butterworth@a1.mscf.upenn.edu (David N. Butterworth) (08/01/89)
CRUSOE
Reviewed by David N. Butterworth
Copyright 1989 David N. Butterworth/The Summer Pennsylvanian
There have been many film adaptations of Daniel Defoe's classic novel
about the enigmatic castaway. These variations range from straightforward
translation (Luis Bunuel's THE ADVENTURES OF ROBINSON CRUSOE) to sci-fi parable
(the 1964 ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS) to racially-pointed satire (MAN FRIDAY).
CRUSOE, the latest interpretation of this saga, is more in keeping with
Bunuel's version, and therefore the book itself, but it suffers from deliberate
pacing and a shallow, uninspired viewpoint.
The twist here is that Crusoe is portrayed as a Virginian slave trader who
journeys to the island of Guinea in the hope of purchasing low-priced captives.
Aidan Quinn plays Crusoe, and is in fine acting form. But his boyish features,
complete with baby blue eyes, are a little distracting, as is his thick,
East-coast accent.
Crusoe sets sail at an inopportune time of year, weather-wise, and it
proves to be his undoing. The ensuing spectacle of model-shop proportions
pales in comparison to the storm-at-sea sequence near the beginning of INDIANA
JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE. The shipwreck in CRUSOE could have used some of
Indiana Jones' adrenaline.
The film barely touches on Defoe's theme of man's fear of, and difficulty
in dealing with, solitude. This Crusoe doesn't seem to mind being alone at
all. There are a couple of scenes in which we feel that this existence is not
as idyllic as it may seem, but these are few and far between. The arrival of
cannibals on the island provide Crusoe and two of the natives with an
opportunity for social intercourse. Updating the novel to 1808, the height of
the North American slave trade, was no coincidence, as the resulting power
plays between slave and master would reveal. But on no occasion does Crusoe
refer to either one as "Friday."
As far as presenting a unique vision or a refreshing outlook, Walon
Green's literal screenplay rarely works overtime. But there's enough up there
on the screen to appease the most undemanding viewer. And it's buoyed along by
an evocative Michael Kamen score which, combined with the lush, tropical
scenery, creates the film's principal mood.
As one would expect from cinematographer turned director Caleb Deschanel,
the film is lovely to look at. But it would have taken a supremely untalented
crew of individuals to travel to the Seychelles (where the film was shot) and
make the surrounding topography look drab and uninviting.
But when the film does set up an arresting situation, it rarely has the
faith to develop it, and ends up sitting on the fence. It's almost as if the
film makers couldn't decide what kind of a film they wanted to make. The
result is a film which hovers awkwardly between straightforward storytelling
and social commentary.
On the surface, CRUSOE might appeal to those who have either never read
the book, or who are looking for some ideas as to where to spend their summer
vacation. But don't go looking for any kind of depth or imagination. Those
elements, like Crusoe himself, are all washed up.
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| Directed by: Caleb Deschanel David N. Butterworth - UNIVERSITY OF PA |
| Rating (L. Maltin): **1/2 Internet: butterworth@a1.mscf.upenn.edu |
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