In a totalitarian future society, a man, whose daily work is re-writing history, tries to rebel by falling in love.In a totalitarian future society, a man, whose daily work is re-writing history, tries to rebel by falling in love.In a totalitarian future society, a man, whose daily work is re-writing history, tries to rebel by falling in love.
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 6 wins & 3 nominations total
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIn poor health during most of the filming, Richard Burton had great difficulty remembering his lines and sometimes had to film a scene dozens of times before he could get it right. The scene in O'Brien's apartment where he is talking to Winston about Goldstein's book took a record of forty-one takes for Burton to say his speech without fumbling his lines.
- GoofsAfter the rack torture scene, O'Brien removes Winston's front tooth. Later, in the rat mask torture scene, his tooth is back again. (In the book, Winston is given dentures after O'Brien pulled the tooth, but this was not explained in the movie.)
- Quotes
Winston Smith: [reads from Goldstein's book] "In accordance to the principles of Doublethink, it does not matter if the war is not real, or when it is, that victory is not possible. The war is not meant to be won. It is meant to be continuous. The essential act of modern warfare is the destruction of the produce of human labor. A hierarchical society is only possible on the basis of poverty and ignorance. In principle, the war effort is always planned to keep society on the brink of starvation. The war is waged by the ruling group against its own subjects. And its object is not victory over Eurasia or Eastasia, but to keep the very structure of society intact." Julia? Are you awake? There is truth, and there is untruth. To be in a minority of one doesn't make you mad.
- Crazy creditsThe movie begins with the title, "Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past."
- Alternate versionsFrom director of photography Roger Deakins: "Be careful which '1984' you watch as some do not have the 'Bleach Bypass' effect built in. As the effect was done on all the prints, the IP and subsequent INs do not reflect the intended look of the film."
- ConnectionsFeatured in Eurythmics: Sexcrime (Nineteen Eighty-Four) (1984)
- SoundtracksOceania,'Tis For Thee
Music by Dominic Muldowney
Lyrics by Jonathan Gems
Sung by the London Voices, directed by Terry Edwards
Soprano soloist: Sally Mates
Contralto soloist: Linda Hirst
Conducted by Dominic Muldowney
This dystopian scenario has been visited in many excellent science fiction stories as far back as the invention of science fiction. Noteworthy films that hit this subject include the excellent "Brazil" (1985), "Rollerball" (1975), Orson Welles's "The Trial" (1962) or if you prefer your fare on the more satirical, sarcastic side, check out Paul Veerhoven's "Starship Troopers" (1997). This leads me to why "1984" is a breed apart. It's because it's one of the rare dystopian scifi flicks that approaches the subject without any satire, dark comedy, and hardly any fantasy. Aside from its nightmarish, dark visuals, this is a chillingly realistic, chillingly "now" film.
Don't get me wrong, dark humor is a great way to approach the subject, because how else can we stomach something so disturbing? But that's precisely why this film's straightforward approach is worth seeing. Artistically speaking, sarcasm distances us from the subject material. It makes us feel as if we're watching a fantastical tale through a prism of cynical comedy. But that same prism removes us from the impending reality of the story. When the credits roll, we can say to ourselves "Good thing that doesn't describe me!"
But here in "1984" there is no comedy. There is no sarcasm or satire. There is just a straightforward presentation of a future where the government controls society. And, as of the year I'm writing this review (2019), this isn't a joke so maybe we shouldn't treat it as one. With that in mind, this film is the only one of the dystopian classics that presents it in a very believable, cautionary way. As far fetched as it may seem, what we see on the screen is very real whether we're talking about Hitler-era censorship, or present day China, or the future of Western civilization under the autocratic rule of leaders who seek to foister their narratives on the minds of all their subjects. "1984" puts us in the middle of the crisis, without any sarcastic winks or humorous nudges. It is an unsettling, yet oddly empowering, feeling to watch this film and realize that we aren't quite there yet, though rapidly approaching it with every totalitarian leader we empower.
What makes this film rewarding to watch (and not simply depressing) is the fascinating interaction between Mr Smith and the antagonist O'Brien (Richard Burton). This is 100% due to Burton's excellent portrayal of not just a faceless tyrannical enemy but actually a human nemesis. Ultimately he shows us that the human race isn't fighting against some computerized zombie state but rather, we are fighting against human nature itself.
If this review didn't bore you, in other words, if you enjoy being challenged by wordy, heady, philosophical concepts rather than flicks that make you spill your popcorn, then check this movie out asap. It doesn't have a lot of eye catching action & special effects, but the images themselves are deeply poetic, and the performances (especially in the final act) are so powerful they don't need any fluff. They don't make em like this anymore, but I hope the latest crop of young filmmakers are taking notice and learning. This is a story that needs to be told to every generation.
- rooprect
- Dec 23, 2019
Details
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- Also known as
- Neunzehnhundertvierundachtzig
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Box office
- Budget
- £3,000,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $8,430,492
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $29,897
- Dec 16, 1984
- Gross worldwide
- $8,430,492