Man Friday

I discovered the film while switching through the channels and I had to keep watching it to the end because I was fascinated. First of all I was fascinated because I had no clue that the original story by Defoe is so full of racism. Then I noticed that this version is told from Friday's point of view which turns it into a whole different thing.

The whole situation and Crusoe's behaviour now seems really absurd: The way he tries to rebuild his kind of England on a small island. He has a need to reproduce things which are completely unnecessary and useless in this surrounding. He also sticks to his old rules and schemes and is not able to adapt new attitudes to survive and to get by.

First of all Crusoe is not willing to see Friday as a human being who has the same rights and the same possibilities as he has. He also believes that he himself might have more advantages threatening Friday and to let Friday work for him. Or maybe it is his deep belief that this is the only way to be and that he is in fact really fair and being nice to him.

Crusoe is not able to see that there is no need to put his negative attitudes on Friday, his fear of God (he seems to struggle with God because he struggles with himself), his shame and the need to punish. He sees shame anywhere and he does not listen to Friday who can see clearly that there is no need for shame.

Peter O'Toole is just perfect for portraying that ignorant Englishman who can be really nasty but at the same time the viewer feels sorry for him because he is trapped and torn inside.

Richard Roundtree is great as Friday, being very natural and being relaxed and concentrated at the same time. He is made to be the more attractive one in that team. The film was done four years after his success with "Shaft" and you can find typical blaxploitation elements in it.

Like other IMDb users said before: The songs are a bit disturbing but they cannot ruin a good film.

The plot is a very good starting point for a philosophical discussion on how people can live together and what might be a good basis for an intact society.