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Fictional work usually set in a desert, island, polar, or other harsh, barren locale, in which an individual or group must struggle for their lives against the forces of nature. Facing imminent and seemingly arbitrary death, characters are compelled to test their spirit and discover their innermost nature deprived of the veneer of civilization. Emphasis is placed on the the character's psychology and reactions to the ordeal. The villain is the person who, under these grueling conditions, relies on competitive instincts to dominate rather than aid his fellow human beings. The one who ultimately endures as the hero is not the physically strongest individual but the one with the greatest will-power, ingenuity, and altruism, who labors to preserve the group. Feature examples: ALIVE; DELIVERANCE (with Adaptation); FIVE CAME BACK; THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX (with Adaptation); LEGEND OF THE LOST; THE LOST PATROL (with War); THE MOSQUITO COAST (with Adaptation); THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME (with Horror; Adaptation); THE NAKED PREY; THE RED TENT (with Historical); ROBINSON CRUSOE (with Adventure; Adaptation); SANDS OF THE KALAHARI; SCOTT OF THE ANTARCTIC (with Adventure; Biographical); SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON (with Adventure; Adaptation); WALKABOUT. TV examples: ANYTHING TO SURVIVE; EVERYBODY'S BABY: THE RESCUE OF JESSICA MCCLURE; GILLIGAN'S ISLAND (with Situation comedy).

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