Read the book!

Rating: 2/10 (16 November 2001)

After having read the great book, I wanted to watch the film despite a lot of the bad word of mouth it had gotten. Still, I was disappointed. First of all, a worse casting than diCaprio as Richard can not be possible. I have nothing against diCaprio, but his prettyface is as misplaced as a black actor would have been starring Schindler's List. It doesn't work at all, especially since he still looks as he just came from a stylist after 2 months on the beach where even soap is a luxury item. But even in the beginning he doesn't come off as a seasoned backpacker at all - rather more like one of the tourist scum he claims to despise. Further, the change of personality that Richard goes through during the time on the beach do not come to life. How the director visualizes Richards madness in the end borders on parody. And the spots where the scripts deviates from the book tears apart the logic - basically a lot of details plus some romance and sex that seems to have been inserted because such a film needs romance and sex, but instead rids the plot of logic and coherence. And finally, turning Richard into an American is not a great idea either. Read the book - it is great. Or go travel. Or both. But don't rent the film, it is awful.