An exceedingly literate and distinguished Conrad adaptation, described by Pauline Kael as “one of the most underrated and underattended of important modern films.” The classic Conrad story of betrayal and shame was filmed on location (with a sure eye for exotic detail) in Ceylon. Featuring an outstanding cast led by Trevor Howard as Willems - the morally corrupt island drifter - and Ralph Richardson as Captain Lingard - the man whose trust Willems has betrayed - Outcast of the Islands achieves rare depth and dramatic force in capturing some of Conrad's most elusive qualities. Especially powerful is the final scene between Willems and Lingard, a confrontation with the father-figure of almost archetypal Freudian dimensions. Robert Morley as a flabby English trader, and Wendy Hiller as his wife, provide a sometimes hilarious glimpse of upper-class decorum in reduced circumstances.