A Filmmaker's Guide to: Robinsonade

In this chapter of ‘the filmmaker’s guide’ we’re actually going to be learning about literature and film together. I understand that many of you are sitting in university during difficult times and finding it increasingly hard to study and I understand that many of you who are not at university or not planning on it are possibly stuck of what to do, need a break or even need to catch up on learning film before you get to the next level. This guide will be brief but will also contain: new vocabulary, concepts and theories, films to watch and we will be exploring something taboo until now in the ‘filmmaker’s guide’ - academia (abyss opens). Each article will explore a different concept of film, philosophy, literature or bibliography/filmography etc. in order to give you something new to learn each time we see each other. You can use some of the words amongst family and friends to sound clever or you can get back to me (email in bio) and tell me how you’re doing. So, strap in and prepare for the filmmaker’s guide to film studies because it is going to be one wild ride.

Robinsonade

What is it?

Based on the plot to the novel "Robinson Crusoe" by Daniel Defoe, the term deals with a 'desert island' or 'cast-away' story. Novels of isolation, self-reflection and natives on the land attempt to give a criticism of modern society in which the main character/characters are now on a desert island, forced to live differently to how they would usually live. Here are some novels that take us through a Robinsonade:

1. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
2. The Swiss Family Robinson by Jonathan David Wyss
3. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
4. The Martian by Andy Weir
5. The Road by Cormac McCarthy
6. Empire of the Sun by J.G Ballard
7. Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
8. Mysterious Island by Jules Verne

Robinsonades are everywhere in our culture of literature and film. There is also something called "Inverted Cruesoism" which deals with the exact opposite to a Robinsonade in which the cast-away chooses to be marooned in another place. They choose this in order to initiate change in their lives and often for a purpose that has a massive link to the plot through unexpected problems encountered. Some of the books included in this are:

1. Concrete Island by J.G Ballard
2. Interzone by William S. Burroughs
3. The Marbled Swarm by Dennis Cooper

So these are some of the anti-Robinsonades which are called "Inverted Cruesoisms" as well. If you can find a novel in which the main character maroons themselves or goes somewhere where they know they're going to change themselves in a form of isolation - then that is the Inverted Cruesoism.

What about in film?

In film, the Robinsonade is basically more or less adapted from books, there are originals, but the adaptations are far more popular.

Films such as:

1. The Martian (2015),
2. Castaway (2000),
3. The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996),
4. Empire of the Sun (1987),
5. Battle Royale (2000),
6. Cube (1997),
7. Panic Room (2002),
8. Moon (2009)

So we can see that there are many films that can be considered a Robinsonade and many films that can be considered a piece of Inverted Cruesoism. There’s a ton of stuff on this sub-genre because of the way in which it is so damn popular. The popularity of being lost in a different space is in fact, as it is because we cannot seem to do it ourselves. Especially me, your friendly neighbourhood agoraphobe, forget about getting lost, I can just about leave my house. Anyways, let us move on to some pieces of further reading in order to understand this more and hopefully there are masses of primary sources you can explore.

Further Reading