SusannahNineteen Eighty-Four (1984)
April 22nd 2007 09:09
NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR (1984)
Starring: John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton
Written By: Michael Radford
Director: Michael Radford
This adaptation, released the same year it was filmed, is based on, in my opinion, one of the greatest novels ever written, George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.
As the adapter and director, Michael Radford has sought to fully realise Orwell’s vision as depicted in the book. The film opens with an audience in a cinema, watching images of propaganda. This turns out to be the Two Minute Hate, where the citizens of the party, INGSOC, get to vent their rage at whichever country they are told they are at war with at the time, when it is really a release for all the unconscious rage they feel against their own society.
Winston Smith, as played by John Hurt, knows something is wrong. His job is to modify past editions of the newspapers so that their content fits with what the Inner Party says is the truth in the present, for example, whether they are at war with Eurasia or East-Asia: if they are at war with Eurasia, then they have always been at war with Eurasia, and all previous mention of East-Asia must be erased, and vice-versa.
Winston goes through the motions of believing what his society tells him, but he cannot truly commit to believing in the lies. He commits Thought-crime by keeping a journal, writing his thoughts down, just out of sight of the two-way view screen that bears Big Brother’s image. Hope comes to Winston in Julia, someone who feels the same way as him about their totalitarian society. They fall in love, the very act of which is a crime against the state.
Shot at the same time of year as the book is set, in the same year, and in the same setting of London, or as it is known in the novel, Airstrip One, Michael Radford has tried to be as faithful to Orwell’s vision as possible. London certainly looks like a dystopic hell; everything is as run-down and awful looking as possible. The actors are well cast too, with John Hurt’s careworn face perfect for someone who feels the oppression of a society that would punish him for even thinking his society might be wrong. Suzanna Hamilton is engaging as Julia, and Richard Burton makes a terrifying inquisitor in what was his last film role.
I really enjoyed this film because I love the book, however, I do think it helps to have read the book before seeing the film as there are some things that are unexplained. Despite that, this is still a very literal adaptation, perhaps too much. It dots all the “I’s” and crosses all the “T’s”, yet it does not seem cinematic enough precisely because Radford was trying to be too faithful to the book. Nothing however, can lesson the impact of the final interrogation scenes, with the climax of the story always leaving you absolutely shattered.
This DVD edition comes with a Bonus Trailer only. The trailer is fairly standard, but I had to mention it because of the absolutely hilarious bit where a group of Hitler Youth looking boys mouth “Sex-Crime” at the camera, because that is the song they are playing over the trailer to promote the movie. Yes, “sex-crime” is a crime in the film, like “thought-crime” and the Eurythmics have done the movie soundtrack, but still, it really jars with the type of film it is to play the synth heavy early techno Eurythmics track Sex Crime (1984) in the trailer. Mercifully, the track does not appear anywhere in the film.
A new version of Nineteen Eighty-Four is also due for release in 2009.
Starring: John Hurt, Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton
Written By: Michael Radford
Director: Michael Radford
This adaptation, released the same year it was filmed, is based on, in my opinion, one of the greatest novels ever written, George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.
As the adapter and director, Michael Radford has sought to fully realise Orwell’s vision as depicted in the book. The film opens with an audience in a cinema, watching images of propaganda. This turns out to be the Two Minute Hate, where the citizens of the party, INGSOC, get to vent their rage at whichever country they are told they are at war with at the time, when it is really a release for all the unconscious rage they feel against their own society.
Winston Smith, as played by John Hurt, knows something is wrong. His job is to modify past editions of the newspapers so that their content fits with what the Inner Party says is the truth in the present, for example, whether they are at war with Eurasia or East-Asia: if they are at war with Eurasia, then they have always been at war with Eurasia, and all previous mention of East-Asia must be erased, and vice-versa.
Winston goes through the motions of believing what his society tells him, but he cannot truly commit to believing in the lies. He commits Thought-crime by keeping a journal, writing his thoughts down, just out of sight of the two-way view screen that bears Big Brother’s image. Hope comes to Winston in Julia, someone who feels the same way as him about their totalitarian society. They fall in love, the very act of which is a crime against the state.
Shot at the same time of year as the book is set, in the same year, and in the same setting of London, or as it is known in the novel, Airstrip One, Michael Radford has tried to be as faithful to Orwell’s vision as possible. London certainly looks like a dystopic hell; everything is as run-down and awful looking as possible. The actors are well cast too, with John Hurt’s careworn face perfect for someone who feels the oppression of a society that would punish him for even thinking his society might be wrong. Suzanna Hamilton is engaging as Julia, and Richard Burton makes a terrifying inquisitor in what was his last film role.
I really enjoyed this film because I love the book, however, I do think it helps to have read the book before seeing the film as there are some things that are unexplained. Despite that, this is still a very literal adaptation, perhaps too much. It dots all the “I’s” and crosses all the “T’s”, yet it does not seem cinematic enough precisely because Radford was trying to be too faithful to the book. Nothing however, can lesson the impact of the final interrogation scenes, with the climax of the story always leaving you absolutely shattered.
This DVD edition comes with a Bonus Trailer only. The trailer is fairly standard, but I had to mention it because of the absolutely hilarious bit where a group of Hitler Youth looking boys mouth “Sex-Crime” at the camera, because that is the song they are playing over the trailer to promote the movie. Yes, “sex-crime” is a crime in the film, like “thought-crime” and the Eurythmics have done the movie soundtrack, but still, it really jars with the type of film it is to play the synth heavy early techno Eurythmics track Sex Crime (1984) in the trailer. Mercifully, the track does not appear anywhere in the film.
A new version of Nineteen Eighty-Four is also due for release in 2009.
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Comment by David
Loved the book ...
Loved the film ...
Loved your review ...
David ...
Comment by katyzzz
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In a rare moment of insight, David has pre-empted my view, saving my Orble cents to see the new one in 2009.
katyzzz
Comment by Damo
Comment by Nickoftime's Sanity Corner
this is one film I truly want to spend good money to go see and not wait for the cable premiere! The trailers for it are fantastic...
I loved the review btw, well done!
Take care,
Nick
Comment by LukeS
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