Robinson Crusoe (1997 film)

For other uses, see Robinson Crusoe (disambiguation).

Robinson Crusoe
Home Video release poster
Directed by	Rod Hardy George T. Miller
Written by	Christopher Lofton
Produced by	Njeri Karango
Starring	Pierce Brosnan William Takaku Polly Walker Ian Hart James Frain Damian Lewis Martin Grace
Cinematography	David Connell
Edited by	Sue Blainey Richard Bracken Tod Scott Brady Greg Feathermann Keith Reamer Kevin Stitt David Zieff
Music by	Jennie Muskett
Distributed by	ABC
Release dates	June 12, 1997 (1997-06-12) (Singapore) May 13, 2001 (2001-05-13) (U.S. TV)
Running time	92 min approx.
Country	United States
Language	English

Robinson Crusoe is a 1997 Australian-American adventure survival drama film directed by Rod Hardy and George T. Miller, and stars Pierce Brosnan in the titular role of Robinson Crusoe, based on Daniel Defoe's classic novel.

Although titled "Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe" in various releases, the film differs markedly from the original book.

Plot

The film opens to a fictionalized Daniel Defoe being offered to read a castaway's autobiography. He grudgingly obliges and begins to get engrossed in the narrative.

Robinson Crusoe (Pierce Brosnan) is a Scottish gentleman with experience in the Royal Navy and the British army. He accidentally kills his lifelong friend Patrick (Damian Lewis) in a duel over his childhood love Mary. Patrick's brothers arrive and threaten Crusoe, but his page manages to buy time for an escape. Fleeing back to Mary, Crusoe subsequently ends up leaving for a year so that Mary can attempt to smooth over relations with Patrick's family.

Crusoe joins the merchant marine transporting assorted cargoes between ports in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic oceans. He chronicles the ship's journeys at the behest of the captain until a typhoon shipwrecks him near the coast of New Guinea.

On his first day ashore on the island he buries other crew members who had washed up on the surrounding beaches. The next day he headed to the ship, which had beached itself on a reef. He salvages tools, supplies and weapons from the ship. Crusoe also frees the captain's corgi Skipper from a supply room. Crusoe begins to acclimate himself to the island while hoping for a passing European ship. One day a ship finally appears, but Crusoe notices it too late to be rescued. Crusoe resolves to acclimate himself to the island and moves inland, building a shelter and growing food.

One day he hears ominous drums and human voices. Investigating the noises he finds a tribe from a nearby island making human sacrifices. After two prisoners have been sacrificed Crusoe intervenes by firing his weapon, which allows the third prisoner (played by William Takaku) to escape. Later he meets the escaped native and attempts to befriend him. Cultural and language barriers prevent him from communicating before they are attacked by a group of the tribesmen. He witnesses the native cut out the heart of a defeated enemy and calls him a savage heathen before fleeing to his shelter and preparing a defence.

Days later Crusoe falls into a snare laid by the native. Crusoe communicates the danger and potency of his firearms on a bat, which allows them to begin communicating. He names the man Friday and has himself referred to as Master. Within six months Friday has learned the basics of English, but when Crusoe attempts to convert him to Christianity, Friday refuses and an argument ensues. Friday separates himself from Crusoe. Missing the companionship, Crusoe attempts to make peace with Friday.

Reunited, the two set a trap for the tribe of natives who attempted to sacrifice Friday before. Once they arrive Crusoe lights a fuse leading to a load of gunpowder, but Skipper chases after the lit fuse and also dies in the explosion. At Skipper's funeral Crusoe gains a deeper appreciation for Friday's religion.

Later Crusoe decides they must leave the island due to an impending attack by the native tribe. Friday mentions that he has heard of New Britain. He says he cannot take Crusoe to his home island because he is considered dead for being a sacrifice and he cannot go to New Britain because the Europeans enslave his people. Friday subsequently learns that "Master" is not Crusoe's real name, but an indicator of enslavement and once again leaves Crusoe, who subsequently attempts to build a canoe to get to New Britain by himself.

A typhoon arrives while Crusoe has nearly finished his boat. Friday returns and accepts that Crusoe had decided not to make him a slave. The two attempt to salvage their crops and wildlife, but the typhoon destroys them – as well as Crusoe's canoe. The pair set traps to defend the island, but expect to die in the defence.

The tribesmen arrive in force. Crusoe and Friday manage to defend the island, but Crusoe is shot by an arrow. Friday decides to try to save Crusoe by taking him to his home island. Upon arriving there Friday's tribe capture Crusoe, believing him to have come to enslave the people. They force Crusoe to fight Friday to the death for his freedom. After sparing Friday, Friday is about to land a killing blow when he is hit by a bullet. But Crusoe becomes upset because Friday was his friend. A European scout party rescues Crusoe and returns him to Scotland where he is reunited with Mary.

Differences from the novel

In the film Crusoe flees by sea to escape being hunted down by the family of the friend he killed. In the novel, Crusoe departs against his parents' wishes, due to a longing for adventure. In the film he initially spends less than a year at sea before being shipwrecked. Crusoe in the book is stranded on multiple occasions and at sea much longer; He spends time on numerous ships in a variety of places. In the film his ship founders near New Guinea in the vicinity of New Britain (although chameleons and vervet monkeys do not belong to the fauna of New Guinea or New Britain). The island in the novel is near Venezuela off the mouth of the Orinoco River.

Crusoe's interactions with people – particularly Friday – vary considerably. In the film Crusoe comes to accept Friday's culture. This is the opposite of the theology of the novel, where Friday converts to Christianity. The film also avoids all instances of mutineers and European prisoners that lead to Crusoe's rescue in the original novel.

Crusoe's rescue in the book occurs when he helps the captain of a mutinous vessel in return for a passage home. The mutineers are left on the island instead. In the film, Crusoe is wounded by Friday's enemies and Friday takes him to his own island to be healed, but Friday's tribe has disowned him, and force Crusoe and Friday to fight to the death after saying they will allow the winner to go free. Just as Friday is about to kill Crusoe (after Crusoe tells Friday to take his life and be free), a slaver ship arrives and kills Friday before enslaving his tribe and razing their village. Crusoe then returns to Scotland and Mary. In the novel, Friday is not killed and accompanies Crusoe on his return to England, where he begins another round of adventures.

Reception

Due to a very limited release, the film did not receive any widespread critical attention or gross. Among the few reviews available, DVD Talk praised Brosnan's performance, but felt that the pacing was too fast and did not allow for proper immersion. Christopher Null of filmcritic.com just dismissed the film as 'Laughable'.

External links

• Official Listing on Miramax's website
• Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe at IMDb