THE ISLANDUS, 1980, 114 minutes, Colour.
Michael Caine, David Warner, Angela Punch Mc Gregor, Frank Middlemass, Don Henderson, Jeffrey Frank, Dudley Sutton.
Directed by Michael Ritchie.
The Island has Peter Benchley at sea again, but the threats and violence come from the strangest group of pirates on screen - inbred, rapacious, having the remnants of a religious code, with a hybrid language and desperate to survive on their Caribbean hideaway island. With echoes of pirate adventures, Robinson Crusoe and Lord of the Flies, hero-journalist Michael Caine (earning stardom by being chained, running, swimming etc.) confronts pirates (led by David Warner) to save himself and his son. Angela Punch Mc Gregor (of Newsfront, The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith, The Timeless Land) is the tough heroine. Gore galore (and a final Peckinpah-massacre) and director Michael Ritchie keeps it all going seriously (with mock undertones) making a bizarre film that is repulsively fascinating. There is an Ennio Morricone score. Ritchie has directed such interesting films as Downhill Racer, The Candidate, The Bad News Bears, Semi- Tough, Smile.
1. The work of Peter Benchley and its popularity? The sea, terror and menace? Previous successes with Jaws, The Deep? The black nature of this story? Satire and black comedy? The 'oddball' aspects of the pirate story and the Bermuda Triangle?
2. The use of New York backgrounds, Florida? The transition to the Caribbean and its atmosphere? The sea, islands? The Ennio Morricone score?
3. How plausible the plot? The relationship between Blair and Justin? Bonds, their story? Blair as a newspaper reporter? Investigations? A scoop? The crash landing? The encounter with the pirates? Dr. Windsor? The brainwashing of Justin? The using of Blair for the next generation? The escapes, Justin turning against his father? The ultimate mayhem and rescue? A plausible explanation for the Bermuda Triangle disappearances!
4. Blair as hero: Blair as hero, Michael Caine and his style, relationship with his son, the buying of the gun and its later ironic use? The holiday. the crash? His investigations? The discussions with Dr. Windsor and the betrayal? The encounter with Nau? Beth and Blair's being used as a stud for impregnating her? H-is imprisonment and humiliation? His seeing Justin brainwashed? Beth and her change of attitude, the killing of Dr. Windsor, saving him? The escape? His heroics in running, swimming etc.? The bloodthirsty ending and his massacre of the pirates? The release of anguish and anger? Audiences identifying with him?
5. The characterisation of Justin: bond with his father, the experience of the crash, the brainwashing, his becoming a pirate, attacking his father and betraying him, being set up to kill his father but his not being able to do it? Reconciliation? Audience reaction to a child turning against his father?
6. The pirate film tradition and these pirates? Blackbeard and the Caribbean? The later descendants? Their hybrid nature and degeneration? The violence of the opening massacres? The impact of their appearance? Way of life, society, laws. language, brutality, killing? Hoarding food and wealth? Dr. Windsor and his protection of the pirates? Using people as slaves - Beth, Blair? Nau and his leadership, his brainwashing Justin? The relationships within the pirate group? The various personalities and their cruel and gross behaviour?
7. The irony of Dr. Windsor and his pleasant appearance, his luxury hideaway how, betrayal, axe-wielding, murder by Beth?
8. Nau and his leadership of the pirate group, his leadership qualities, dignity, cruelty, madness. brainwashing of Justin, humiliation of glair, the final confrontation and his failing to make Justin kill his father?
9. Beth and her presence on the island, squalid appearance, the feminie touch, the need for new generation pirates, her relationship with Nau? Her treating Blair as a slave? Affection for him, freeing him and killing Dr. Windsor?
10. The atmosphere of cruelty and pirate slaughter? Their way of life on the island?
11. The atmosphere of Lord of the Flies and other stories about savagery on islands? The themes of civilisation and savagery? The contemporary world and corrupted traditions?
12. The use of explicit violence and mayhem at the end? The waning of such an eruption of violence?
13. How satisfactory was the film as adventure, violent allegory? What was the audience left with? The plausibility, the puzzle, the entertainment, the horror?
