On the Beach is a black and white film released in 1959, and based on the novel of the same name by Nevil Shute.
It is set in the wake of an apocalyptic nuclear world war in which almost all of humanity has perished. In Australia, life goes on - but in the certain knowledge that they are the last survivors, and have just a few months to live before they will also die; the advancing radioactive fall out cannot be stopped.
The film in isolation is a good one, if understandably bleak. Our lead characters are US submarine commander Dwight Towers (Gregory Peck), alcohol-loving Aussie Moira Davidson (Ava Gardner), Naval Officer Peter Holmes (Anthony Perkins), and science expert Julian Osborn (Fred Astaire). The film follows their lives and varying emotions as they live out their final days.
Anyone who, like me, is familiar with the earlier novel might just have some issues with this film. That's because the novel gives great weight to the characters going about their lives in an almost normal fashion; doing the small, mundane, ordinary things they have always done is the way they cope. Even planning for the future despite their inevitable fate. It's arguably the most striking thing about the novel.
In this film version much of that is set aside in favour of a generally more gloomy outlook, and a much heightened love interest between Dwight and Moira. Indeed, this film could simply be categorised as a straight love story albeit under highly unusual circumstances. So there's no doubt that one of the most psychologically intriguing aspects of the novel is lost in the film.
Now, that does not make it a bad film - it isn't. It is still a well-acted, powerful and thought-provoking tale. It simply means the film differs from the novel enough to be of note, and despite enjoying the film I do think they missed the chance to explore a fascinating side of humanity that is very much the key to Shute's novel.
It is set in the wake of an apocalyptic nuclear world war in which almost all of humanity has perished. In Australia, life goes on - but in the certain knowledge that they are the last survivors, and have just a few months to live before they will also die; the advancing radioactive fall out cannot be stopped.
The film in isolation is a good one, if understandably bleak. Our lead characters are US submarine commander Dwight Towers (Gregory Peck), alcohol-loving Aussie Moira Davidson (Ava Gardner), Naval Officer Peter Holmes (Anthony Perkins), and science expert Julian Osborn (Fred Astaire). The film follows their lives and varying emotions as they live out their final days.
Anyone who, like me, is familiar with the earlier novel might just have some issues with this film. That's because the novel gives great weight to the characters going about their lives in an almost normal fashion; doing the small, mundane, ordinary things they have always done is the way they cope. Even planning for the future despite their inevitable fate. It's arguably the most striking thing about the novel.
In this film version much of that is set aside in favour of a generally more gloomy outlook, and a much heightened love interest between Dwight and Moira. Indeed, this film could simply be categorised as a straight love story albeit under highly unusual circumstances. So there's no doubt that one of the most psychologically intriguing aspects of the novel is lost in the film.
Now, that does not make it a bad film - it isn't. It is still a well-acted, powerful and thought-provoking tale. It simply means the film differs from the novel enough to be of note, and despite enjoying the film I do think they missed the chance to explore a fascinating side of humanity that is very much the key to Shute's novel.