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Behind the peaceful idyll of palm trees and beaches, Omer Ali discovers that fictional islands often hide much darker secrets
In the popular imagination, islands are associated with retreat and pleasure. Think of all those holiday ads that entice with images of unspoiled beaches where your every whim is catered for, far away from the cares of ordinary life.
But someone forgot to tell writers about this idyll. In novels, films and on television, the reality is often portrayed as a good deal darker. Even long-running TV show Fantasy Island – where dreams were fulfilled every week – often extracted a price from its guests.
Many authors are drawn to these isolated outposts as a way of examining morality: for instance, William Golding’s Lord Of The Flies or even current TV series Lost (which may have its roots in Jules Verne’s 1874 novel The Mysterious Island). Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe has strong religious and moral overtones, though it’s the central character’s initial loneliness that strikes many readers.
More common is the island as a place of secret experimentation (The Island Of Dr Moreau) or, in a hyper-adrenalised take on Darwinism, a place where dinosaurs (Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, 1912), cavemen (The Land That Time Forgot) and Vikings (The Island At The Top Of The World) survive. Elsewhere, monkeys grow to a freakish size (King Kong), while Jonathan Swift’s satire Gulliver’s Travels has the eponymous hero arriving in lands inhabited by both giants (Brobdingnag) and midgets (Lilliput).
The most fun is probably to be had in pirate adventures, however, where well-guarded maps show the way to buried loot, hidden on unknown Caribbean islands. Just remember: “X” marks the spot.
The Island Of Dr Moreau
HG Wells’ 1896 sci-fi novel has journalist Edward Prendick pitching up on the shores of an island inhabited by strange half-man, half-animal creatures, the work of vivisectionist Dr Moreau. It was made into a pretty bad film, starring Val Kilmer and Marlon Brando, in 1996, with the emphasis on genetic modification.
PLUSSES The beasts are forced to live as rational humans…
MINUSES They start to revert to their animal natures
LIVEABILITY Though Prendick finally escapes, the creatures may still be there
Jurassic Park
The popular Steven Spielberg franchise, launched in 1996, is based on the novel by Michael Crichton, who also scripted the film. Scientists clone dinosaurs for a theme park on Isla Nublar.
PLUSSES As Richard Attenborough’s character, John Hammond, says: “We’ve made living biological attractions so astounding they’ll capture the imagination of the entire planet.”
MINUSES “If the Pirates Of The Caribbean [Disney ride] breaks down, the pirates don’t eat the tourists.” (Dr Malcolm, played by Jeff Goldblum)
LIVEABILITY The island could be home to all the discarded merchandising the film generated, such as T-shirts, toys, lunch-boxes, burger offers…
Dr No
Baddie Dr No’s Crab Key hideout is the base for secretive goings-on in the sixth of Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels (1958) – the first to be made into a film (1962), starring Sean Connery as 007 and memorable for the appearance of seashell collector Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress), who emerges from the sea in a distinctive bikini.
PLUSSES She sells seashells…
MINUSES Torture, imprisonment and interrogation
LIVEABILITY Superficially beautiful, but the evil SPECTRE organisation is everywhere
Lost
Premiered in 2004, this US TV series gained a cult following thanks mainly to its puzzling premise, odd plot developments and cod philosophy. “Oceanic” flight 815 from Australia crashes on a mysterious island, where the survivors must choose between the differing attitudes of ultra-rational surgeon Jack Shephard and John Locke, named after the philosopher. Due to conclude in 2010.
PLUSSES You get to share an idyllic beach camp wih some extremely sexy people… MINUSES But you also share the island with its deranged original inhabitants, marauding polar bears – in the Pacific! – and a malevolent, invisible force
LIVEABILITY Never knowing what’s going on eventually gets very tiresome
Robinson Crusoe
Daniel Defoe’s fictional autobiography, published in 1719, of a man trapped on an unnamed island for 28 years is based, supposedly, on the real-life exploits of Scottish castaway Alexander Selkirk, who survived for four years on his own on a Pacific archipelago, Juan Fernández, until he was rescued in 1709.
PLUSSES Crusoe is totally self-sufficient. He hunts, grows crops, rears livestock – and there’s Man Friday to help out
MINUSES Cannibals are the only other company
LIVEABILITY Near the mouth of the Orinoco river, doesn’t seem so bad
Lord Of The Flies
“Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” A group of schoolboys are stranded without adult supervision on an unnamed island and begin to turn feral, picking especially on fat character “Piggy”, in William Golding’s debut novel (1954). Piggy’s glasses are vital for lighting the fire that the boys hope will attract rescuers; Piggy is short-sighted, but a converging lens for long-sight is needed to focus the sun’s rays. Made into a memorable film by Peter Brook in 1963 and remade in 1990.
PLUSSES Sun, sand, sea
MINUSES The mysterious beast, the breakdown of society
LIVEABILITY There are some who say school is the best time of your life. They probably aren’t thinking of this
Fantasy Island
“The plane, the plane!” Each episode of this TV series, which ran from 1978-1984, begins with the familiar cry of midget Tattoo (French actor Hervé Villechaize, who played a baddie in James Bond flick The Man With The Golden Gun) as the latest batch of visitors arrives at the Pacific Ocean hideaway to have their dreams fulfilled by haughty Mr Roarke (Mexican star Ricardo Montalban).
PLUSSES Live out your ultimate fantasy MINUSES There’s often a high price to pay, whether it’s all you can afford financially or putting your life at risk
LIVEABILITY Worth a chance
Thunderbirds
Twenty-first century puppet residents of Tracy Island, in the Pacific, the Tracy family – millionaire dad Jeff and five sons – are all members of International Rescue, using their Thunderbird vehicles to race to disasters. Created by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson in “Supermarionation”, the series premiered on television in London at Christmas 1965. In 2004, it was remade as a dire live-action film, with Bill Paxton and Sophia Myles; on the whole, the actors are more wooden than the original puppets.
PLUSSES Hi-tech lifestyle, philanthropic adventures
MINUSES Thunderbird 1 launches through the swimming pool, which could be awkward if you’re taking a dip
LIVEABILITY Ever feel like someone’s pulling your strings?
Treasure Island
Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale was created to keep his family entertained while holidaying in the rain-soaked Scottish Highlands and was serialised in a children’s magazine during 1881 and 1882. The book’s themes are still familiar from the current Pirates Of The Caribbean trilogy: the spectre of a dead pirate (Captain Flint), lost gold, West Indian islands, blind pirates, rough crews, ghost ships, treasure maps, one-legged pirates (Long John Silver) and parrots.
PLUSSES Pieces of eight
MINUSES Pirate curse the Black Spot
LIVEABILITY Avast me hearties!
Sinbad
On the 536th night of the 1001 Nights, Sheherazade begins to tell King Shahryar (who has killed each of his previous wives after one night of marriage) the story of Sinbad, who undertook seven voyages. On the first, Sinbad lands on an island and starts a fire, causing the whale on the back of which he is riding to dive deep into the water. (An island in the Iraqi Shatt-Al-Arab waterway is commonly known as Sinbad’s Island and supposedly served as his base.)
PLUSSES Whale of a time
MINUSES That sinking feeling
LIVEABILITY You don’t want to end up like Pinocchio, inside the whale
Kirrin Island
The site of Enid Blyton’s original Famous Five children’s adventure, Five On A Treasure Island (1943), is supposedly based on Corfe Castle, in Dorset, England. Julian, Dick and Anne go to stay with their Uncle Quentin and Aunt Fanny, and become firm friends with their cousin Georgina, known as George. (The fifth member of the gang is dog Timmy.) They return to Kirrin five years, and five books, later.
PLUSSES A castle, an old shipwreck, a map and rumours of hidden treasure
MINUSES Rogues threaten to buy the island from impoverished Uncle Quentin before the children can find the treasure
LIVEABILITY Lashings of ginger beer, as well as piles of ham sandwiches, cakes and chocolate!
King Kong
Remade a few times – most recently by Peter Jackson (The Lord Of The Rings) – we still think the 1933 giant monkey movie, with Fay Wray as the big ape’s love interest, is the best. Found on Skull Island in the Indian Ocean, Kong is transported to New York, where he famously escapes up the Empire State Building, heroine Fay Wray in hand, only to be confronted by fighter pilots.
PLUSSES Did we mention Fay Wray?
MINUSES Frightened island natives, sacrificial offerings
LIVEABILITY Beware the regular eating times
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