Review of 1984

Introduction

This version of 1984 was filmed in the year it was set in on dates that coincided with the dates and time frame of the George Orwell novel. T was written in 1948 and he simply reversed the dates to create a particular nasty and depressing future of a future world
It is perhaps no coincidence that this film was made in a period of a Conservative Government busy stamping down workers rights. 1984 was the year of the last major miners strike before the pits were mostly privatised and shut down, the gloom of the film seemed entirely appropriate.

How does this fit now into our brave new world? Now Big Brother has become synonymous with a curiouse game show that pays people to be on camera 24 hours a day-what would Winston Smith think of that?

Smith lives in a drab world with no family no hope and worst of all no decent razor blades. He bucks the system by keeping a daily diary away from the prying eye of the `big brother` screen in his house. His enclosed world where he has learned to exist since he lost his family is disturbed when he meets Julia. She covertly hands him a note that says `I love you` and his whole world expands as he enjoys an affair with her in a proletarian flat that has no big brother watching. Their happiness is short-lived and the system in the form of O`Brien arrests them both and breaks them in brutal interrogations. They must learn to love Big Brother and accept whatever they are told as the truth. They must learn `doublethink` where no matter how many fingers there are in front of you must only see what Big Brother wants you to see.

This version of 1984 has John Hurt as Winston Smith and Richard Burton in his last film role as O`Brien who is the State personified. Suzanna Hamilton is Julia. Gregor Fisher appears in a supporting role and even Roger Lloyd Pack pops up briefly as a waiter in the infamous Chestnut Tree Restaurant where all traitors wait to die.

Video

A chilling vision of a despairing future is marked by the drabness of the world in which Winston lives. It really does look very grim and I`m sure they`ve built on all those locations since then especially Bankside Power station that is now the Tate Modern-my, how things have changed.

Funnily enough the film looks like every other vision of crushed workers from Metropolis onwards. There isn`t a big enough cast to really get a full sense of the Nazi-like briefings of the book.

Best visual-John Hurt where he goes to in his fantasies-looks a little like Tellytubby land.

Second best visual-the lovely shot of the scarey Hitler youth children wwatching people being hung.

Audio

Hmm something strange going on here I was expecting the Eurythmics soundtrack and it`s not there and after some research opened a can of worms about why it was taken off after the cinematic release apparently due to artistic differences.

Still no matter what that particular soundtrack would have tied the film to a specific point in time and the silences and lack of music other than that accompanying the war reports suits it better.
The best words are Orwells. I can`t tell how much has been added or taken away.

Favourite scene-a lecture on how getting rid of the orgasm will eventually destroy family life, cheerful stuff.

Really favourite scene-Room 101 of course.

Features

Just pay and play which is quite surprising given that this is a 20-years-on disc.

Conclusion

The book is brilliant in places with very long dull patches and has become most quotable. This is never brilliant but is quite absorbing in a cold and detached way. John Hurt and Richard Burton are well matched in their acting and voice talents and are always watchable-they could both read the ingredients off a cereal packet and have me hooked. The film itself does not add anything new to the 1984 experience for me. I`m afraid I still hold a possibly inaccurate remembrance of an amazing version by the BBC that had Peter Cushing as Smith-this version has better visuals but you can`t beat black and white for atmosphere.

Probably most likely to be watched by students who are studying the text. I recommend rental only but look out for the BBC version soon.