Four-star movie: On the Beach

[carbonel]

On the Beach
Director: Stanley Kramer
1959

I think the most remarkable thing about this movie is that it got made at all -- and that it got made with an all-star cast and without significantly changing the ending.

No real spoilers, since the basic plot is set out at the beginning: this is about the end of the world from radiation poisoning following World War III (it's never mentioned whose fault it is). The movie isn't about averting the end of the world: that's already happened. Most of the world is already dead, but one American submarine arrives at Australia, where the last survivors are waiting for the cloud of radiation that will inevitably kill them.

The film (following the book) shows most people accepting their fate stoically, staying at their jobs until the last. I think social services would break down sooner, but that would be a different movie.

In a way, this movie was less grim than some of the other depressing movies I've watched in the past few weeks, because there was no feeling of suspense. As a cautionary tale, I don't know how effective it was, but I'm glad it's a future that never arrived.

Comments

[clindau.livejournal.com]

This is a book that I should read again.