Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies

Directed by Peter Brook • 1963 • United Kingdom
Starring James Aubrey, Tom Chapin, Hugh Edwards

In the hands of the renowned experimental theater director Peter Brook, William Golding’s legendary novel about the primitivism lurking beneath civilization becomes a film as raw and ragged as the lost boys at its center. Taking an innovative documentary-like approach, Brook shot LORD OF THE FLIES with an off-the-cuff naturalism, seeming to record a spontaneous eruption of its characters’ ids. The result is a rattling masterpiece, as provocative as its source material.

Lord of the Flies
  • Lord of the Flies

    Directed by Peter Brook • 1963 • United Kingdom
    Starring James Aubrey, Tom Chapin, Hugh Edwards

    In the hands of the renowned experimental theater director Peter Brook, William Golding’s legendary novel about the primitivism lurking beneath civilization becomes a film as raw and ragged as the los...

Extras

  • LORD OF THE FLIES Commentary

    This audio commentary, recorded in 1993, features director Peter Brook, producer Lewis Allen, director of photography Tom Hollyman, and cameraman and editor Gerald Feil.

  • Peter Brook on LORD OF THE FLIES

    In this half-hour interview from 2008, director Peter Brook discusses his move from theater to film, his approach to adapting LORD OF THE FLIES, and the film’s complicated production history.

  • Mary Karr on LORD OF THE FLIES

  • LORD OF THE FLIES Behind the Scenes

    These video pieces feature home movies, screen tests, outtakes, and stills from the production of LORD OF THE FLIES. They are accompanied by commentary from director Peter Brook, producer Lewis Allen, director of photography Tom Hollyman, and cinematographer and editor Gerald Feil, and provide in...

  • Gerard Feil on LORD OF THE FLIES

    In this interview, LORD OF THE FLIES cameraman and editor Gerald Feil examines specific scenes from the film and discusses some of the technical obstacles that arose during production.

  • THE EMPTY SPACE Excerpt

    The following 16-minute excerpt from Gerald Feil’s 1973 documentary THE EMPTY SPACE looks at some of Peter Brook’s methods as a theater director.

  • Living LORD OF THE FLIES

    During the making of LORD OF THE FLIES, director Peter Brook gave an 8 mm camera to his young actors so they could record their experiences. The following is a never-before-seen excerpt from that footage, featuring a reading by Tom Gaman (who played Simon) from an essay he wrote in 1998.

  • LORD OF THE FLIES Scrapbook

  • LORD OF THE FLIES Outtakes

  • LORD OF THE FLIES Deleted Scene

    This conversation between characters Jack and Ralph would have appeared in chapter 4 of LORD OF THE FLIES.