The Beach (film)
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- This article is about the 2000 film. For the 1996 novel on which the film was based, see The Beach (novel).
The Beach is a 2000 film by the Trainspotting team of writer John Hodge and director Danny Boyle based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Alex Garland. It starred Leonardo DiCaprio and Virginie Ledoyen.
Plot
DiCaprio plays Richard, a young backpacker in Thailand who is given a map to a hidden island. With two friends, Francoise and Etienne, Richard discovers the island, a big field of marijuana (tended by local farmers), and its secret community of travelers. Eventually he clashes with the commune's leader, Sal.
The film mainly follows the events of the book, but some major changes to both characters and plot were made. The most obvious examples are that Sal becomes British, Richard becomes an American, and the romance between him and Françoise is played up; the ending is also changed significantly. In the film version, the farmer leader proposes to Sal that the only way they will permit the group to stay on the island is if Sal will kill Richard. He gives Sal a gun and she attempts to kill Richard, but the gun is empty. The others of the group are shocked by Sal's willingness to kill Richard to stay on the island, the group's community dissolves quickly and they flee the island, exactly as the head farmer guessed would happen.
Parts of the movie were filmed on Ko Phi Phi Lee, an island of Thailand.
Controversy
Controversy arose during the making of the film due to 20th Century Fox's bulldozing and rescaping of the natural beach setting of Ko Phi Phi Lee to make it more western appealing and paradise-like'. Fox set aside a fund to reconstuct and return the beach to its natural state, however lawsuits were filed as many believed the damage to the ecosystem is permanent and restoration attempts failed. (sources: summary: David Graham derived from: The Guradian (UK), John Vidal, Friday October 29, 1999, [link])Cast
- Leonardo DiCaprio - Richard
- Tilda Swinton - Sal
- Virginie Ledoyen - Françoise
- Guillaume Canet - Étienne
- Robert Carlyle - Daffy Duck
- Paterson Joseph - Keaty
- Lars Arentz-Hansen - Bugs
- Peter Youngblood Hills - Zeph
- Jerry Swindall - Sammy
- Zelda Tinska - Sonja
- Victoria Smurfit - Weathergirl
- Daniel Caltagirone - Unhygienix
- Peter Gevisser - Gregorio
- Lidija Zovkic - Mirjana
- Samuel Gough - Guitarman
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the film features "8 Ball" by Underworld, as well as tracks by Orbital, Moby, Blur, New Order, Faithless, and others. The All Saints song Pure Shores topped the UK singles chart.External links
- [Official Web Site]
- [}}}] at Rotten Tomatoes
- [}}}] at Box Office Mojo
- ["The Beach" reviewed by Roger Ebert]
- [Thai MPs call for Beach ban]
- [Storming "The Beach"]
- [Backstage on "The Beach"]
- [Environmental campaign against the movie]
- [A complete movie reference: pictures, cast, locations, crew]
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