Straightforward, unpretentious, this definitive filming of Robinson Crusoe should be frequently revived.

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.

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