The Beach (film)

Did You Know?

• The soundtrack includes the international hits 'Pure Shores' by All Saints and 'Porcelain' by Moby.
• Leftfield's contribution 'Snakeblood' sampled Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark's 'Almost' without permission, leading to a lawsuit.
• The film score was composed by Angelo Badalamenti.

Plot

Richard, a young American backpacker in Bangkok, meets a French couple, Françoise and Étienne, and becomes attracted to Françoise. He also encounters Daffy, a mentally unstable Scottish traveller who tells him of a pristine hidden island in the Gulf of Thailand. They travel to Ko Samui, where Richard gives a copy of the map to two American surfers. En route to the island, they swim from a neighbouring island, avoid armed Thai farmers guarding a cannabis plantation, and jump off a waterfall. They meet Keaty, who brings them to a secret community of travellers. The leader, Sal, explains that the farmers allow them to stay if they keep to themselves and admit no new travellers. Richard lies about not sharing the map. Françoise begins an affair with Richard, and the community learns of it; Étienne accepts it if Françoise is happier. Sal takes Richard on a supply run to Ko Pha Ngan, where they encounter the American surfers preparing to search for the island. Sal is upset but believes Richard's denial. Richard has sex with Sal at her order to ensure confidentiality, then lies to Françoise about it.

Production

Alex Garland's novel The Beach was published in 1996 and became a UK success. Director Danny Boyle and producer Andrew Macdonald bought the rights using their salaries from A Life Less Ordinary. In August 1997, Boyle, Macdonald, and screenwriter John Hodge scouted locations in Ko Samui, Thailand. Ewan McGregor, a frequent collaborator, believed he would be cast as Richard but was not chosen, causing a rift with Boyle. McGregor later called it a misunderstanding and regretted the rift; Boyle said he handled it badly and apologized. Leonardo DiCaprio, after Titanic's success, had his pick of roles and signed in July 1998. DiCaprio chose the project because he felt the novel's themes about disaffection and discovery spoke to his generation. He was paid a $20 million salary. A major change from the book is the ending, which in the novel is much darker. Boyle wanted the film to be a sociocritique of the invaders, but the big-budget studio nature required more sympathetic characters, a romantic subplot, and a more upbeat ending.

Reception

On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 43 out of 100, indicating mixed or average reviews. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave it an average grade of C. Critics suggested DiCaprio's post-Titanic fame contributed to its financial success. CNN's Paul Clinton said DiCaprio's fan base would not be disappointed but called the film nothing to write home about. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times said the film missed exploring darker themes, describing it as like a script conference discussing only sequences. Wesley Morris of the San Francisco Chronicle praised the electronica, Darius Khondji's photography, and DiCaprio's charisma despite a flat finale. Peter Travers of Rolling Stone praised DiCaprio's performance, noting it showed Richard as selfish, manipulative, cowardly, and dangerously naive.

Controversies

Controversy arose during filming due to 20th Century Fox bulldozing and landscaping the natural beach setting of Ko Phi Phi Le to make it more paradise-like. The production altered sand dunes and cleared coconut trees and grass. Fox set aside a fund for restoration, but environmentalists filed lawsuits, believing the damage was permanent. After shooting, a flat area with an odd tree layout remained, and the area stayed damaged until the 2004 tsunami. Lawsuits dragged on for years; in 2006, Thailand's Supreme Court upheld a ruling that filming harmed the environment and ordered damage assessments. Increased tourist traffic from the film damaged the bay and coral reefs, prompting Thai authorities to close the beach in 2018. The restoration period was lengthened by COVID-19 travel restrictions, and blacktip sharks began breeding there. In 2022, the bay reopened with strict protocols: no boats, no swimming, and one-hour visits for limited numbers. After the film's Thai premiere, some politicians were upset by its depiction of drug culture and a Buddha statue in a bar, calling for it to be banned.