MovieChat Forums > The Beach (2000) Discussion > What Danny Boyle Said About The Beach

What Danny Boyle Said About The Beach


Danny Boyle in a published book of interviews talks about his career in depth and the films he made. When it came to the Beach he had this to say about why he didn't like the movie and what went wrong with it.

'The problem wasn't with the casting, it was with the script. We could never figure out the motivation for Richard's character. Why did he want to leave civilisation so desperately, what really attracted him to The Beach in the first place. Who was this guy. the character was flat and non existent on the page and that's an impossible position to put any actor in. I would see Leo sitting on the Beach with the Script trying to find something - anything in it that he could use. But it was impossible. No-one really knew where the film was going and because of that he had no way of knowing who his character really was. It wouldn't matter who played the part. I think the world of Ewan McGregor and Leo but nether of them could have made that part work because it didn't exist on the page to begin with.'

He goes on to say that Leonardo DiCaprio was a gentleman to work with and helped keep Fox off Boyls back when it came to making the movie. But he also learned from making the movie that the experience was overwhelming with such a big movie and that he never wanted to make a movie that big again.

He also mentions 3 incidents during production where they almost accident killed DiCaprio. Once by drowning, another by electrocution and the third in a storm scene where he and other actors almost got caught in the current.

He is very appreciative of DiCaprio, thinks the world of him and blames the script for the movies failure.

He says the main problem during the script sessions was that he was torn between the Studio that wanted Titanic 2 and Dicaprio who thought they we're doing an edgier movie much like the book. He admits in hindsight that they should have gone down DiCaprio's route, and knows that if he did the movie would have been more successful.

He expressed shock when told that DiCaprio was nominated for a worst actor award over the movie and again blames himself and the script. 'Oh... I didn't know that. I mean... I had no idea. Seriously. That's not right. that's not fair at all. Ewan McGregor couldn't have fared any better. No-one could.'

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Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. The screenplay here was a big mess. I remember at the time this was released, DiCaprio was at the height of his post-Titanic popularity, and this film was to be a star vehicle for him. So, they seemed to have ruined the film to make it eye candy for the swooning 14-year old female DiCaprio fans.

This is an embarrassingly bad film, just awful.

"For dark is the suede that mows like a harvest"

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Wow I guess you just gotta be a traveler to understand a movie about traveling. Maybe they should have had the writer of the book or Paul Theroux direct the movie.

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Wow I guess you just gotta be a traveler to understand a movie about traveling.


I disagree with your premise. Why must one be a traveler to understand this? The snobby, elitist, yet hypocritical attitudes of the 'Beach' community are pretty easy to understand. They think they're so unique and special, they deserve their own, free, private paradise, where they can't be bothered by ugly Americans. I thought that way once, but its really a childish, very
hypocritical pursuit.

I get the irony about the ultimate destination being so perfect, that its fatal. Its an interesting concept, but its clumsily executed with a poor screenplay and way too much Leo (this film was made at the height of his 'Tiger Beat' days).

And why do you assume I'm not an international traveler because I hate this film? You would be wrong on that count.

I'm a civilian, I'm not a trout

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You'll never understand chase437. As per usual you miss the point entirely because of your obsession with hating on DiCaprio.

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What's the point I'm missing? The screenplay is flawed, regardless of who was cast in the lead.

I'll take Punctuality

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[deleted]

Why did he want to leave civilisation so desperately, what really attracted him to The Beach in the first place


Funny something that is obvious to audiences isn't obvious to the director. Because he was heartbroken, fed up with his mundane life and wanted some adventure and a little danger and couldn't wait to get away from the concrete jungles, and howling masses. Clearly he was a young guy off on his first or one of his first adventures in the big wide world. Some people grow to old age never having had that.

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I agree with you: it's easy for viewers to see the allure of wanting to discover the island. In fact, the opening of the movie is DiCaprio's narration talking about why he ended up in Bangkok, because of wanting something more "beautiful" and "dangerous".

What I really think Danny Boyle is talking about is when DiCaprio's character grows apart from the community at the end of the movie, and says he relates to Daffy a lot, hiding in the dark and sneaking around. There was a huge lack of understanding "why" with this character development. This is where the movie fell apart for most people, myself included.

At least Boyle was honest and knew the problem. The script was weak and was lacking in several areas.

_______
When logic and science aren't on your side, you always lose.

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So then why did they start filming it with an unfinished script in the first place? Why the rush? Here's a movie and story that is actually promoting the opposite, taking downtime, going off the grid, not be bothered with time and the rat-race of industrial civilisation, to relax and so on, and then they do the exact opposite when shooting it?

Danny, if you ever read this: Why not do it again, the exact same movie, but with a finished script? I'd go see it.

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Very interesting.

Weird that Boyle, the screenwriter and DiCaprio couldn’t wrap their heads around Richard’s motivation - it’s all there in the book. He’s travelling and eventually the beaten track gets tiresome and you long for something more off-piste and exciting 🤷🏻‍♂️

Garland should direct a four episode TV series for Netflix.

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thats what i thought
" I would see Leo sitting on the Beach with the Script trying to find something "

well go the book then!
disrespectful not too really

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I've always liked this movie, I'm surprised he thinks so badly about it.

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me too.

He acts liked it bombed or some shit. I know a million tourists who are strongly inspired from this film.

The movie wasnt unlikable or strange. If anything it was good that leo took a risk on such a film.

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What a bunch of nonsense! It was explained in the beginning of the film, what Richard's motivation was. He was searching for something that was very different and new, and something more dangerous. It's funny how people are so good at convoluting things, and creating drama just for the sake of being able to do so. If the movie was in fact deemed a failure by any powers that be, it was because many people are idiots and seem to often like ridiculous rubbish in all forms. I love the band Bon Jovi, but two of they're biggest hit tunes "you give love a bad name" and "Bad Medicine" I think just suck! Oh, and then of course look at Aerosmith and the garbage they produce. Yet they have a following. It seems very few, can truly appreciate greatness in an original form. Because that's what the movie "the beach" is, a totally original story. Kind of like a group of Robinson Caruso's, only they went to this idyllic location by choice.

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