Robinson Crusoe. 1952. Directed by Luis Bunuel.

(12/23/00-12/24/00)

Bunuel's Robinson Crusoe looks like an unpretentious adventure film. Which is what it is. It doesn't come across as an "important" film, although Bunuel's concerns are present and his voice can be heard if one watches it closely.

Daniel Herlihy doesn't have much presence as Crusoe although he ages very well. The first part of the film, in which Crusoe is stranded on the island and battles loneliness, tired me. But when Friday showed up he brought the film to life.

Since Bunuel was a surrealist it is worth noting a couple of strange scenes. Crusoe, sick with fever, has a dream or a delirium of his father laughing at him and pointing out that he told him not to go. Crusoe has a great thirst and his father appears to have lots of water. There is also a sort of fascinating moment when Crusoe has a fantasy of making a bomb and blowing up the cannibals.

Crusoe is dying of loneliness--I don't mena that literally--yet when he finds himself with another person to interact him he puts him in chains (leg irons, to be precise). He has to go through a whole process of learning to trust Friday. This is however understandable because Friday is a cannibal. At least he appears to be part of a tribe that practices cannibalism.

Then there is that scene where Friday sneaks into Crusoe's room and picks up the ax. He says he wanted to try smoking, but it is still very suspicious. If Bunuel is trying to tell a story about a man who has to learn to trust he is stacking the deck.

What is very interesting is that when Friday shows up Crusoe just assumes a master-servant relationship with him. That is how he has been conditioned to think about savages. (Even though Friday is intelligent enough to question Crusoe's Bible.) I can't help wondering what would have happened if Friday had turned out to be a very large, strong, aggressive, imperious black man. That would have been a whole different film.

Crusoe discovers Friday's love and loyalty to him. He tells Crusoe, for instance, that he doesn't want to go back to his own people except with Crusoe. But why should he feel this affection for a man who puts him in leg irons and lords it over him? This is not explained to my satisfaction, even though Crusoe did save his life.

There is one poignant moment when Friday puts on a woman's dress that Crusoe had salvaged from the ship and decorates himself with gold coins. He is dressed up as a woman and Crusoe turns hard and tells him to take it off. It is a haunting moment because we--the audience--understand why he acts like this, but Friday doesn't.

Alida Walsh pointed out the pithy image when Crusoe needs a scarecrow to keep predatory birds away from his crops. He says (in his mind) that he wants something that will inspire fear and death and picks up two pieces of wood that he has bound together. They are in the shape of a Christian cross.

There are a few interesting images to do with animals. Crusoe breaks open an egg and there is a live chick inside. He rescues a cat from the ship and enjoys the company of a faithful dog. The dog's death is a very sad piece of business, even if it is a cliche.

Crusoe is very lonely, yet when he first dicovers a footprint--even before he finds out about the cannibals--his first reaction is one of fear.