Robinson Crusoe (1954)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

Luis Buñuel

Writers (WGA):

Daniel Defoe (novel)
Hugo Butler (screenplay) (originally as Philip Ansell Roll) ...

Release Date:

5 August 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Adventure | Drama

Tagline:

EVERY THRILL-SWEPT PAGE BLAZES TO LIFE ON THE SCREEN! (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

The classical story of Robinson Crusoe, a man who is dragged to a desert island after a shipwreck |

Plot Keywords:

Island | Based On Novel | Character Name In Title

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Dan O'Herlihy	...	Robinson Crusoe (as Daniel O'Herlihy)
Jaime Fernández	...	Friday
Felipe de Alba	...	Captain Oberzo
Chel López	...	Bosun
José Chávez	...	Pirate
Emilio Garibay	...	Leaders of the Mutiny

Also Known As:

Las aventuras de Robinson Crusoe (Mexico)
The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (USA)

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Mexico

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Color (Pathécolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA High Fidelity Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-8 | Sweden:Btl | UK:U (cut)

Filming Locations:

Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico

Company:

Oscar Dancigers Production

Trivia:

Luis Buñuel's first all-English film; the script was also written in English.

Movie Connections:

Version of Crusoe (1988)

Good, If Minor Film By The Spanish Master Of Surrealism

Senor Bunuel has done it again. He takes Defoe's classic and transforms it into a very Bunuel movie. At first glance this strangely straightforward retelling of the famous tale looks like any ordinary movie. However, those paying close attention to the story will notice Bunuel's peculiar touches all over the place. Don Luis doesn't waste anytime questioning human's seemly inherently bad nature, but this time around he is surprisingly compassionate in his criticism. The arrival of "servant" Friday provides the filmmaker with some well-chosen pokes at the human race, but we can sense an air of optimism that is absent from Bunuel's subsequent films. Two surreal sequences add to the fun (just try to figure out what they mean!). Not one of the master's best, but a very pleasant movie. My favorite moment: the discussion about "sin" between Crusoe and Friday. Recommended.