Peter Brook’s adaptation of Lord of the Flies is hardly melodramatic and even disturbing in subtle ways. A group of young boys crash land on a deserted island, and although they try to instill logic, reason and civility while on their own, they soon give way into anarchy and madness. I love this story and quite enjoy this version. If you’re looking for a film version of the novel, this is probably the one to look for first.

I’m not a big fan of the works of Charles Dickens, but I am however, very much a fan of David Lean. Great Expectations didn’t blow me away, but I did find it mildly amusing. The main thing I enjoy was the gothic sets and black and white cinematography. Aside from that, I did find it fairly forgettable. However, Lean’s adaptation of Oliver Twist I was much more interested in, and enjoyed quite a bit. In addition to some incredibly stark, but captivating black & white cinematography, the performances were generally great (Kay Walsh especially), and the story itself was seemingly more alive. I’d highly recommend checking out Oliver Twist.

Jiri Menzel’s Closely Watched Trains is a film that, for a very odd reason, reminded me of Wes Anderson’s work. It’s a small black & white film about a geeky young teenager who’s following in his father’s footsteps and working at a train station during WWII, and coming into his own as a man; trying to lose his virginity. The tone of the film struck me as odd because it feels like one moment it is a comedy, and lightly humorous, and the next quite drastically serious. It didn’t strike me as a film with a solid balance between these two tones, but they do shift back and forth. It’s like an ultra-dry, colorless Wes Anderson film. There’s one memorably kinky scene involving stamps that is quite funny, and worth taking note of how to subtlety add a touch of humor to slow-burning sensuality. Mid-way through though, the film turns deadly serious and, for me at least, felt awkward, and maybe that was the whole point, but its place in the narrative felt silly and even dumb. My feelings for Closely Watched Trains can’t be easily summed up. On one level, I think it’s as tonally confused as its lead, and on the other, I must say, it did keep me watching; even if for the film’s sometimes stunning cinematography. I didn’t love or hate Closely Watched Trains, but I did find it to be a curious film, and maybe that’s just good enough.