User reviews

As someone who is not a great admirer of surrealism in any of its forms, and who found works like Le Chien Andalou or The Obscure Object of Desire gratuitously disturbing or pretensious respectively, I was delighted to come across this beautifully sensitive telling of the Robinson Crusoe story. A story not only of survival but also of friendship it is told with great feeling and warmth.

In maybe his only time of giving into a commercial project, Luis Bunuel, deliciously notorious surrealist and satirist, took off his usual run of Mexican-produced films of the decade and adapted The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe. On the surface, if one weren't familiar with the director's works at all, it has the seeming quality of being an average B-movie adventure of a man in solitude who is saved by his man Friday and his own resourcefulness. The story of the cast away has ended up having better days, specifically in Zemeckis's Cast Away, as far as with how the actual details of the story unfurl. It boils down to this: Crusoe gets shipwrecked on an island, takes what he can from the ship (some supplies, actually lots, a few animals), builds a camp, and little by little after the novelty of a deserted island wears off he goes near mad in loneliness. That is until the cannibals arrive, dropping off a man whom Robinson names Friday and quasi-domesticates as his servant-cum-friend. This is a story that even school-children know, and has even appeared as a goof on a Peabody & Sherman cartoon.

But the fun in watching this rendition of Crusoe is for fans of the director to see what he does with the material. It's not a perfect affair, truth be told, as Bunuel isn't the greatest director of suspense, particularly in the climax. But what is essential for a film with as basic a plot as this to have is an understanding of what can be subverted, lightly and slightly twisted into personal expression. This is nothing new for many of today's famous filmmakers ala Spielberg or Scorsese, but for Bunuel he approaches it in ways that his best fans will be keen to look for and get in nice quantities. For example, as he is known more often than not as a director of dreams (his best film, Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, has dreams within dreams in savagely playful fashion), we see Crusoe having a dream early on where there's soft gel on the sides of the screen (maybe to appease the producers, who knows), and in it Crusoe dreams of his father pouring sauce or other on a pig, and images of Crusoe in water, cut together and acted in truly classic style. It's probably even one of his better dream sequences, followed up by another later on that features a pretty funny image to boot.

Actually, part of what makes Bunuel's Robinson Crusoe so enjoyable is spotting the references to past films- his palm covered with some bugs speaks right away cheerfully to Un Chien Andalou- as well as just mildly absurd usages of animals on screen (how did the cat have kittens?), and even Christian imagery in simply showing Crusoe with his huge beard, which Dan O'Hearlihy sports proudly for most of the film, and even carrying what looks like a cross (!) but turns out to be the stand for a scarecrow. Then there's also the aspect to the bond between Crusoe and Friday, which is almost a pop-art form of one of Bunuel's own treatises on the division of the classes in many of his films (i.e. Viridiana and Exterminating Angel). In a way it works just as well as a simple story anyway, because Bunuel is able to have his cake and eat it, by having a tale that as stilted it might be in its not-quite-high-or-low budget and form of writing/narration at times is fairly gripping in an 'old-school' way, as well as enough room to bring out his flashes of brilliant imagery and jabs of surrealism, and even absurdism.

For viewers who might be most familiar with Luis Bunuel's work in surreal films such as The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, his approach here might be surprising. It's a mostly straightforward retelling of the Defoe story, although with a few dream-like touches. Bunuel was in exile from Spain and facing McCarthyism in the U.S. when he made this film (his first in English and his first in color), making the Crusoe metaphor a very personal one. So it's his personal reinterpretation, and has lots to offer regarding man's relationship with God, and his views on morality.

This film has been almost impossible to see for a very long time, but in May 2004, VCI Entertainment announced a deal to distribute it. It's well worth your time, whether you're a student of Bunuel or Defoe, or just a student of the important questions of life.

A fine adaptation about a man struggles to survive after being shipwrecked on a deserted island . Stars Daniel O'Hearlihy : Robinson Crusoe who travels from Great Britain on a ship and subsequently stranded on a far island , telling the well-known story of how a Brit becomes stranded on a desert location . As Robinson journeys from England aboard a ship, then wreckage happens and Crusoe washes at a mysterious island . Left to fend for himself, Crusoe seeks out a tentative survival on the island , until he meets a native who nicknames as Friday (Jaime Fernández) , he is a cannibal tribesman whom Robinson saves from being killed . Initially, Crusoe is thrilled to finally have a friend , but he has to defend himself against the tribe who uses the island to sacrifice by cannibaling practices to their gods . Over time, their relationship changes from master-slave to a mutual respected friendship despite their difference in culture and religion . Robinson Crusoe Lives!

Attractive recounting about the classy castaway novel with the loner Robinson who but after months sailing , a storm wrecks his ship . Based on the novel written in 1719, this is said to be an interesting period drama about loneliness , set in the 18th century in which the loner Robinson ends up as only survivor on a desolate island , then he meets his pal Friday , retelling their adventures and misfortunes . While sticking some incidents close to original tale , others are utterly fictious . Being narrated under his point of view . The picture has nothing to do with the classic original by Daniel Defoe , taking freely parts here and there . The movie relies heavily on the relationship between Robinson and Friday , charting the peculiar treatment the native receives of the civilized man ; as Robinson teaches English language to the escaped native until some invader pirates spoil the fun . Starring Dan O'Herlihy gives a decent acting as the distressed castaway who after a fierce ocean storm wrecks his ship he is stranded and living by himself on an uncharted island while tries to civilize the proud native Friday well played by Jaime Fernandez .

The picture was compellingly directed by Luis Buñuel who was voted the 14th Greatest Director of all time . This is a Buñuel's strange film to his ordinary works , that's why it doesn't contains surrealist scenes , nor dreaming images , but a simple and classic narration , as it belongs to his second period developed in Mexico . Born in Calanda , Aragon (1900) , Buñuel subsequently moved to Madrid to study at the university there , where his close friends included Salvador Dalí and Federico García Lorca . After moving to Paris , at the beginning Buñuel did a variety of film-related odd jobs , including working as an assistant to director Jean Epstein . With financial help from his mother and creative assistance from Dalí , he made his first film , this 17-minute "Un Chien Andalou" (1929) , and immediately catapulted himself into film history thanks to its disturbing images and abstract plot . The following year , sponsored by wealthy art patrons , he made his first picture , the scabrous witty and violent "Age of Gold" (1930) , which mercilessly attacked the church and the middle classes , themes that would preoccupy Buñuel for the rest of his career . That career, though, seemed almost over by the mid-1930s, as he found work increasingly hard to come by and after the Spanish Civil War , where he made ¨Las Hurdes Tierra sin pan¨, as Luis emigrated to the US where he worked for the Museum of Modern Art and as a film dubber for Warner Bros . After that, he went on his Mexican period in which he teamed up with producer Óscar Dancigers and after a couple of unmemorable efforts shot back to international attention with the lacerating study of Mexican street urchins in ¨Los Olvidados¨ (1950) , winning him the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival . But despite this new-found acclaim, Buñuel spent much of the next decade working on a variety of ultra-low-budget films, few of which made much impact outside Spanish-speaking countries , though many of them are well worth seeking out . As he went on filming "The Great Madcap" , ¨The brute¨, "Wuthering Heights", ¨El¨ , "The Criminal Life of Archibaldo De la Cruz" , ¨Robinson Crusoe¨ , ¨Death in the garden¨ and many others . Most of them being produced by Oscar Dancigers who also financed him Robinson Crusoe . After returning his native country, Spain, by making ¨Viridiana¨ this film was prohibited on the grounds of blasphemy as well as ¨The milky way¨ or ¨Via Lactea¨ , both of them were strongly prohibited by Spanish censorship . This French-Spanish final period in collaboration with producer Serge Silberman and writer Jean-Claude Carrière with notorious as well as polemic films such as ¨Viridiana¨ , ¨The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" and ¨Belle De Jour¨. His last one was the notorious ¨That obscure object of desire¨ (1977) .

Other retellings of this prestigious novel ¨Robinson Crusoe¨are the following ones : silent version 1927 narrated by Don Carney . Mr Robinson Crusoe 1932 with Douglas Fairbanks . Robinson Crusoe of mystery island 1936 by Max Wright .Sci-fi interpretation of Defoe classic titled Robinson Crusoe on Mars , 1964 , by Byron Haskin with Adam West . Robinson Crusoe 1970 by director: René Cardona Jr. with Hugo Stigliz . British rendition titled Man Friday 1975 by Jack Gold with Peter 0'Toole , Richard Roundtree . Robinson Crusoe and the Tiger 1972 by Rene Cardona with Hugo Stiglitz . Castaway by Nicolas Roeg with Oliver Reed . Robinson Crusoe TV series (2008-2009) with Philip Winchester as Crusoe , Tongayi Chirisa as Friday and Sam Neill.

A surprisingly straightforward adaptation of Defoe's classic novel from cinema's master of the surreal, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe is firstly in need of a spruce up as the print I saw was blurry to the point of distraction.

Journeyman actor Dan O'Herlihy in the role of Crusoe is naturally called upon to carry the film and he pretty much delivers the kind of performance you'd expect a journeyman actor to deliver; bland, unremarkable but inoffensive. He sucks in his tummy so that his rib cage juts out like the prow of a boat, while his louche character shows a surprising aptitude for survival given that he never engaged in any kind of physical labour prior to his calamitous voyage – which, Bunuel suggests, was undertaken with the object of securing slaves for sale back in the homeland.

Some of the scenery, filmed presumably on the Mexican coastline, is breathtaking (even if it is blurry), and provides an engaging diversion when the film plods, which it does for much of the time. We see Crusoe salvaging materials from the wreckage of the ill-fated ship, building a shelter, fetching water, puzzling over how the island's sole cat managed to get herself pregnant, baking bread, getting drunk and a little teary-eyed. It's all a little hum-drum to be honest (although the scene where Crusoe, in the grip of loneliness, shouts into a valley just to hear a human voice – his own – speak back to him, is a memorable moment), but things do at least pick up a bit when Man Friday washes up on the coast, intended as the main course of the cannibals who live on the neighbouring island (who obviously felt like grabbing a takeaway to eat out that day).

This being a Bunuel film, there's obviously stuff going on under the surface, much of it to do with the nature of Crusoe's relationship with – and eventual questioning of – God, and for what purpose he has been set down on a godforsaken island in the middle of nowhere; a sexual undercurrent is also present – let's face it, after 28 years it would be unnatural if it wasn't – Crusoe dresses his scarecrow in a woman's dress and then longingly fondles its hem and then, when Friday innocently dons it as a hunting garb, staunchly resists the homo-erotic temptation that is (rather timidly – this is the fifties, after all) thrown in his path. And, this being a Bunuel film, we are of course treated to a somewhat surreal hallucination sequence suffered by Crusoe as he lies sick in his shelter.

More an interesting curio than a work of much worth, it's a film that's worth watching simply for its rarity value.

It's 1659. The British aristocrat Robinson Crusoe (Dan O'Herlihy) is a third son with a wish to travel despite his father's objections. He's on trip from Brazil to buy slaves in Africa when his ship is caught in a storm. He is marooned on a deserted island. He finds the shipwreck, salvage some supplies and rescues Sam the cat. He finds Rex the dog on the beach. He would battle loneliness, cannibals, and joined by Friday.

Robinson Crusoe is one of those classic novels that gets remade over and over again. This one is pretty good. It doesn't always take advantage of the lush outside shoots. The interior is rather bland. I like the splashes of color from the exterior shoots. Part of the charm of the movie is to see Crusoe change over time. Dan O'Herlihy is able to stretch the character although he doesn't instill the required sympathy. Crusoe is a haunted lonely man on the verge of madness. He's also very an aristocratic englishman. It's not quite as cute as Tom Hanks with a volleyball. The direction isn't daring enough. The camera work is functional. Also the non-stop narration feels like an easy cheat. It's still a well-made movie with an immersive performance.

Watched this last night and of course I loved the story since it's one that I seemed to of learnt from a very young age. I have to say tho that I'm a little surprised at the relatively high rating of 7.5 here, perhaps it's more to do with the directors reputation than the quality of the film ?.

The film is just above average thanks mainly to the close adherence of the source novel, and the bravo performance of Dan O'Herlihy as the title character, he does well to keep the viewer intrigued as to his state of mind, and of course we root for him during the films crucial final reel.

Nothing to write home about here tho, 6/10 mainly for Dan.

A rare Bunuel made in English. It is a film where Bunuel respects Christianity, probably due to deference to Daniel Defoe. Two important facets: the female cat breeds without a male in sight. and Crusoe hears his dead dog, Rex, bark as he departs from the island. Orson Welles was originally cast as Crusoe but Bunuel found him to be too fat. Herlihy was chosen as he had played with Welles in Welles' "Macbeth."

Adapting a book to a film is a difficult task. Not only must you get the characters right, but a director, or screenwriter, must drive deep within the mindset of the author. There are inside, as well as outside elements that must be considered. What was going through the character's mind? What was the time period like? What level of realism can we bring to the silver screen while still packing the theater seats? All of these are challenges that everyone associated with the film must grasp before committing to a project – which is why it is so rare to discover someone claiming the film was better than the book. It just is rare to discover the two in a blissful marriage. That is why there was hesitation with Bunuel's 1952 adaptation of Daniel Defoe's literary classic. Knowing what was going to be coming in the future, "That Obscure Object of Desire" or "The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie" or even "The Milky Way", one could safely wager your entire salary on this early film. I wanted amateur, I wanted independent, I wanted to see where Bunuel found his inspiration – but alas, none could be found with this bomb of an adaptation.

We are all familiar with the truth that Bunuel's was in exile from Spain, living in an unfamiliar world, facing the tough face of McCarthyism around every angle. So, why not make a film about a man, in essence, dealing with similar feelings. It is not uncommon for directors to take projects that they feel a connection towards, so Bunuel grabbed at the opportunity. Coupled with the fact that Bunuel had both the honor of making his first film in English as well as color, "Robinson Crusoe" should have been a staple in modern cinema. It could have ranked up there next to any of Godard's work – but it didn't. It garnished one Oscar nominee (for best actor), and then couldn't even find distribution for DVD until recently. Why such difficulty for such a pioneering film for Bunuel? This isn't a fantastic film. This is poorly directed, jokingly acted, and horribly misleading to anyone enjoying the works of Defoe. O'Herlihy is impossible as Crusoe, never giving us anything to believe or trust. As the island slowly becomes a luxury destination instead of a place of abandonment, as our hopes of seeing any decent cinema from this pathetic epic disappears as well. Bunuel did happen to place a couple of great scenes in this film, but they are scattered few and far between. Needless to say, in the cannon of Bunuel films, "Robinson Crusoe" ranks near the bottom.

Our story itself is the main root of the issues. From the beginning crash, the cheapish cinematography demonstrating the power of the sea (possibly made by school children), all the way to the "grand" finale, one never feels that sense of danger – or chaos. Taking this film away from the story, meeting Crusoe for the first time, Bunuel gives us nothing. There are no scenes in which Crusoe has to learn, where he has to survive – in the first twenty minutes he is found sleeping in a tree then immediately building a well fortified hut around a cave – within forty minute he has bread and some random length of time has passed. Butler's adaptation fails because there is no sense of danger – I never felt worried that Crusoe was going to survive – because he never went without. Sure, there were scenes of sickness and hunger – but they were just never that impending. Perhaps it was the close tight shots that plagued the opening of this film, or the bland colors – but the initial puzzle pieces never fit.

Never looking weak, never getting skinny, never finding anything except his deepened voice – Crusoe seemed more concerned about not being a man than staying alive (i.e. see the excessive beard growth). How could a man trying to survive in the wilderness, scream out to the mountains? More focus on Crusoe, his life, his personality, would have strengthened these dampening scenes. That said, Bunuel did attempt on a couple of occasions to spruce up what he could to the lackluster story. The scene in which Crusoe gets drunk (as there is an endless supply of booze on the island) and thinks that he sees his friends is phenomenal. It was brilliant to have the camera as tight as it was, hearing the ghostly voices speak to him, then, just as the cup falls – it all ends – and we are thrust back into the truth of the island. Wow. It was just as breathtaking again – but there aren't many of these gems in which Bunuel can demonstrate his talent. Instead, it felt like he worked for Disney on this project. Even the introduction of Friday seemed cheapened by the fact that within ten minutes he was speaking English or being shackled. I realize that it was the time, but if I were trapped on an island for that many years, would I make the only other living person a slave? Keeping his close as to not lose that sense of friendship is one thing; racism is a whole new bag.

Overall, "The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe" is a very disappointing film. The acting is laughable, the story feels like a kiddy ride at Disney (coupled with all the food that you can eat), and the cinematography is amateurish. For a story that has been done time and time again (you can even see it weekly on "Lost"), there was just a lacking element of danger, chaos, and survival. As mentioned before, there was no built sensation that Crusoe was never going to make it (whether you knew the story or not), it just seemed like this island has all the luxuries he wanted.

Grade: * ½ out of *****

I saw this film as a small boy in 1954 and it had a profound effect on me.Even as a simple minded boy at the time, it had a power that i've never forgotten.....i've searched for video release of this film but have never found it....i would love to see it again

In 1659, while sailing to obtain slaves from Africa, English adventurer Daniel O'Herlihy (as Robinson Crusoe) is shipwrecked in the Atlantic Ocean. Fortunately, he is very resourceful and swims to a relatively safe and productive island. Also surviving are a dog and cat. As the years pass, the castaway grows increasingly lonely. Darker-skinned cannibals visit the island and Mr. O'Herlihy adopts Jaime Fernandez as a servant. Assuming the younger man arrived for the weekend, O'Herlihy names him "Friday". O'Herlihy wants a slave companion, but is afraid "Friday" might eat him. He's a cannibal, remember...

This relatively ordinary film was directed by Luis Bunuel, who is not known for being ordinary. There are a few intriguing moments, but Mr. Bunuel is undeniably subdued. Race, class and the culture of slavery are white-washed. Religion is slighted. Sex is short-sighted. You can find more passion in Daniel Defoe's original novel. Perhaps the film's backers told Bunuel to keep it at arm's length; if so, he is quite successful. The best scenes involve the dog and Mr. Fernandez. The latter is always threatening to kick the story up a notch, especially when he puts on a dress and quizzes O'Herlihy on God and the Devil.

****** Robinson Crusoe (6/54) Luis Bunuel ~ Dan O'Herlihy, Jaime Fernandez, Felipe de Alba, Chel Lopez

Well of course I'm not talking about Robinson (he's actually quite "alone" most of the time, as you surely know), but about the movie adaptation. There have been quite a few (even the Tom Hanks starring "Cast Away" can be counted in, if you want to), so why is this different and/or better?

Well the thing is, that this movie sure worked when it came out, with some very nice dialog, some funny scenes and a great central performance. The question remains, how this will be received by an audience that is more than well aware of the Robinson story. Will they be bored? I guess some might and probably will find the movie somewhat boring. Not me though. Mr. Bunuel shows again, what he's made of. And while this isn't his best work or anywhere near that, this is more than entertaining (with a few stabs at the church/God). You might know the story, you might have watched others play Robinson, but this (a bit camp) movie is worth your time!

I found it very interesting that Hollywood had ignored the great Defoe novel, Robinson Crusoe. It took a foreign film company from Mexico to make the film, and a good job they did with it as well.

The movie was directed by the very talented Luis Brunel, who would go on to make many more good films. The star of the movie was Daniel O'Herlihy, a relatively unknown actor according to Hollywood standards. He plays the lead with great relish.

The timeless story of a man washed up on an island is engrossing from beginning to end. His meeting with Friday, his loyal servant, and his adventures with natives and pirates an added side attraction. But it is the survival aspects of the film that makes it so interesting. Be sure to catch it.

Full disclosure: I haven't read Daniel Defoe's novel. Even so, Luis Buñuel's movie adaptation is a real feast, showing the protagonist's (Dan O'Herlihy in an Academy Award-nominated role) evolution from spoiled aristocrat to self-sufficient adventurer. Obviously there's a lot of dated stuff - i.e., the portrayal of non-white people - but otherwise it's one of the finest productions that I've ever seen. If you only know Buñuel's avant-garde movies, then this will be a real surprise. You're sure to like it.

And yes, contrary to the "Gilligan's Island" theme song, Crusoe's time on the island wasn't primitive as can be. Then again, the castaways' lives on their island wasn't totally primitive either.

PS: Dan O'Herlihy's son, the recently deceased Gavan O'Herlihy, is best known as the first person to play older brother Chuck on "Happy Days" (the character had gotten discontinued by the third season and never got mentioned again, leading viewers to wonder what became of him).

On 30 September 1659, the ship of the aristocratic British Robinson Crusoe (Daniel O'Herlihy) sinks and he miraculously survives in a deserted island somewhere in South America. He retrieves the dog Rex and the cat Sam, together with some supplies, weapons, clothes and tools from the shipwreck; builds a shelter; and learns how to survive, cooking, farming, harvesting the crop and gathering a cattle. Then the loneliness disturbs him, especially after the loss of Rex. When he sees a group of cannibals in the island, tension and fear become part of his life. Later he saves the life of a savage that was going to be eaten by the cannibals; he names him Friday (Jaime Fernández) and they become friends. When Robinson Crusoe sees Caucasians in the island, he finds that Captain Oberzo (Felipe de Alba) was the victim of a mutiny and he helps him to retrieve his ship. After twenty-eight years, two months and nineteen days, Robinson Crusoe leaves the island to return to the civilization.

"Robinson Crusoe" was my favorite novel in my childhood and I do not know how many times I have read this book. Luis Buñuel, who is one of my favorite directors, makes a faithful transposition of this timeless story of survival, loneliness, fear and friendship to the cinema. This is probably the first conventional movie of Buñuel that I have ever seen and his usual surrealism is limited to the sickness and daydream of Robinson Crusoe. Daniel O'Herlihy is a perfect Robinson Crusoe and this movie is recommended for the whole family. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Robinson Crusoé" ("Robinson Crusoe")

Dan O'Herlihy is great with his portrayal of the man shipwrecked onto a tropical desert island where he must adapt to survive. Luckily, there are a few essentials he is able to salvage from his ship. A combination of guile and determination helps him establish and thrive - after a fairly rudimental fashion - for many years before he rescues a native man from a nearby island that was destined for the cannibal's pot - "Friday" (Jaime Fernández). For the most part, there is precious little dialogue - we follow "Crusoe" as he acclimatises to his life on his own, treading a fine line between madness and a stoic realisation that he is still better off alive. His nervous relationship with his eventual companion is also quite well, and enjoyably, played out and the ending - well it's true to the book, and the fact that we actually have a book tells us... This is an enjoyable adaptation of the Daniel Defoe story, it's colourfully filmed (in Mexico) and is well worth a watch.

It's been a very long time since I read Daniel Defoe's novel "Robinson Crusoe," so a good deal of the story matter in the movie seemed relatively fresh to me, although from what I do remember of it the movie is a pretty good adaptation of the novel. It revolves around the most obvious theme of loneliness, as Crusoe deals with life on this deserted island, with only a dog and a cat who also survived the shipwreck as his companions. As such, the movie has every now and then some spiritual reflections (not surprising, since Defoe himself was a Christian and a religious "dissenter") as Crusoe also finds himself having to make peace with God. For the most part all that was well portrayed by Daniel O'Herlihy, who for the majority of the movie is putting on a one man show.

One thing that I thought was lacking in this, though (and it's a significant weakness) is any real sense of emotion. Much of the story of Crusoe's time alone on the island is told by a rather cold narration of Defoe's writing, and that basically matched the overall emotional feel of the movie. It was well filmed, and it did a decent enough job of portraying Crusoe's struggles and adjustments, but O'Herlihy never really drew me in to the character and never gave me any feel for him. To be perfectly honest, the only real sense of emotion I got from this revolved around Rex, the dog - his death and the last shots of the film. I admit that as Crusoe walked toward the boat that would finally rescue him I thought "aren't you even going to go to Rex's grave to say good bye?" So the last shot (of Crusoe looking back at the island from the boat and hearing Rex's bark) hit a bit of a nerve with me.

Otherwise, it's a technically well made movie; just surprisingly lacking in real feeling. (5/10)

I am sure that fans of director Luis Buñuel probably have very mixed feelings about this film. On the one hand, it's an exceptionally well made film from start to finish, but on the other, it's way too "normal" for the usually anarchic and often surreal director. In other words, the fact that this is a relatively straight retelling of the classic Daniel Defoe story may be held against it. There are no eyes being cut with razors, no devil coming to tempt Robinson nor is there any sexual chemistry between him and Friday--all touches you might expect from Buñuel. However, I am not a huge fan of the director's odd films--though I have enjoyed several of his more "approachable" films. So, it's not surprising that I liked this film very much. It was a fine quality product throughout. I also liked that in this version, Robinson is NOT a perfect man or some sort of saint--he's very flawed--especially in his initially paternalistic attitude towards Friday. It had a lot to say about slavery and the tendency to see all the natives as "savages". Well done--well directed and especially well acted by Dan O'Herlihy. A touching and interesting film.

I remember reading Daniel Defoe's classic novel, 'Robison Crusoe'. I remember it because I vividly recall finding it very tedious and repetitive, and I spent a lot of time questioning its "classic" status. Around six months later I watched Luis Buñuel's 1954 adaptation, starring Dan O'Herlihy in the title role, and this has redeemed 'Robinson Crusoe' for me. The parts of the novel that I didn't enjoy largely sat in the middle, where Crusoe is in the process of upgrading his settlement, practising animal husbandry and performing other chores. Buñuel mercifully condenses such elements, and the result is a more coherent (and therefore enjoyable) narrative. Like in the novel, some of the best scenes in this film occur after Crusoe has met Friday, and I'd say that the second half is somewhat stronger than the first. However, I never grew bored of this adaptation; given its constraints, I believe that a 90-minute runtime is perfect for the story. The handful of actors comprising the cast for this film are also fairly good, and a perceptive viewer will see O'Herlihy's performance improve as the film progresses. Whilst Luis Buñuel's 'Robinson Crusoe' isn't exactly a great film, it remains commendably loyal to Defoe's original work whilst making it more palatable for the present day.

Truly disappointing really. After having watched "Le Charme Discret de la Bourgeoisie" and knowing Bunuel's surrealist backgrounds, this is a major let-back. Is this film truly by Bunuel or just some unimaginative director made a movie and used Bunuel's name? Just a book-based American-ish epic for the masses with the flavor of 60's news and storyteller. The movie follows the book cutting details and stages in the development of the character. Crusoe's torment and pain are unconvincingly depicted as the film fails to get psychological or philosophical. It's like a tale for lazy children that don't want to open Defoe's book. Bunuel doesn't even throw a hint to the good savage myth and the metamorphosis of the ex-slave trader.Maybe he was too overwhelmed by alcohol's vapors at that time. 5/10