The Beach (2000)

As we’ve established at this point, I’m pretentious about film. Like, really pretentious about film. And I try not to be, but after studying it for 4 years now I find it hard to watch films as a passive viewer. I like indie films and experimental films and ‘weird’ films and pretty much anything starring Tilda Swinton, so going into Danny Boyle’s “The Beach” I kind of thought it’d be something I’d enjoy. Boyle takes risks with his films, and has a very clear style and auteur traits that I liked a lot in Trainspotting, so I thought these would be interesting to see used in a thriller film. Unfortunately, the film wasn’t as amazing as I had hoped it would be, and left me unsatisfied with the way the plot unfolded.

The Beach follows Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio), an American tourist in Thailand, who receives a map to a seemingly perfect paradise island from a drunk who commits suicide the next day. He meets a French couple and together they make the journey to the island where he finds Sal (Tilda Swinton) and her tribe of travellers who have made a life for themselves there. However, as Richard finds out, the island isn’t as perfect as it was made out to be.

This film had a really intriguing, interesting premise that could have been so much more than what it was. The visuals, editing, sound and all that jazz were actually okay, so props to Danny Boyle on that, but it was the plot that got me. I don’t say this for a lot of films because I try not to be too judgemental and at least try and think of some redeeming elements, but this film was BORING. The pacing was off the whole way through, relationships and possible conflicts were built up, suddenly abandoned and never spoken of again, the characters were all unlikeable and because of this I found myself utterly bored. Questions were raised and not answered and it just became frustrating. I know a movie has to have twists, but not fulfilling at least some expectations or predictions is the way to lose an audience.

Another gripe I have is that, in my opinion, there wasn’t much structure to the film. It didn’t really seem like a film, more like a lot of sequences edited together with no coherent, developed plot or direction. It feels like the following conversation definitely happened between Danny Boyle and his team:

“Okay, we want a scene with a shark attack, a scene where they meet this tribe, a scene where Leo’s in some weird video game sequence and some nice visuals of the ocean.”

“But what about the plot?”’

“...Oh yeah, erm, throw in a weird love triangle it’ll be fine”.

It could have taken a much darker turn and become a tense thriller, with Richard realising that under his narcissistic, carefree persona there’s a scared boy totally out of his depth, with Sal going totally power crazy and showing the negative side of being completely free, Lord of the Flies style. The weird love triangle could have actually created some conflict and overall a better message could have been portrayed. But instead we’re left with Danny Boyle’s strange mish-mash of genres that left me disappointed and ultimately unsatisfied, wrapped up in a ‘happily ever after’ ending.

Even Tilda couldn't save this one.