Imagine There’s No People…
The utopian world that John Lennon envisioned and immortalized in Imagine, his definitive work, does not include the thought or words in the title of this post. Peaceful loving people were at the center of his world and his music. No, the vision delivered by the title comes from the antithesis of peace and love.
On the Beach has long been one my favorite movies since seeing the original
not long after it’s 1959 release. The cold war was raging, the USA and USSR were seriously threatening to blow each other off the face of the globe, and very easily could have. Many in-the-know political and military people since then have acknowledged that on multiple occasions both sides were dangerously close to launching all out nuclear attack. Unlike the many books and movies that portrayed the emotional chess match that was the cold war with all its stalemates and stand-downs, or others that dealt with the horrors of a nuclear war, On the Beach explores the peaceful passing and extinction of mankind on a planet gone mad. Imagine half the great cities of the world obliterated by the entire collective arsenal of nuclear weapons. Imagine the other half being slowly engulfed by radioactive fallout, slowly but surely annihilating all life. Imagine cities and towns and villages left unmarked and intact… and empty. Imagine there’s no people…
This is one of the few movies I have re-watched multiple times over the years, so you can imagine my delight in finding there was a remake in 2000. Why I did not discover this until 2007 will be the central theme of a case study in deterministic unconsciousness during our next session. Anyway, it was a eureka moment for me — discovering the remake on the shelves at Blockbuster recently. Oh, yeah, it’s gonna be a Blockbuster night.
Tempering my enthusiasm with the knowledge that remakes almost always fall short of expectations, I popped it into the DVD player, grabbed the armload of remote controls, and assumed my I’m-ready-to-be-entertained position. Not only did the remake not disappoint, in many ways it surpassed the original. Nevil Shute’s original plot and story line were updated to the world we now know, direction was superb, emotional impact was at least equal to the original, and the acting was believable. Armand Assante delivers a powerful performance as submarine commander Towers, and Rachel Ward is … how do I say this in a politically correct way … as deliciously magnificent as always. Purists will be disappointed that the ending was changed to deliver a romantic exclamation point to the strong attraction between Capt. Towers and Moira, Rachel Ward’s character. Being the romantic that I am, I was thrilled that they chose to end all together.
We once again find ourselves living in a world ripped with strife, and led, or misled if you will, by heads of state who seem intent on destroying us all just because they can. George Bush’s knee-jerk nuculer holocaust scare’s the hell out of me on several levels. I believe he is brash enough and arrogant enough to push the button. I do not believe he is intelligent enough to really understand that a nuclear war has no end, but most likely is the end. The end of all we know. The end of life. The end of us… the end of you and me. Imagine…
13 Comments so far
Then there’s a 50’s B-movie you need to see, Winston, called “The 27th day”.
Thanks for the tip, Winston. I’d never heard about the remake, either. I’ll add it to my list.
I just added this movie to my netflix list! Thanks for the review.
I, too, had forgotten about that film, and haven’t seen it since its original run in the theaters. Also hadn’t heard of the the remake. Will have to check both of them out in the near future. In fact, I’d better make it the very near future - before Mahmoud, Vladimir, Kim Jung, Osama, or even the Gap Band (you never know these days) drop a bomb on me.
Thanks Winston….adding it to my Netflix quene. Gosh, I haven’t seen somethng with Rachel Ward in it in years. The end of your post was actually uncomfortable for me to read….all too real, frightenly real.
Ooops….’frighteningly’real. See? I was so uncomfortable, I couldn’t spell.
I will check that out because I had not heard about it or if I had, I’d brushed it off. I also like the idea of ending it together that way– romantic but realistic as the way things are going, who knows…
Interesting recommendation. I’ll add it to my wish list and check it out. I was unaware that it had been remade.
I didn’t see the original but will look out for the remake (maybe on ebay as our Blockbuster isn’t very good).
Your last paragraph is scary. I hope he has men around him who will cut off his hands first.
I recall that old movie with some nostalgia.
Haven’t seen the remake.
I have wondered why Mr. Bush resolutely refuses to pronounce the word nuclear correctly.
I found this movie uncomfortable viewing when I first saw it on tv, interesting that there’s been a remake.
As to the ever present Dubaya, well I find myself irritated by anyone who speaks in stock phrases, and seems to think that being one of the “good old boys” recommends him as a man of virtue and wisdom. My apologies of course to any good old boys who can articulate their emotions and don’t believe that war is an up and coming global industry and might be good for us.
Perhaps I should post a copy to Pennsylvania Avenue, do you think he’d understand? Imagine the headlines, “Woman Saves The World by Sending Bush a DVD”.
I love On The Beach. So powerful. Didn’t know about the remake and would hate to give up Gregory Peck, Fred Astaire, and Ava, but if I come across the new one, I’ll check it out.
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