WomanontheBeachisacontroversialfilmnoir,anintensepsychologicaldramaabouttheworld�sleadingartist,recentlyblinded,whoisobsessedwithhisconditionandtakesouthisfrustrationsonhisbeautifulwife.ACoastGuardofficer,recuperatingfrominjuriessufferedduringthewar,isdrawnintotheirquietconflict,andtheybecomelockedinanoddsymbioticrelationship.ThiswasthelastAmericanfilmbytheFrenchscreenlegendJeanRenoir.Criticallypannedwhenfirstreleased,thefilmlaterdevelopedacultfollowingbymanywhoconsideritanexistentialmasterpiece.AWWIICoastGuardveteran,Lt.ScottBurnett(RobertRyan),isplaguedbynightmaresofhiscombatdays.Oneday,hemeetsawoman,PeggyButler(JoanBennett),walkingonabeach,pickinguppiecesofwood.Butlerismarriedtoagrumpy,blindpainter,TedButler(CharlesBickford).Despitehisaffectionsforhisfianc�eEve(NanLeslie),whosefatherisaboatbuilder,ScottfallsinlovewithPeggyandsoonbreaksofftheengagement.Peggyrevealsthatsheblindedherhusbandyearsearlierbythrowingaglassathimduringanuglyspat,ruininghiscareerandherownambitionstobeanupper-classsocialite.ScottfearsthatTedissuspiciousthatheishavinganaffairwithPeggyandbecomessoparanoidthathebeginstobelievethatTedisfakinghisblindness—andsetsouttoproveit.ThiswasthefifthandfinalAmericanfilmbythegreatFrenchwriter-directorJeanRenoir.