"1984 is the ultimate story of a repressive society. The book is phenomenal in describing the dangers of a totalitarian society. There is something lacking in the movie. I think there are too many scenes from the book cut from the movie. Despite some problens with the translation to the silver screen, it's an incredibly depressing and terrifying movie. The movie does stay true to the original gist of the book."
trotsky, Resident Scholar
"Winston Smith works at rewriting news and history in London, the capital of Oceania, which is perpetually at war with Eastasia or some other power bloc. He catches sight of a young woman named Julia and eventually begins meeting her secretly for sex and love -- strictly forbidden in this sort of alternate universe story of how the world might have been in 1984 if it had progressed beyond World War II in a drab and dark state of continual war and privation. Eventually he runs afoul of top administrator O'Brien (Burton) and the dreaded Room 101. Co-scenarist and director Michael Radford and cinematographer Roger Deakins brought Orwell's famous novel to the screen with grainy, washed-out greys and browns. The sets resemble Gothic-Victorian facades in a Soviet city after the Luftwaffe have pulverized it for many years. Hurt is magnificently bleak in the lead role, Hamilton a bittersweet delight, and Burton coolly yet ominously magisterial in his final role (the film was shot during the exact same spring months of 1984 in which Orwell set his novel, and Burton died that August). Grim and well cast, but the unremitting gloominess of the last half can get to be a little much."
David Loftus, Resident Scholar
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Overall Review
Our unique search engine breaks down books and movies into
dozens of literary elements, all of which are searchable.
Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot
Composition of Movie Actual chase scenes or violence - 20% Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzle - 10% Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 70%
**Fantasy or Science Fiction?**
- science fiction story
Romance
Yes
Romance Plotlets:
- two lovers separated by conflict/reuniting
Repressive Society
Yes
Repression:
- locks you away
- controls your mind
- controls your sex
Main Character
Identity:
- Male
Profession/status:
- govt employee
Age:
- 20's-30's
- 40's-50's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events?
Yes
Hair color?
- brunette (Brown)
Hair type
- (man) short/medium straight
Body type
- very skinny (man)
Unclothed?
- Chest and Buttocks
Events of movie makes character more...
- sad
Ethnicity/Nationality
- English/British
How sensitive is this character?
- sensitive to others' feelings
Sense of humor?
- Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence
- Average intelligence
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physique
- average physique
- physically sick
Secondary Main Character
Identity:
- Female
Hair color
- brunette (Brown)
Hair style
- (woman) short/butch/lez
Body type
- very skinny (female)
- ample chest & buttocks (female)
Unclothed?
- full frontal
How much in movie?
- 40%
- 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality
- British
Main Adversary
Identity:
- Male
Age:
- 40's-50's
Profession/status:
- mastermind
- govt employee
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in:
- 20%
- 40%
Ethnicity
- Irish/McCourt
- British
Sense of humor?
- Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence
- Smarter than most other characters
- Very much smarter than other characters
Physical condition
- average physique
How sensitive is this character?
- mean, arrogant
Setting
Earth setting:
- 20th century (1970's to Present)
- Polluted
- Over controlled society
- Post-disaster
Takes place on Earth?
Yes
Big cities?
Yes
Misc settings
- prison
- mental hospital
Kind of city
- Dirty, crime-ridden (like NY)
Style
Accounts of torture and death?
- generic/vague references to death/punishment
- very explicit references to deaths and torture
Tone of movie
- depressed/sad
Sex/nudity in movie?
Yes
What kind of sex:
- kissing
- actual description of sex
- seeing breasts
- seeing nude female butt
- seeing nude male butt
- seeing full frontal--women
- society controls main character's sexuality
Non-American film?
Yes
What language?
- English
Subtitles?
- No
Any profanity?
- None
Kinds of F/X
- exploding vehicles
- exploding bombs
Is this movie based on a
- book
