Inventive and Intense
Rating: 10 of 10 
However one may think of Di Caprio as a person, as an icon, he proves again that as an actor he is able to overshadow almost everybody - especially considering his age. His devotion to the character he plays always creates a vivid performance, he is the center of a movie even if there might be other main characters. He's proven this already in 'Titanic' and 'The Quick and the Dead', and with this movie it's more obvious than ever.
If it only were for Di Caprio, this film would be great in acting. But it also has a compelling story, great visuals and a classic conflict. It might seem strange to center such a topic around such a young character, but with Di Caprio it makes sense. His getting mad, even in the strange computer game sequences in the forest, becomes believable, especially with 'Apocalypse Now' being cited in the beginning of the movie. The greatest shock it is when all his playing, all his infatuation with war suddenly reveals its pointlessness, when he finally realizes the smallness of his options. Death strikes him not in the glorious way he conceived of, but in a more drastic and much more revealing way - his glancing into the abyss in the center of paradise makes him recognize all his vanity, makes him grow older - makes him more responsible. In a matter of minutes, he's growing up - doing just what he had been denying for himself for so long.
The story of looking for paradise, of finding it, of discovering its dark secrets, of discovering the costs of it, of discovering its true face, that's something not rarely shown but rarely as great as this. One of the remarkable aspects of this film is how the general atmosphere changes from depicting a tourist-like, happiness-seeking, joyous lifestyle changing to a fight for survival - the most shocking scene perhaps being the blood trail on the sand, which seems to be like the turning point. This really is the first sign of a change - paradise will never be the same after these events, innocence is lost.
February 23rd, 2000
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