Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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64 of 65 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If there is hope, it lies with the Proles..., 4 Jun 2006
George Orwell wrote the prophetic words "Freedom is the right to say two plus two equals four" in his novel 1984, a right denied to the people by the fictional government of his book. Many readers drew parallels between the Ingsoc dominated Oceania to Soviet Russia, an analog that remained true until the collapse of the Eastern Bloc. Today, however, the right to state a simple truth is also threatened and a number of precepts from 1984 appear to apply. Consider "Who controls the past controls the future", the function of the Ministry of Truth where the main protagonist Winston Smith works editing the documented past to support the will of the government in the name of democracy and freedom. Ring any bells?
This movie version (and there've been a few) is in my opinion the most complete version painting an horrific picture of an oppressed distrusted people dominated by a brutal self-serving government. Richard Burton in his last role portrays an Ingsoc inner-party member, the inside man to John Hurt's "Winston Smith". Both excel in their roles, they're believable, real, and in Burton's case truly terrifying. Suzanna Hamilton plays the part of Julia, Winston's lover and ultimately the tool of his demise. There are some specifically disturbing scenes in this portrayal, notably the torture of Winston Smith - if ever John Hurt deserved an Oscar, it should have been for 1984.
The movie is one of those pictures that you just can't stop, but are unsure that you can bear to see what happens next. The performances were stunning, the production dark and consistent, the movie a dreadful vision of what could have been, and as every right we enjoy is eroded, could still be.
1984 still stands as important literature for the 21st century and this movie version stands as the definitive version, standing as both an education and a warning.
And remember, if there is hope, it lies with the proles, the real people.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Acting, Masterly Direction & an Accurate Storyline, 15 Sep 2007
The casting for this film is absolutely spot on and refreshingly, the story as depicted on the screen is pretty much faithfull to Orwell's book.
I thoroughly recommend the film to anyone who has an interest in social history and/or social psychology.
Although Orwell set his book in an authoritarian world of people-directed government (no doubt because of his experiences immediately before, during and after the WW2 period) much of what he wrote and which is depicted in the film for citizens of the 20th Century holds good for many employees the 21st Century (Mission Statements, Corporate Culture, Buzz Words, Management-Speak, etc). Merely substitute 'Big Brother' government for 'Big Brother' corporations - and then watch the film.
Scarey stuff...
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Vision of an upcoming future ?, 7 Nov 2007
V for Vendetta had strongly moved me, and the end is ecstatic and full of hope, but 1984 horrified and traumatized me. 1984 is the anti-V for Vendetta, the V which ends badly, where people don't wake up, where humanity is forever crushed, where History is denied. This movie was a shock for me (I haven't read the novel yet). I strongly recommand it. It's unforgettable, terrifiying and very efficient. I must add that the actors are fantastic. Richard Burton is excellent as an essential psychopath, a true monster who has nothing human whatsoever. 1984 touches the darkest abyss, and maybe that's whyt it's stronger than V for Vendetta, coz it really shows the horror of an existence in a 100% fascist regime where the most basic rights are denied. IMO, everybody should see it NOW (along with V for Vendetta, to keep some kind of balance and hope).
Here are a few slogans from the book/movie, which might remind you of the present neo-con propaganda :
War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
... and perhaps the most distressing prophecy of the entire novel:
"If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face--for ever."
Terrible... and terribly prophetic (??)
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