1984 (1984) ****
I only saw this (the second) film adaptation of George Orwell's classic dystopian novel 1984 (1949) for the first time two years ago. It's been since high school that I read the book so it's hard for me to vouch for exactly how faithful the film 1984 (1984) is, but it's my understanding that it hews very closely.
The themes and ideas from Orwell's novel are so indelible and ingrained in our society as to have inspired an adjective, "Orwellian," in much the same way that Franz Kafka's (whose novel The Trial (1925) bears similarities to 1984) writing lead to the term "Kafkaesque." Orwell's most well-known work has been adapted, homaged, referenced and has served as inspiration in so many forms of art (film, television, music, artwork, etc.) that its imagery and terminology is impossible to forget or to escape. And in some ways Orwell did accurately predict how the world would be in the future (and currently) when it comes to surveillance, manipulation of history, overlooking of facts, the erosion of the individual and the threat of authoritarianism.
John Hurt, an actor of true caliber, perfectly embodies the pathetic and helpless nature of the protagonist Winston Smith. Equally impressive is Richard Burton in a chilling performance (his last in film before his death) as the "villain" O'Brien. Allan Cameron's production design successfully encapsulates the prevalent propaganda that persists at every turn in the superstate of Oceania, where the story is set. In one of his earlier credits as cinematographer for a narrative film, Roger Deakins masterfully portrays the oppressive environment via a bleach bypass process to give the film its distinctive washed-out look.
For this viewing I decided to watch the film with the Eurythmics score, which caused director Michael Radford some distress (more on that here). While I think I prefer the orchestral score by Dominic Muldowney, some of his cues are still retained in the version with the Eurythmics score and I found that their somber synth stylings actually fit the film just fine.
1984 is a truly harrowing experience—an excellent film but an incredibly bleak one. A fitting summary of the emotion that the audience is left with is a quote from O'Brien: "If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever." Human beings should always fight for love, individual thought and expression, as well as freedom, and always be suspicious of government and its control over us.
The themes and ideas from Orwell's novel are so indelible and ingrained in our society as to have inspired an adjective, "Orwellian," in much the same way that Franz Kafka's (whose novel The Trial (1925) bears similarities to 1984) writing lead to the term "Kafkaesque." Orwell's most well-known work has been adapted, homaged, referenced and has served as inspiration in so many forms of art (film, television, music, artwork, etc.) that its imagery and terminology is impossible to forget or to escape. And in some ways Orwell did accurately predict how the world would be in the future (and currently) when it comes to surveillance, manipulation of history, overlooking of facts, the erosion of the individual and the threat of authoritarianism.
John Hurt, an actor of true caliber, perfectly embodies the pathetic and helpless nature of the protagonist Winston Smith. Equally impressive is Richard Burton in a chilling performance (his last in film before his death) as the "villain" O'Brien. Allan Cameron's production design successfully encapsulates the prevalent propaganda that persists at every turn in the superstate of Oceania, where the story is set. In one of his earlier credits as cinematographer for a narrative film, Roger Deakins masterfully portrays the oppressive environment via a bleach bypass process to give the film its distinctive washed-out look.
For this viewing I decided to watch the film with the Eurythmics score, which caused director Michael Radford some distress (more on that here). While I think I prefer the orchestral score by Dominic Muldowney, some of his cues are still retained in the version with the Eurythmics score and I found that their somber synth stylings actually fit the film just fine.
1984 is a truly harrowing experience—an excellent film but an incredibly bleak one. A fitting summary of the emotion that the audience is left with is a quote from O'Brien: "If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face—forever." Human beings should always fight for love, individual thought and expression, as well as freedom, and always be suspicious of government and its control over us.
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