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On the Beach (1959)

Rate: 7
Viewed: 12/24

OnBeach
12/24: Okay, I understood why the year 1964 after watching On the Beach for a while given the film was made in 1959.

It paints a post-apocalyptic world as a result of the global nuclear war with only people left living in Australia. That being said, On the Beach is transformed into a sci-fi military picture with an A-list cast. That's not a bad combination, making for a suitable episode on The Twilight Zone. I like the use of a submarine to venture out in order to see if there's any hope. By the way, it isn't possible to wear a special suit to protect oneself fully from radiation.

The script is exceptional, setting up for strong performances. Ironically, the author of the book hated the movie so much that he suffered from a fatal stroke at age 60 one month afterwards. The standouts are Gregory Peck and Ava Gardner. Rounding out the rest are Anthony Perkins, Fred Astaire in the first dramatic role of his career, and Donna Anderson, among others.

Shot on location for the most part in Australia (which is an unheard-of concept at the time due to the country possessing virtually no film industry), Giuseppe Rotunno's striking black-and-white cinematography does everybody, most especially Anthony Perkins, favors. The following year, Alfred Hitchcock will make the aforementioned actor legendary by casting him as Norman Bates in Psycho.

Now, why am I giving On the Beach a rating of '7'? Simply put, it's too long. Thirty minutes should've been cut out. It's not that I mind what's going on, but there's not enough substance to keep the show going. If they can make the film primarily focused on Gregory Peck's and Ava Gardner's characters, I'm game for it. But let's be real: if Commander Dwight Towers' family didn't perish in the nuclear holocaust, he would have never gone for Moira; she's just a dumb floozy whose expiration date is fifteen years past as plainly seen on her face due to alcohol abuse.

All in all, On the Beach is worth watching because of Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Anthony Perkins, and the unusual theme, but make no mistake: it's a long movie that struggles between theme and characters.