AN OUTCAST OF THE ISLANDS
UK, 1952, 95 minutes, Black and white.
Trevor Howard, Ralph Richardson, Robert Morley, Wendy Hiller, George Colouris, Betty Ann Davies, Wilfrid Hyde- White, Kerima.
Directed by Carol Reed.
An Outcast of the Islands is based on a Joseph Conrad novel and re-creates vividly a grim black and white picture of Conrad's South- East Asia. In fact, the whole film is grim and almost fatalistic in its pessimism. In all this, it can be profitably compared with Richard Brooks' film version of - Lord Jim, with Peter O' Toole playing a character parallel to that played by Trevor Howard in this film. Settings are similar and there are similar issues raised. Trevor Howard is very effective in a quite unsympathetic role as the anti-hero. Robert Morley gives dramatic edge to a performance that might have been just another Morley light performance. The film was directed by Carol Reed in the years of - The Third Man, The Man Between.
1. What response did the title of the film evoke?
2. How did the film build up atmosphere of an Asian outpost, with its remote, seedy style of life and loneliness of the Englishmen in this situation?
3. First impressions of the hero, his threats, bragging, arrogance?
4. Did the film explain his background, why the Captain adopted him, the chances he'd received, abuse of trust? Did he deserve failure? Were people cruel in despising him? Why?
5. How humiliated did he feel - trying to borrow money, his wife, being pursued, pretending to drown to get the Captain's help?
6. Was he redeemable or not? Why did the Captain give him another chance? Why did he trust him? Why didn't the outcast respond and deceive the Captain?
7. How did the dangerous voyage and the outpost highlight the remote environment?
8. How did the environment affect the outcast? Why didn't the outcast respond to the interest of Mrs. Almayer and why did he dislike Almayer?
9. What kind of man was Almayer - complex? How did he survive at the outpost? Why did he stay? What effect did this life have on his wife?
10. Why was the outcast bored? Why didn't he do something positive for himself? The native girl - was he in love with her, or was it just a physical thing? How did the film communicate this?
11. Did the natives trust him? His ambitions about the trading post? Did the Almayers trust him? What happened to him when he crossed the river?
12. Why did he torture Almayer? How effective was this sequence and what did it reveal about the outcast?
13. Could he have been reconciled with the Captain?
14. Why did he flee? Did he despair? Was he under the power of the natives? Of the girl?
15. What future had he?
16. What was Conrad saying about human nature, pride, deceit, sin, repentance, forgiveness or the lack of it in this story? Was the film completely pessimistic? Why?
