The Beach (film)  

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The Beach is a 2000 adventure drama film directed by Danny Boyle and based on the 1996 novel of the same name by Alex Garland, which was adapted for the film by John Hodge. The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Tilda Swinton, Virginie Ledoyen, Guillaume Canet, and Robert Carlyle. It was filmed on the Thai island of Ko Phi Phi Le.

The film was a moderate box office success but received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. DiCaprio was nominated for the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor (lost to John Travolta as Terl from Battlefield Earth and as Russ Richards in Lucky Numbers).

Plot

Richard, a young American seeking adventure in Bangkok, stays in a drab travelers' hotel on Khao San Road where he meets a young French couple, Françoise and Étienne. He meets Daffy, who tells him of a pristine, uninhabited island in the Gulf of Thailand with a beautiful hidden beach. Daffy explains that he settled there in secret several years earlier, but difficulties arose and he left. Daffy commits suicide, leaving Richard a map to the island. Richard convinces Françoise and Étienne to accompany him to the island, and the three travel to Ko Samui. Richard meets two American surfers who have heard rumors of the island and gives them a copy of the map.

En route to the island, Richard becomes infatuated with Françoise. After swimming to the island from a neighboring one, they find a cannabis plantation guarded by armed Thai farmers. Avoiding detection, they make their way across the island and meet Keatey, who brings them to a community of travelers living on the island in secret. Sal, the community's English leader, explains that the farmers allow them to stay so long as they keep to themselves and do not allow any more travelers to come to the island. Richard lies that they have not shown the map to anyone else. The trio become integrated into the community.

One night, Françoise invites Richard to the beach where she tells him that she is falling in love with him and they make love. Despite hoping to keep it secret, the community finds out. While angry, Étienne says he will not stand in their way if Françoise is happier with Richard.

Sal selects Richard to accompany her on a supply run to Ko Pha Ngan. They encounter the American surfers who are preparing to search for the island and mention Richard's map. Sal is upset but believes Richard when he says they have no map. The two have sex that night. On their return to the island, Richard lies to Françoise about being intimate with Sal.

When the surfers turn up on the neighboring island, Sal orders Richard to send them away and destroy their map. She tells everyone that she and Richard had sex, which leaves Françoise angry and heartbroken, causing her to return to Étienne. Isolated from the group, Richard begins to lose his sanity, imagining that he is conversing with the deceased Daffy.

The surfers reach the island but are discovered and killed by the farmers. Shocked at witnessing their deaths, Richard gathers Françoise and Étienne to leave the island.

Richard is captured by the farmers along with Françoise and Étienne. The farmers are furious with the community for breaking their deal to not allow any more newcomers. The lead farmer gives Sal a gun loaded with a single bullet and orders her to make a choice: kill Richard and the group will be allowed to stay, or else they must all leave immediately. Sal pulls the trigger, but the chamber is empty. Shocked by her willingness to commit murder, the other members of the community abandon Sal, leave the island, and go their separate ways.

Back in the United States, Richard receives an email at an Internet cafe from Françoise with a nostalgic group photograph of the beach community in happier times.

Cast

  • Leonardo DiCaprio as Richard, a freelance traveler.
  • Tilda Swinton as Sal, the leader of the beach community.
  • Virginie Ledoyen as Françoise, the girlfriend of Étienne, and Richard's love interest.
  • Guillaume Canet as Étienne, the boyfriend of Françoise.
  • Robert Carlyle as Daffy, the eccentric former member of the beach community.
  • Paterson Joseph as Keaty, a member of the beach community who loves cricket.
  • Lars Arentz-Hansen as Bugs, Sal's South-African boyfriend and the beach community's carpenter.
  • Daniel Caltagirone as Unhygienix, the beach community's chef who has an obsession with soap due to having to always prepare the fish for consumption.
  • Staffan Kihlbom, Jukka Hiltunen, and Magnus Lindgren as Christo, Karl, and Sten, the beach community's Swedish fishermen.
  • Victoria Smurfit as Weathergirl, a member of the beach community whose tightening pelvis has been a sign for rain.
  • Zelda Tinska and Lidija Zovkić as Sonja and Mirjana, two beach community members who come from Sarajevo.
  • Samuel Gough as Guitarman, the beach community's residential guitarist who is not a good singer.
  • Peter Youngblood Hills and Jerry Swindall as Zeph and Sammy, two Americans whom Richard meets in Ko Samui.
  • Saskia Mulder and Simone Huber as Hilda and Eva, two women who accompany Zeph and Sammy to the island.
  • Peter Gevisser as Gregorio, an Italian member of the beach community.
  • Abhijati 'Meuk' Jusakul as the leader of the cannabis farmers.





Unless indicated otherwise, the text in this article is either based on Wikipedia article "The Beach (film)" or another language Wikipedia page thereof used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License; or on research by Jahsonic and friends. See Art and Popular Culture's copyright notice.

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