should cut through confusionin the show like it does in the book, all the way up until its final moments.
7The First Glimpse Of Jack’s Face Paint
The Paint Was A Milestone Moment
Jack was an antagonistin William Golding’s novel, and this primary moment in his development should shine in the BBC drama. Primitive evil is something that theLuca GuadagninoLord of the Fliesremakebeing discussed would probably do well. While that is simmering away, the BBC drama seems poised to respect the importance of Jack’s face paint.
The BBC drama’s casting director Nina Gold worked onGame of Thrones,The Power of the Dog, andBaby Reindeer, so her open casting call forLord of the Fliesmay turn up exciting talent. This promising casting goes some way to guaranteeing a good adaptation of the major milestone moment that is Jack appearing in his warpaint.Jack should be tyrannical and primevalat the same time, which Hans Zimmer would score excellently, no doubt.
6The Signal Fire Going Out
The Fire Represented Hope
When the island’s signal fire goes out in the BBCLord of the Fliesshow, it should feel like night truly falls. The signal fire is a symbol of hope in allLord of the Fliesstories, from Golding’s novel to the 1963 movie and theLord of the Flies'90s adaptation. Much of the hope remaining forthe boys' salvation died with the fire, and perhaps Ralph began losing control of his impulses at this point too.
A modern-day adaptation could create some impressive chiaroscuro visuals that contrast the fire with the night. The show could also use Hans Zimmer’s soundtrack to equate the fire to the poignant emotion of clinging to human hope. Meanwhile,the soundtrack could use moments of silence and stillness to create drama, and horror flares to portray the threat of darkness.
5The First Glimpse Of The Lord Of The Flies
This Moment Should Stay With Viewers Forever
The BBC drama’s titular figure is less of a character than a symbol, and its appearance should be sad and unforgettable. A twisted demonstration of schoolboy religion and Jack’s ritualistic pursuits, the Lord of the Flies showed the boys up for what they really were - killers of the innocent.The Lord of the Flies was actually the head of a dead pigon a stick that the boys gave strange importance to.
A twisted demonstration of schoolboy religion and Jack’s ritualistic pursuits, the Lord of the Flies showed the boys up for what they really were - killers of the innocent.
It was the boys themselves who were the primary subjects of the murder of innocence, losing their childlike joy and naivety rapidly.The boys' loss of innocence saw death sweep across the island, touching those who least deserved it. The show should make the head on the stick as grotesque as it was in the book, and make its symbolism clear.
4Simon’s Death
The Island’s First Victim Must Shock
Simon’s spiritual significance made his death heartbreaking in Golding’s novel, and the show should convey it with full force.Simon was the first boy to die in the story, which was a shocking moment in a drama concerning real boys stuck on an island. Golding’s exploration of human nature and masculinity raised all the right questions, and Simon’s death was key there. Simon was unfortunately mistaken for a monster by the souped-up boys of the island, which led to his demise.
Golding’s exploration of human nature and masculinity raised all the right questions.
Simon spoke to the Lord of the Flies in Golding’s novel, gleaning strangely accurate insight from the inanimate object.Simon communing with the head proved his spiritual power, which was, of course, not to be allowed to exist in Jack’s autocracy.Luca Guadagnino’s horrorLord of the Fliesremakewould have given Simon’s death a lurid terror, and the BBC should ensure this moment is tragic as well as horrendous.
3Piggy’s Death
The Tragic Apex Of The Story
The show should all coalesce around the death of the island’s resident intellect, Piggy.Piggy’s death made Golding’s novel transcend the boundaries of a good storyand become the bold, uncompromising, permanent fixture of pop culture that it is. FromtheLord of the Fliesreference in the SimpsonstoLord of the Flies’inclusion in endless curriculums, the incredible influence of the novel wouldn’t be possible without its brutal killing of its most lovable character.
TheLord of the Fliesshow has to respect the tragic apex of the story, which is Roger’s murder of Piggy. Piggy was the driver of reason and intelligence on the island, his glasses a symbol of rationality.The breaking of Piggy’s glasses was a portent of doomfor their wise owner. The most tragic element of Piggy’s death was that he was never even named, bullied until his final moments.
2The Breaking Of The Conch
Chaos Reigning On The Island
The show should create allegorical importance around the breaking of the conch, the story’s evocative symbol of order. As the beacons of stability and progress gradually died out on the island, the boys were left alone with their worst impulses. As the signal fire went out, Piggy’s glasses broke, and the conch, finally, was shattered - it became clear thatall hope was lost.
As the beacons of stability and progress gradually died out on the island, the boys were left alone with their worst impulses.
Using smart camera angles, what is sure to be an impressive soundtrack from Zimmer, and the right pacing, the show can make the breaking of the conch a climactic moment rich in meaning.This moment was tied up with Piggy’s death, so it seems an inevitable inclusion in the show. It’s uncertain what genre or genres the show will play with, but either way, this huge moment must seem cataclysmic.
1The Officers Arriving On The Island
This Should Be A Twist
The show’s momentous ending should come as a plot twist. Just when it seemed as if the boys would tear themselves apart in the book,rescue arrived in the form of naval officers. Ironically, the officers had witnessed the forest fire started by Jack, who had malicious intentions. Neither Ralph’s dogged attempt to instill order and process nor Piggy’s wisdom or Simon’s foresight could save the boys.
However,Jack’s animalistic destruction got the boysall saved. This unexpected ending to the tragic thriller was somehow hopeful and nihilistic at the same time, belying a profound ambivalence and deeper meaning. TheLord of the FliesBBC drama has its work cut out capturing the complexity of this, but the team put together so far inspires optimism.
Lord of the Flies
Cast
Lord of the Flies is a 1963 film adaptation of William Golding’s novel, directed by Peter Brook. The story revolves around a group of boys stranded on an uninhabited island, who descend into savagery as they struggle to govern themselves. The film explores themes of human nature, civilization, and moral conflict.
