The Beach (2000)

Directed by: Danny Boyle | 119 minutes | action, drama, thriller | Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tilda Swinton, Virginie Ledoyen, Guillaume Canet, Robert Carlyle, Paterson Joseph, Lars Arentz Hansen, Peter Youngblood Hills, Jerry Swindall, Zelda Tinska, Victoria Smurfit, Daniel Caltagirone, Peter Gevisser, Lidija Zovkic, Samuel Gough

‘The Beach’ is the film adaptation of the book of the same name by Alex Garland, directed by Danny Boyle who previously made ‘Trainspotting’. The story of the film is virtually unchanged from the book and Boyle has cleverly kept the same momentum. DiCaprio excels in his role as a backpacker, seeking adventure in Thailand. In his own philosophical way he wants to find out what the use of a civilization is, and how a society works. This makes his curiosity about the myth of “the beach” very great. Because the myth says that it is paradise there, and accessible to no one.

During the story, the quest is first depicted, and finally also the finding of the beach. A group of people lives together, as in a paradise. Richard is allowed to stay with his friends, but the beach is not allowed to be disclosed, and disclosure carries a severe penalty. One sees the happiness that is found on the beach, but at the same time there is a growing awareness that this civilization is not a utopia, but only gives a glimpse of a form of reality. The question is therefore always who is living in an illusion. It is therefore not surprising that DiCaprio is becoming increasingly paranoia in his role.

To experience the story in this way, something is asked of the viewer. He must also be aware of this illusion, otherwise the story is just a fast video clip, with very hip and good music. The camera work in this film is highly commendable, especially in the scenes where DiCaprio shows himself to be paranoid. Combining different speeds and using close-ups or strange positions, the paranoia on the screen is everywhere. The landscape of Thailand (even before the tsunami) is beautiful, and fits very well with the backpacker feeling.

Some themes have been added or enlarged to the story to make the film attractive to a large audience. There is a romance and there are some complications surrounding the leadership of the group. In addition, there are some action scenes around a shark, which can certainly be called spectacular, but add little to the whole. The film is highly recommended because of its content, the hidden message, DiCaprio’s acting and because the film clearly has its own style. ‘The Beach’ is very catchy, grabs your attention from the first moments and keeps going around in your head for a long time to come.