Time magazine termed this movie a ‘contemplative action movie, an interior thriller’. It’s set on an idyllic island (based on Ko Pha-Ngan island, off the eastern coast of Thailand), with ‘beautiful people living in an unruffled commune, the symbiosis of modern man and primal nature’.
A group of young peace-loving internationals seek to create paradise (with the help of drugs and sex), free from the problems of western society. They prize community and the pursuit of individual happiness. Leonardo Di Caprio plays the lead role of Richard, an American backpacker looking for adventure, who is given a map to ‘the beach’, a ‘treasure island’. T
he island is shared with marijuana farmers who go to great lengths to protect their crops and income. But it is Richard’s actions that have a devastating impact on the community (reminiscent of ‘Lord of the Flies’?).
Download the pdf discussion guide for the complete resource.
Link : IMDb entry
Link : Hollywood Jesus review
Download: The_Beach.pdf
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