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On the Beach | Year: 1959 Directed: - Stanley Kramer Actors/Actresses: - Gregory Peck - Ava Gardner - Fred Astaire Great Movie, however depressing it may be On the Beach is much like the classic From Here to Eternity. Different story, however how an apocalyptic event is unfolding and how it effects these peoples lives is very similar. Peck is outstanding, Gardner a terrific supporter, Perkins in his second-best performance, all the acting is fabulous. Story is a little out there, however is quite frightening considering we have the power to make this film come true. Peck is a submarine commander who has just landed ashore on the beautiful coast of Australia where the world's last survivors have been dreadfully awaiting the deadly radiation cloud caused by the war. He sees the radiation hasn't arrived yet so he and his crew emerge from the ocean and visit the town. Perkins is the Australian naval officer assigned to meet up with him and inform him of their condition. Gardner is the beautiful, constantly drunk woman who he quickly gains a loving relationship with. Jillian (i think thats his name) is her older ex-boyfriend whose dream of succeeding at the races is fulfilled in one of the most breath-taking racing scenes ever filmed. Depressing, however powerful message to the world about the awesome power the nuclear weapons have and what we can destroy by our own hands. On The Beach...revisited I first saw " Onthe Beach" (OTB) after reading the Nevile Shute novel. I remember Pauline Kael saying in one of her more vitupritive reviews, "will anyone in the future remember On the Beach as anything but a bad movie". I was confused. Perhaps my response at the time had been the sentimental attachment of a high-schooler (after all, that "Waltzing Matida" theme can get to you). But now, Pauline, I can answer yer question. OTB is really not about the end of the world...but rather about the end of each of our worlds. "Fail Safe", "Dr Strangelove", etc...these are the movies about the end of the world. But this film is just about the end of one life...A few lives. And how we watch these finalities played out is like a chess game. Sure,there are moments spiced with Kramer's understandable ham-fisted "MESSAGE" about Nuclear War...but also we experience the slight, breathless moments when we know something forever is lost. I liked it a lot then... I like it now, too. Less for its attacks on radioactive death...more, for its reflections of how we may face our own "end". Remember, this film came out at at time when most American films were glamorizing pillow talks and chariot races and west side stories. These films, as well as the exquisite foreign films of the time also hold up...on their own levels. But there is a poignancy, perhaps not then intended, with all the lead actors either dead or retired that gives a new message to the quote from which the novel and film arose: "Here by the Sea, by the tumult river, here on the beach......sorry, misquoted, but intent on making a point. Looking forward to other comments. I believe the quote ends with the phrase, "Life ends not with a bang, but a whimper". Perfectly Acted, Unforgettable An all-time classic, "On the Beach," is based on a 1957 novel by Nevil Shute, and remains as powerful and as mesmerizing on DVD today as it was when it played in movie theaters across the country more than 40 years ago. The story, which unfolds gradually and hauntingly through the interaction between the characters, depicts our world following a nuclear war in the northern hemisphere. Radiation fallout is spreading across the globe. Those who remain alive must migrate to Australia ahead of the radiation. Once there, they must confront the reality that it is only a matter of time before they, too, will become infected and die. This movie is amazing because it focuses on relationships and self-discoveries, not on cheap special effects. Radiation death is dramatized by showing empty urban streets, not grotesque corpses. The heart and soul of this film provides its audience with intimate snapshots of how a variety of people cope with their fate, and the fate of the planet. The stirring performances by this acclaimed cast are breathtakingly understated, avoiding any hint of melodrama. A delicate rendition of Waltzing Matilda, an Australian national song, is the perfect musical accompaniment to this fabulous film that somehow manages to depict mankind at its ugly, destructive worst as well as at its uplifting and noble best. Utterly unforgettable, it stirs the viewers' humanity to ensure creation survives! Buy On The Beach at Amazon.com Buy posters at Allposters.com Jamster - the latest ringtones for your phone!  Search with Walhello on the Internet on On The Beach Search with the Priority Search Engine on On The Beach This page in other languages: Suomeksi | Nederlands | Deutsch
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