The beach was made 12 years ago, but still it is mentioned as one of the top travel/adventure movies. Thailand is already popular to beach seekers in 2000, when the movie was made, and this movie brought the country to the top list to travelers and adventurers. I’ve read the book first actually, after my friend Claire suggested. Funny thing is, the only one I could find was a shorten version for second language learners. Well, I’m sort of a learner, so I read this one before watched the movie.
I’ve been procrastinated to watch this movie for almost 10 months, since I thought I have to finish the book first and I never did. So one lady day in Nongkiew, Laos, I finished the book and watched the movie, finally.
It is a very complex movie with a not very complex plot. Richard, the American (he is British in the book) college student came to Thailand to look for something different. Everything starts with the familiar thought we all might have at least once. The reason why we are always looking for ‘off the beaten path’.
“Richard: I just feel like everyone tries to do something different, but you always wind up doing the same damn thing.”
So they did, they found the secret beach. The beach filmed in Ko Phi Phi, one of the most popular destinations in Thailand. No wonder this is a famous spot for beach lovers. It made me want to book a flights to Thailand at the second. And soon the beach turned into the Chaos. With tragic accident, shooting, love triangle and twisted minded people, all together.
Richard is back to normal life after a long adventure. Or should I call a nightmare? Either way, he showed us how he learned about the meaning of paradise.
Have you ever had that experience, you remember the exact moment you felt happy but not the place? Sometimes the other way around. When you are drinking a fine cup of tea, it brings you back to the exact moment you had tea and how great it was. By traveling places to places, we are looking for the perfect place, and thought ‘the better places is out there.’ That’s the base and origin of our wanderlust. What I think paradise is the moment and the experience, not the place. The beach was paradise because everyone was having such a good time. The paradise can be anywhere, anytime. Your dorm bed when you were watching movie, a small food stall where you had the best dumplings, a street in a small village when you saw the sunset. Bangkok was my paradise once when I had all the high quality Thai food.
“Richard: And me, I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know it’s not some place you can look for, ’cause it’s not where you go. It’s how you feel for a moment in your life when you’re a part of something, and if you find that moment… it lasts forever… “
So, do you agree with Richard? Have you ever had a paradise? Do you still remember when and where?
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