Lord of the Flies For my filmed British work I chose to view Lord of the Flies.

The theme that the movie was trying to portray was to show that people, not only children, living without order, go back to their primitive ways. Society is built upon ethics and morals, and in the movie Jack and his hunters appeared to have none. That is why they were portrayed as a tribe of "savages" with paint all over their bodies. Without order and stability, society is chaotic as was the case in the movie. The single symbol of stability and order was the conch. When Jack and his hunters left the group to be on their own and hunt, they lost this important trait. That is when they began to chant, dance, and even, in some instances, kill like savages. "Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!" the movie suggests that organized civilization is the only thing that restrains mankind from living a life of barbarity and insanity.

The entire movie was symbolic in nature except when the adult naval officer appears at the end of the movie. In reality he is in the same predicament as the boys on the island were. The naval officer, having interrupted a manhunt, will take the children off of the island, but in reality he is doing the same primitive thing by hunting down his own enemy. Is there going to be anyone there to save the officer and his crew?

I also think the primary purpose of the movie was to serve as a warning of one's potential brutality toward his peers. When there is hatred between peers and there are no laws or rules to be reprimanded by then we become primitive. For instance, when Piggy was killed, Roger showed no remorse after the brutal murder that he had just committed.

I take pleasure in the fact that I was finally able to view the movie and relive the story after so many years. I remember the book being strikingly similar to the movie. In fact I do not recall any differences. I enjoyed doing this assignment and am grateful to have been turned onto British literature and film. I look forward to reading more British literature and watching British films.