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Summary: A great movie, but like a nightmare.
Review: First, the not so important point. Yes, perhaps this movie is "dated" - in the sense that the Cold War is "over" and that the general consensus seems to be that nuclear war is far less likely today than ever before. Maybe that is true, but nuclear war is not this movie's main focus.As another reviewer has written, this movie is about how individuals deal differently with an impending and inevitable death. The nuclear element is important in this regard, because clearly the main characters would not react the same way to, say, a terminal illness in which only they would die. It is the reaction to the world as we know it coming to an end which gives this movie it's haunting, timeless intrigue. To frame the content of this movie in any political context is in my opinion a huge mistake which simply distracts from the enjoyment of the film. But "enjoyment" is really the wrong word here. This movie, perhaps more than any other in my collection (and I have well over 200), may be the most painful and depressing to watch. And it's impact only increased once I got married and had children. The characters are suffering not because of their deaths as much as for those who they love. This emotion is transferred to the viewer with the delicacy of a nine-pound hammer (even if you have seen the movie multiple times). Ava Gardner and Anthony Perkins may seem to steal the show from the stoic Gregory Peck, but I think this is really a misinterpretation. It is clear that denial is Peck's main weapon against the awful crisis, but he acts his part almost too well - what seems almost like "indifference" to his wife and children's deaths (he is able to smile, occasionally laugh and eventually have an "affair" with Gardner) is simply a defense mechanism which he cannot or dare not control. His is the saddest role, to me. Fred Astaire also turns in a stellar performance as well. Actually, the whole cast is excellent. This movie may not have the same impact with the "under 40" crowd. I suppose the movie could have been played out similarly had the earth been, say, struck by a meteor - it's dust cloud slowly reigning death over the rest of the planet, but it would not have nearly the eerie, gut-wrenching quality it does as with the nuclear scenario, which has been indelibly imprinted on probably every baby-boomers brain in modern society. I have many times pulled this movie out to watch it only to change my mind and put it back for another day - it's emotional impact on me has been that strong. That being said, it's a 5-star movie with great acting that should not be missed and that everyone should see at least once.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Prelude to Nuke movies!
Review: On The Beach was one of the first Nuke movies, I did enjoy the film, However I am 35, My dad loved the Movie, I loved the Movie and the plot, But there were no emotions, These people are going to die! I recommend this film highly, for the older Seasoned members whom were living at the time the film was Made. Circa 1959. I must however recommend the remake, If you have not seen the Showtime On the Beach remake, you are missing a lot, The remake brings the futuristic setting, a War between China and The USA. Highly believable, Special effects. It stars Armand Assante, Bryon Brown, And Rachel Ward, of the Thornbirds fame. If you are into Nuke Movies like I am, I suggest you Get both of these movies. you will not be disapointed
Rating:
Summary: Moody but effective.
Review: As a few others have commented, especially notable in this movie is the non-dancing/non-comedy role of Fred Astaire. But the other thing I found particularly effective was the use of "Waltzing Matilda" as the main musical motif. The melancholy, nostalgic arrangement of the tune added a lot to the atmosphere of the film.
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Summary: Because of this film, President Kennedy...
Review: After viewing the film "On The Beach," President John F. Kennedy was moved to secretly write to Premier Nikita Kruschev ( the then leader of the former U.S.S.R.) about the madness of nuclear proliferation into our atmosphere from above ground bomb testing, which created a dialog between the two cold war leaders, which eventually led to both countries creating an ongoing series of nuclear weapons bans or restrictions. This very process has spread over the decades to include many other nations and is still is underway in the 21th Century. The movie "On The Beach" still holds up after forty + years. It is the story of the aftermath of a nuclear war in the Northern Hemisphere and the tragic consequences to humanity which follow. The movie is powerful and sober, gentle, heroic and sad. The widescreen transfer is excellent and the cast is superb.
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Summary: Thought Provoking
Review: I have to confess that the only reason I picked up a copy of On the Beach was to see Fred Astaire's first non-musical role in a dramatic film. Needless to say, I was not disappointed from the strong performance he gave. More importantly, instead of fast-forwarding the rest of the movie and skipping every other scene Astaire wasn't in, I found myself engrossed by this haunting, almost surreal tale of human folly. Rather than attempting to give a simple explanation of one of the worst events in our history, this thought-provoking drama dares to raise more questions about the deeper motives of mankind.
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Summary: Haunting end to Mankind
Review: Neville Shute's novel of the results of nuclear war and its impact on an American submarine crew and Australian civilians who survived the initial blasts but await the inevitable radiation remains one of the best novels of cold war turned hot. The cast is outstanding with Gregory Peck, Tony Perkins, Ava Gardner and Fred Astair among others doing an excellent job in a taut, tense drama depicting ever increasing despair as the US sub discovers no survivors in the United States and that a radio signal from San Diego was just a tipped over coke bottle on a radio key. The movie portrays well the human tradition of closeness in the face of doom and how each individual responds to their respective deaths. The ending is not exactly upbeat but how can nuclear war ever be positive in outcome. I highly recommend this movie to anyone.
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Summary: Not So Much the End of the World as The End of Worlds
Review: I had not seen On the Beach in a number of years. With the release of the DVD version of the film, I wanted to see it again before deciding whether to buy it. This is a powerful, affecting film that endures. I watched it twice in one weekend, and then watched several scenes a third and a fourth time. Those who argue that the film is not subtle are correct. There is a noticeable element of cinematic heavy-handedness, and the final shot certainly reinforces Kramer's didactic intent. However, whatever its weaknesses, this is an engaging film. What affected me most is the exploration of how people individually would be able to live while being absolutely certain that the world, and all of its living creatures, is dying. These characters all face the problem in what seem basically honest ways, and that is the enduring part of the film. Visually, the images that resonate are those of absolutely empty cities, making the point that life could be destroyed without physical destruction. Were humans to disappear, would we have any legacy? Would our cities and our industries retain any meaning outside of our consciousness? How long would it be before new life emerged, or would the earth forevermore be barren? All the images of the silent deserted cities say is that there would be no more human involvement in the universe. The only hope in this apocalyptic film lies in the fact that there is not a definitive answer to the question, "What comes after us?" The characters provide interesting studies of how life might go on until everything stops forever. People for the most part continue on as they have, do what they do, have ups and downs as we all do. An interesting twist is the fact that these people were used to the idea of living in a backwater, but now they are all that is left of everything that we ever were. Fred Astaire's performance as the scientist Julian is particularly strong. Just before the end, he enters the final Grand Prix of Australia in a Ferrrari that won the race the year before. This becomes a brutal, vicious race where drivers are dying all over the track. There is an interesting tension in the fear that some spectators have that Julian will harm himself, when all people are running a losing race against time. And this is the message I found implicit in much of the film: nihilism is the easy answer, acting like nothing matters is the coward's way out. In the Grand Prix, some of the drivers are overtly suicidal, but in the end it does matter who wins (and how), as shown by Julian's final action. Another powerful scene is the final exchange between Peter (Anthony Perkins' character) and Mary, his young wife. As the final time approaches, Mary draws in upon herself, to the point that she is accused of being irrational (which is a bit of sarcasm on Kramer's part). She wants to protect her infant daughter, but there is nothing that can save anyone. In their final scene, Mary draws upon all that is left of her Self to come back to the world long enough to accept the end of everything with dignity, and even cheer. There is a strong element of melodrama in this scene, but I found if honest and touching nonetheless. In the end, life goes on until the earth no longer sustains humans. While waiting for the end, people go out dancing and still have to rush to catch the last train to the suburbs. I am glad that On the Beach is available on DVD, and this film is a worthy addition to any serious collection. It is a keeper.
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Summary: Classic Film that Still Holds Up
Review: The film was made in 1959, but is set in 1964. The US and USSR have destroyed each other in a war. A radiation cloud is encircling the earth. Peck plays a US submarine commander that brings his boat to Austrialia because there's nowhere else to go. The story deals with how each of the characters cope with the situation. Peck, Tony Perkins, and Fred Astair give excellent performances. This movie doesn't have any special effects, explosions or shoot 'em up stuff. It is just very subtly done. If you haven't seen it, do so and you won't be disappointed.
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Summary: Book to Movie...
Review: The other reviews here say enough about the movie being powerful and well-done, but I'd like to add that as good as the movie is the book is ten-fold better and more powerful. It is the most emotionally powerful book I've ever read, and a sf atomic bomb classic. Look up Nevil Shute in the book section. Shute's "A Town Like Alice" is well worth your while too. It's a World War II story based on a true story.
Rating:
Summary: POWERFUL EXAMINATION OF DEATH
Review: I SAW"ON THE BEACH" WHEN IT WAS FIRST RELEASED in 1959 AND I WAS 8 YEARS OLD. IT HAD AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON ME, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF DEATH AND HOW PEOPLE UNDER THE THREAT OF RADIOACTIVE ILLNESS WOULD, WITHOUT HESITATION, COMMITT SUICIDE. IN 1959, THIS FILM DEPICTED DEATH WITH SUCH SADNESS AND HORROR, BUT THERE WERE ANTECEDENTS AT THAT TIME AND FOLLOW UPS. INGMAR BERGMAN'S FILMS COME TO MIND IN TERMS OF THIS KIND OF APOCALYPTIC VISION, WHICH IN HIS FILMS IS ROOTED IN THE EVIL OF MODERN WARFARE AND THE POSSIBILITY OF NUCLEAR ENCOUNTERS AND HOW THEY AFFECT INDIVIDUALS. "THE SILENCE" AND "SHAME" ARE GOOD EXAMPLES. AT THE TIME OF "ON THE BEACH," WE COULD ALSO SEE "THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK,' WITH ITS STARTLING CONCLUSION, AND "I WANT TO LIVE", ABOUT THE EVILS OF THE DEATH PENALTY UP CLOSE, AND HOW IT DEGRADES EVERYONE WHO GETS NEAR IT. THERE ARE OTHERS, BUT "ON THE BEACH" STANDS OUT AS THE ONE THAT CASTS A DARKNESS OVER THE VIEWER AS IT DESCRIBES LIFE AS EXTREMELY VULNERABLE AND FRAGILE, AND ULTIMAYTELY DISPENSIBLE IN TERMS OF MASS SUICIDE...THERE ARE SIMPLY NO ALYTERNATIVES TO SUFFERING OUT THE RADIATION DISEASE THAT THREATENS MELBOURNE. THIS FILM FURTHER CRITQUES THE SURFACY NATURE OF LIFE AT THAT TIME; THE FALSE HOPE IN OTHER LIFE SOURCES AROUND THE GLOBE, THE ROMANTIC ATTACHMENTS TO DEAD MEMORIES, RATHER THAN ALIVE PEOPLE. THE IDEA OF GOD IS ODDLY ABSENT AND THE SENSE OF SIGNIFICANCE OF ANYTHING BEYOND IS MISSING. THIS FILM IS SO DARING IN THIS RESPECT BECAUSE IT UPROOTS KNOWN VALUES, BELIEFS, AND CASTS THEM INTO THE VORTEX OF RADIATION AND ITS AFTEREFFECTS. THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL IS CLEARLY AN ON-COMING TRAIN HERE, AND TODAY IN FILMS WE NEVER SEE THESE KINDS OF IMAGES, ESPECIALLY IN HAUNTING BLACK AND WHITE. IT'S ALL ROMANTIC OR COMIC OR BOTH, AND HAPPY ENDINGS ABOUND AS WE FEEL SAFER IN OUR WORLD AND MORE ENTITLED TO LIFE. "ON THE BEACH" HAS NO SUCH CONSOLATIONS OR FANTASIES, BUT IT DOES HINT THAT LIFE IS SURFACY, VERY ABSURD AT TIMES, AS WHEN A COKE BOTTLE SIGNALS SO MUCH HOPE TO THE SEEKERS OF LIFE IN THE SUBMARINE GREGORY PECK COMMANDS. THE COKE BOTTLE ALSO IDENTIFIES THE CULTURE...SUGARY AND DISPENSIBLE, LIKE THE BOTTLE. THIS IS A GREAT FILM, WITH SOARING IMAGES OF DEATH, AND FABULOUS SHOTS OF A KIND OF DECAYING AUSTRAILIA. AVA GARNER IS MAGNIFICENT AND GREGORY PECK MUCH BETTER THAN IN ANY OF HIS OTHER 50'S ROLES. SURPRISES COME WITH FRED ASTAIRE AS A RACING CAR DRIVER ... HE ALMOST BECOMES PART OF THE CAR. BUY THIS FILM AND SAVOR ITS GREATNESS.
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