On the Beach (1959)

Like watching paint dry. Stanley Kramer and John Paxton adapt from Nevil Shute's novel. Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins and Donna Anderson star, with music by Ernest Gold and cinematography by Giuseppe Rotunno. After a global nuclear war, the inhabitants of Australia realise that the radiation clouds are heading their way. A group of people try to come to terms with this fact. A well regarded film by the critics, and lauded by the makers at the time as an important and potent piece of cinema, On the Beach is still a film that's not for everyone. The star appeal holds weight, though much of the narrative is tired and weary, trite and cheesy. In fact Shute himself was less than happy with what Kramer made of his literary source, the director in his element with a message movie. If it was Kramer's intent to make the viewers also feel like what it's like waiting for death? Then he achieved it, while Gold's overuse of Waltzing Matilda in his musical score also ends up boring the senses. 4/10