The Beach (I) (2000)

Leonardo DiCaprio: Richard

Photos 

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Quotes 

• Richard : And me? I still believe in paradise. But now at least I know it's not some place you can look for. Because 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.

• Richard : The only downer is, everyone's got the same idea. We all travel thousands of miles just to watch TV and check in to somewhere with all the comforts of home, and you gotta ask yourself, what is the point of that?

• Richard : When you develop an infatuation for someone you always find a reason to believe that this is exactly the person for you. It doesn't need to be a good reason. Taking photographs of the night sky, for example. Now, in the long run, that's just the kind of dumb, irritating habit that would cause you to split up. But in the haze of infatuation, it's just what you've been searching for all these years.

• Richard : Trust me, it's paradise. This is where the hungry come to feed. For mine is a generation that circles the globe and searches for something we haven't tried before. So never refuse an invitation, never resist the unfamiliar, never fail to be polite and never outstay the welcome. Just keep your mind open and suck in the experience. And if it hurts, you know what? It's probably worth it.

• Richard : After the funeral, we all tried to get back to normal.

  Richard : But it just didn't seem right

  Richard : It became clear the problem was Christo

  Richard : You see, in a shark attack, or any other major tragedy, I guess the important thing is to get eaten and die, in which case there's a funeral and somebody makes a speech and everybody says what a good guy you were

  Richard : Or get better, in which case everyone can forget about it. Get better or die.

  Richard : It's the hanging around in between that really pisses people off.

• Richard : I just feel like everyone tries to do something different, but you always wind up doing the same damn thing.

• Richard : I told myself spreading news was part of a traveller's nature, but if I was being completely honest, I was just like everybody else: shit-scared of the great unknown. Desperate to take a little piece of home with me.

• [first lines] 

  Richard : My name is Richard. So what else do you need to know? Stuff about my family, or where I'm from? None of that matters. Not once you cross the ocean and cut yourself loose, looking for something more beautiful, something more exciting and yes, I admit, something more dangerous. So after eighteen hours in the back of an airplane, three dumb movies, two plastic meals, six beers and absolutely no sleep, I finally touch down; in Bangkok.

• Etienne : One kilometer.

  Françoise : Two.

  Etienne : Richard?

  Richard : I dunno; I'm American.

  Etienne : So?

  Richard : I think in miles, not kilometers.

  Etienne : Okay, so how many miles do you think it is?

  Richard : I dunno, but it looks like a long way away.

• Richard : Anywhere you go,desire is desire. The sun cannot bleach it, nor the tide wash it away...

• [last lines] 

  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...

• Richard : No offence an' all, but, you're fucked in the head, right?

• Richard : You hope, and you dream. But you never believe that something's gonna happen for you. Not like it does in the movies. And when it actually does, you want it to feel different, more visceral, more real. I was waiting for it to hit me, but it just wouldn't happen. The police were pissed cuz he was traveling under a false passport. But they didn't ask me about the map, so - I didn't tell 'em.

• Richard : I had nothing left to offer but pure reflex. Pure reflex and mankind's basic drive for survival, that somehow shouts, "NO - I WILL NOT DIE TODAY!"

• Sal : Okay, it's like this. Bugs is my boyfriend, my partner. Okay? And you are someone I just had sex with. All right?

  Richard : Oh, tha - that's fine. That's absolutely fine.

  Sal : Good. Now get some sleep. I may wish to have sex again before we eat breakfast.

• Keaty : [Keaty interrupts Richard whilst watching Francoise and pretending to read his book]  One: she's just teasin' ya.

  Richard : What are you talking about?

  Keaty : Two: you don't speak French. Three: he speaks French. In fact, even better than that, four: he IS French. Five: he's much better at football - sorry, sorry, SOCCER - than you. And six: you're a bit strange, Rich. Some girls like that in a man, but not usually the sort of girls you wanna be with.

  Richard : Is that right?

  Keaty : Come on, your last girlfriend chucked ya, there must've been a reason.

  Richard : It was not my fault!

  Keaty : And seven: look at - look at your thumbs, man! They're well defined!

  Richard : Wh-what is that supposed to mean?

  Keaty : You play a lot of video games! That is a powerful index of incompatabilty.

  Richard : Why do I get the feeling like you're trying to tell me something?

  Keaty : You haven't a hope mate - not a bleedin' chicken's chance in Thailand. Know what I mean?

  Richard : Thank you.

  Keaty : So, enjoy the beach and cut the bullshit.

  Richard : [softly]  Thank you very much.

  Keaty : It's my pleasure.

• Etienne : Oh fuck! Richard! Fuck!

  Richard : What?

  Etienne : I saw a fin!

  Richard : What? Are you joking?

  Etienne : No, no. A fin!

  Richard : OK, a shark fin?

  Etienne : I don't know! Just a fin! Over there, about a hundred meters.

  Richard : Well, was it big?

  Etienne : Yes.

  Richard : Well, what the fuck do you expect me to do about it?

  Etienne : Nothing! I just thought you should know!

  Richard : Well, to be honest, Etienne, I'd rather you hadn't told me!

  Etienne : I'm sorry!

  Richard : Well, it's a bit fuckin' late now, isn't it?

• Hustler : Hey! Do you need somewhere to stay?

  Richard : Well, I'll be fine. I'll find my own place thanks!

  Hustler : Good time boy! Girl! Fucking! No problem.

  Hustler : You wanna drink snake blood?

  Richard : Wait a minute, did you say snake blood?

  Hustler : Oh yeah!

  Richard : No thanks.

  Hustler : What is wrong with snake blood?

  Richard : I just don't like the idea.

  Hustler : Or maybe you're scared, afraid of something new!

  Richard : No, I just don't like the idea, that's all.

  Hustler : Ah-ha! Just like every tourist, you are all the same, just like America!

• Françoise : What are you talking about?

  Richard : Just making conversation.

  Françoise : Do you have a girlfriend?

  Richard : Here?

  Françoise : Anywhere.

  Richard : No, why?

  Françoise : Just making conversation.

• Richard : Oh, God!

  Etienne : Putain de merde!

  Etienne : Well?

  Richard : Well, what?

  Etienne : How do we get down?

  Richard : How do we get down? How am I supposed to know? Do I have to decide everything now?

  Françoise : We'll jump.

  Etienne : Fuck! You wanted to be in command, Richard.

  Richard : I only took command, because you lost your nerve, French boy!

  Etienne : Yeah, and look where you've taken us !

  [Large shot on the waterfall] 

• Richard : [voiceover]  Our resident chef was known as Unhygienix.

  Unhygienix : Let's cook!

  Richard : [voiceover]  On account of his obsession with soap.

  Unhygienix : Fish, fish, fish!

  [Scrubs hands and sniffs them] 

  Unhygienix : Still I smell of fish!

• Richard : [narrating]  Then there were the Yugoslavian girls.

  Sonja : We are from Sarajevo.

  Mirjana : Our hearts are full of loss.

  Richard : I'm sorry.

  [Sonja and Mirjana start laughing at him] 

  Sonja : It's all right.

  Mirjana : We tell everyone that.

• Richard : [narrating]  There was the Weathergirl.

  Weathergirl : I feel a tightness in my pelvis. It's gonna rain.

  [heavy rain begins to fall] 

• Richard : And yes unfortunately, there was the man with the guitar.

  Guitarman : [singing badly]  Come as you are, as you were, and as I want you to be.

• Richard : Alright alright alright alright. Now before I start there's-there's just a couple things you have to remember... Number one: you have to remain calm, right? And number two: you have to show no fear, because the sharks, you see, the sharks they can sense that fear, just as easily as they can sense blood. And so it went for me. Just as I knew it would. Just as nature had ordained, its jaw wide open. Row upon row of these razor sharp teeth glinting underwater like jagged diamonds. Its tail fin sweeping back and forth as it surged in for the kill. I swear to God, my whole life flashed before my eyes. Really, I had nothing left to offer except for pure reflex. Pure relfex, and mankind's basic drive for survival that somehow shouts NO! I WILL NOT! DIE! TODAY! And at that instant man I knew it was either the shark or me. The shark knew it. I knew it. But jeez God, i-it's nothing p-personal, ya know, it's just the way the world works, right? It's nature. But, if I remember correctly, in that last glimmer of its eyes... there was a moment between us... where it said hey Richard man... enjoy your dinner.

• Richard : [suffocates Christo, then kisses him on the forehead]