Product Details

• Actors: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tilda Swinton, Virginie Ledoyen, Guillaume Canet, Robert Carlyle
• Format: NTSC
• Language: English, French, Serbo-Croatian, Swedish, Thai
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: December 26, 2006
• Run Time: 119 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (236 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000AXWWVM
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,341 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "The Beach" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Leonardo DiCaprio sought to distance himself from the purity of his character in Titanic, and his role in The Beach is in many ways a polar opposite. As Richard, a young American seeking to "suck in the experience" of freestyle travel in Thailand, he's a chronic liar, a pot-smoking hedonist, an amoral lover, and ultimately an unstable snake in a doomed Garden of Eden. This crazy descent might be expected from the filmmakers of Trainspotting, but The Beach is a movie without a rudder, venturing into fascinating territory, promising a stimulating adventure, and then careening out of control.

After receiving a not-so-secret map to a secluded island from a stoned-out loony (Robert Carlyle, full of dark portent and spittle), Richard sets out to find the hidden paradise with a young French couple (Virginie Ledoyen, Guillaume Canet). What they find is a tropical commune existing in delicate balance with Thai pot farmers, and before long--as always--there's trouble in paradise. There's trouble in the movie, too, as DiCaprio is reduced to histrionics when the plot turns into a muddled mix of Lord of the Flies and Apocalypse Now, with shark attacks tossed in for shallow tension. Director Danny Boyle attempts perfunctory romance and a few audacious moves (notably DiCaprio's vision of life as a violent video game), but what's the point? Tilda Swinton registers strongly as the commune's charismatic leader, but her character--and the entire film--remains largely undeveloped, and pretty scenery is no guarantee of a laudable film. --Jeff Shannon

Product Description

"Leonardo DiCaprio is electrifying" (David Sheehan, CBS-TV) in this adrenaline-drenched, tantalizingly seductive thriller from the director of "Trainspotting." Richard (DiCaprio), a young American backpacker, is willing to risk his life for just one thing: that mind-blowing rush you can only get from braving the ultimate adventure. But on a secret, deceptively perfect beach, Richard will discover that "heaven on earth" can instantly change into a jungle of seduction and danger. Co-starring sexy newcomer Virginie Ledoyen, this "journey to the unexpected, full of surprises, twists and turns, love and romance, lust and desire" (Maria Sallas, GEMS) explores the hidden perils and dark places that lurk just beyond the shores of paradise.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Food for thoughts...., July 14, 2000

By 

Kirsten Langer (Holte, Copenhagen Denmark) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beach [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Taken for it's face value "The Beach" is an entertaining, lavish and exiting movie working on 2 levels: The humoristic, superficial contemporary picture of a backpacker in beautiful surroundings, which becomes second nature to the moviegoer and vanishing just as quickly as the coke and popcorn enjoyed, if this is what one is looking for - or leaving the committed moviegoer with a nagging point of a knife constantly rousing the consciousness making it wonder: What was that all about? Why? - and following a further dive into the inner deep likewise little by little brings up to mind questions and replies. The message is clear - it does, however, require efforts of the moviegoer her/himself to put words to it. And exactly that situation has been the wish of Danny Boyle, I believe!

If one has expectations about experiencing a "Trainspotting 2", a successor to "Titanic" with a Jack Dawson risen from the dead - or a true copy of Alex Garland's book by the same name - well, then you will most likely return home in disappointment - as it meets with none of these. "The Beach" has been scripted freely after the book, and going to the theater with an open mind and wide open eyes - well, then you will be awarded with 2 hrs. of entertainment with an incredibly well-playing Leonardo DiCaprio, beautiful footage by Darius Khondji, exciting and surprising sound-, picture- and light effects and not the least a lot to think about following in respect to our modern society and materialistic based happiness!

With this role Leonardo DiCaprio has returned pretty close to his earliest and very highly acknowledged performances of misfit characters as i.e. Arnie (What's Eating Gilbert Grape), Arthur Rimbaud (Total Eclipse), Jim (Basket Ball Diaries) and Hank (Marvin's Room). His acting appears amazingly effortless - but each single facial expression and body movement is thoroughly considered and communicates an altered state of mind and/or messages in split seconds. He is capable of looking pure lily-white, make true madness shine from his eyes, with a single sharp view belch out icy coldness but not the least have the audience shed a tear with him when he expresses deep emotions. His acting is beyond compare - strong, charismatic and seducing. Shame only that he does still have to suffer from the "Jack Dawson-syndrome" - people who knows the actor are fully aware of the fact that "Titanic" was the outsider and a solitary experience among his choices of roles and that exactly "Richard" is so much closer to the type of characters he wishes to work with and likewise is portraying so extremely well - but apparently the media won't spare him a chance to put that image behind...

The movie is obviously dominated by DiCaprio in his capacity of presenting the main character "Richard" and as - in similarity with the book - the other characters are generally only faintly defined you are left with less remembrance of their parts and performances. The choice of Robert Carlyle as the crazy drug-addict "Daffy" is, however, perfect casting. He is trustworthy and plays well against DiCaprio. Tilda Swinton is likewise exactly the right choice for the character of the community's cold, self-appointed leader "Sal". She expresses just the perfect arrogance, cynicism, distance and not the least lack of sex appeal as the role requires of this fanatic character. Scandinavian actors are likewise to be found among the cast - and although appearing in just a small part - Norwegian Lars Arentz-Hansen gives us a fine performance as the very little symphatic character "Bugs". With his few lines he succeeds to draw a picture of a self-satisfied, I-know-better type, who does suddenly feel a threat against his "status" in the group due to Richard's rising popularity.

Less successfully does it succeed the two French actors to fill in their roles. Guillaume Canet finds himself in a difficult situation as his role is a fusion of 2 characters, namely: "Etienne", the male part of the French lovers and the character "Jed" in the book, who represented the only islander with just some reasonable sense left. This cloning makes the character "Etienne" appear as a weak, soft and almost sugar-sweet person, which I doubt very much has been the original intention. Somehow he has ended up somewhere "between 2 chairs". Virginie Ledoyen is surely pretty looking as well as a sweet and very French girl - but maybe too French! What ever the reason there seems to be no real "spark" between her and DiCaprio in the love scenes. Maybe the chemistry between these 2 actors hasn't been a perfect one - for this part an actress with same kind of on screen charisma and cheerfulness as Kate Winslet and Claire Danes seems lacking.

The weakest parts of the movie relates primarily to a missing time indication and a triangle drama that does never really turn into any drama. Those having read the book are aware of the fact that the situation at the beach doesn't really start to get out of hand untill some 250 pages into the book and some 6-8 months following "Richard's" arrival on the island. Hence Richard's altered mentally state is slowly built up in the book. In the movie though one does get the impression that everything happens within a time frame of few weeks only. Therefore I do understand those movie-goers who doesn't immediately grasp the idea of the meaning with his sudden change of mind and what the scenes in "the jungle" are all about. In the book one does likewise have constant expectations of a triangle love-drama which, however, never comes about - in the movie this triangle scenario is further developed but, unfortunately, it takes place totally without any drama and hence leaves you without the expected tension and intrigues, which is really a pity.

As stipulated in the beginning "The Beach" should be experienced as a movie of it's own and shouldn't be the subject to any comparisons what-so-ever. By accepting it as it is I can promise the moviegoer a really great film experience with a fresh sense of humor, heavy satire, lavish footage, food for thoughts meeting the individual need and not the least a happy return to the screen of a tremendously well acting DiCaprio! I'll give it 4 out of 5 possible stars.

Kirsten Langer, Denmark

23 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good movie to discover, July 19, 2000

By 

Ackermans (Charleroi, Hainaut Belgium) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Beach (DVD)

I've read Garland's novel and I must say that it's a difficult exercise to adapt this novel for the screen. But in general, I think that the adaptation Boyle and his team made was rather good. The movie reviewers have tried to kill this film, I don't know why... Maybe because they didn't really understand it.... Cause The Beach goes in many directions, it's a movie on which it's not easy to stick a label... It's not an adventure movie, nor an action movie... neither a love story, nor an "art et essai" film, it's maybe all those categories... and probably the reason why this movie "failed" with large audiences...

The Beach is a sort of metaphor... It tells the story of a quest... a quest for humanity and above all a discovery of how human beeings can become when they want to protect their selfish "little universe"... and how they react when they are confronted with the reality... Different themes are broached : utopia of a better world, death, honesty, betrayal, madness, sectarianism, violence, drugs... It's also a bitter critic of our way of life, of our western culture and of our incompetence to escape from it... A critic also of the american hegemony...

Well... technically, The Beach is a wonder... The french Darius Khonji has, as usual, put all his talents in the cinematography and captured all the beauties of Thailand... The soundtrack is completely adapted with Danny Boyle's way of filming; dynamic, going from one scene to another, abrupt, rough... Actors-wise, the british actors Paterson Joseph (Keatty) and Tilda Swinton (Sals) deserved longer roles, the french Guillaume Canet as well... But their characters in the novel are not very developed either so... The rest of the cast (Swedish, danish, spanish actors) are good... and the brief scenes with the extraordinary Robert Carlyle (playing Daffy) are pure pleasure to watch (certainly a pleasure for him too)...

Well, and DiCaprio ? He proves, once more in this film, if needed, what a talented actor he is. Maybe the young girls who felt in love with his Jack Dawson in Titanic or with Romeo will be disappointed here... His character is not a romantic but rather an envious, lying, selfish young man... a complex character like DiCaprio loves them... (see his wonderful performance in BaskeytBall Diaries, Total Eclipse or This Boy's Life among others...). I wish him other interesting parts like this one.

In conclusion : The Beach, even if it's not a masterpiece is a really good movie to discover... if you're not allergic to the films that are a little different than the ususal ones.

Bye... and excuse my hesitating english... my mother tongue is french !

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars This 'Beach' needs to be washed away, October 5, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: The Beach [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I had the misfortune to view this movie, and it stinks like a rotting seagull. A meandering mess of a flick, with no merits whatsoever, other than some nice scenery. Most ridiculous is the ending when DiCaprio is looking at a pic of him and his fellow beach dwellers after he returns to society, reminiscing about the happy times there. What he seems to have forgotten is that pretty much everyone on the beach hated him, and that he and he alone brought an end to their sandy utopia. Indeed he spends much of his time on the island alone in the woods going a bit loopy. A disappointing release from the director of 'Trainspotting', which is beginning to look more and more like a fluke given that he also made the terrible 'Life Less Ordinary'. Do yourself a favor and watch 'Lord Of The Flies' instead. Piggy's cracked glasses alone are more entertaining than this.