On the BeachBased on the popular novel by Nevil Shute, Stanley Kramer's quietly devastating sci-fi drama condemns war without firing a single shot.
In 1964, nuclear activity wipes out humanity in the northern hemisphere. A group of people in Melbourne - the last surviving city in the world - await death as radioactive clouds drifts south.
Shifting the novel's emphasis on technology to focus on human drama, the powerful, well-acted and deftly photographed
On the Beach features a distinguished imported cast including Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire and Anthony Perkins.
The screening on Sat 5 Dec will be followed by a panel discussion with Peter Krausz, Chair of the Australian Film Critics Association, and Philip Davey, author of
When Hollywood Came to Melbourne: The Story of the Making of Stanley Kramer's On the Beach.
50th anniversary screening.
Read an essay on the film by Philip Davey.
