No man is an island...
Cast Away Cert. 12 Starring: Tom Hanks
Robinson Crusoe... the theme has fascinated us for centuries. Cast Away on a tropical isle, stripped of all the comfort and 'diversion' that familiar society provides, face to face with the very essence of what life's about, how can a person survive? Especially, in this most recent Tom Hanks blockbuster, a person whose every second in the 'real world' is driven and controlled by the precise ticking of a corporate clock.
Unlike the original Robinson Crusoe who was able to strip his ship of provisions, arms and tools enough to create a self-sufficient island fortress, Hanks is left with nothing but a few pointless dregs of Western society; as much use as ice skates on a sandy beach. Unlike Crusoe who was sustained by faith and a healthy stock of Bibles, Hanks's material world has left him with nothing more substantial to draw on when faced with death than a bleak 'That's it'. And, unlike the supremely fortunate Crusoe who is comforted by a whole array of companions ranging from his household of animals and chatty parrot to his trusty servant Friday, Hanks is devastatingly alone - almost.
The most poignant moments for me were less those which depicted his attempts to stay physically alive in an unknown and inhospitable world but rather his enduring need for companionship in order to sustain life. Indeed, the whole film seemed to me a subtle challenge to the stark assertion of its own publicity material: no-one can save him but himself!
