From /home/matoh/tmp/sf-rev Fri Aug 22 16:15:34 1997 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Tue Jul 15 23:06:40 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!liuida!newsfeed.sunet.se!news99.sunet.se!news00.sunet.se!sunic!mn6.swip.net!nntp.uio.no!ifi.uio.no!hunter.premier.net!tnt.premier.net!news.algonet.se!news-feed.inet.tele.dk!europa.clark.net!ais.net!vixen.cso.uiuc.edu!uchinews!cbgw2.lucent.com!nntphub.cb.lucent.com!not-for-mail From: chandlerb@geocities.com (Ted Prigge) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: RETROSPECTIVE: 1984 (1984) Followup-To: rec.arts.movies.past-films,rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 30 Jun 1997 23:52:57 GMT Organization: - Lines: 64 Sender: evelynleeper@geocities.com (Evelyn C. Leeper) Approved: evelynleeper@geocities.com Message-ID: <5p9gsp$2mg@nntpb.cb.lucent.com> ~Reply-To: chandlerb@geocities.com (Ted Prigge) NNTP-Posting-Host: mtvoyager.mt.lucent.com Summary: r.a.m.r. #08035 Keywords: author=Prigge Originator: ecl@mtvoyager Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:7465 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1400 1984 A film review by Ted Prigge Copyright 1997 Ted Prigge Director: Michael Radford Writer: Michael Radford (Based on the novel by George Orwell) Starring: John Hurt, Suzanna Hamilton, Richard Burton, Cyril Cusack George Orwell is probably one of the greatest writers of all time. And his "1984" is probably his best (although I might argue it could be "Animal Farm"). The novel, written around 1948, I think, is a bleak story of a future where there is peace but the expense is a totalitarian state where everyone is miserable and afraid because there are TVs everywhere where "Big Brother" watches so you don't do anything treasonous. It's a frightening idea and pretty much illustrates that "Give Peace a Chance" might be a bad idea. Michael Radford (director of "Il Postino") directed this film, ironically made in 1984 within the dates the book took place. He paints a futuristic world which doesn't resemble anything else before. There are no flying cars, monorails, or anything. The world is just a ruin with run-down buildings and plain old buses and what-not. In every room, there is a big television where Big Brother, the symbol of the state, is watching and the Thought Police are always the threat of even thinking of a treasonous act. Our protagonist is Winston Smith (John Hurt), who really looks like he has been beaten down by the state in all senses of the word. He is a state worker who rewrites history the way the government wants it and in his spare time, writes in a journal about his dreams of having rampant sex, which is prohibited. One of his co-workers, Parsons (Gregor Fisher), is the symbol of the ultimate defeat of the state, since he is constantly telling of his love for everything that embodies Big Brother. In one darkly humorous scene, he talks about the processed meat and how it isn't even meat and that's why it's good. Winston runs into (literally) a woman named Julia (Suzanna Hamilton) who's also a government worker and who passes him a note (Hello? Junior High?) saying she loves him and wants to meet him. They carefully plan their meetings and end up having intense sex in a far off place where no one, not even Big Brother is watching. Their sex is not actually about love, but as a form of rebellion and expression of their way to anti-supress themselves. They try to join the rebellion, headed by an O'Brien (Richard Burton, in his final performance), but that turns out to wind them up in prison and a torture sequence on Winston where he is beaten into admitting that 2 + 2 doesn't equal 4 and stuff like that. It's a horrific scene in all senses of the word. "1984" the film works because it wonderfully embodies the bleakness that was the book. All of the scenes are drearily set and the film is as depressing and thought-provoking as the book...well, maybe not as thought-provoking. And John Hurt and Richard Burton are fabulous in their respective parts. I highly reccomend this film for anyone who loved the book, but for anyone else, it's not going to be fun. It's a highly depressing film that is so dark that you might have to watch it in two sittings. But the message is still there and that's what counts. If you want a livelier film (and a better one, in my opinion), try Terry Gilliam's "Brazil." But this one will do if you're looking for a good intellectual film. MY RATING (out of 5): ****1/2 From /home/matoh/tmp/sf-rev Fri Aug 22 16:15:38 1997 From rec.arts.sf.reviews Tue Jul 15 23:06:41 1997 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.lth.se!eru.mt.luth.se!news.algonet.se!news-feed.inet.tele.dk!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!news-peer.sprintlink.net!news.sprintlink.net!Sprint!uunet!in1.uu.net!140.142.64.3!news.u.washington.edu!grahams From: ChadPolenz@aol.com (Chad Polenz) Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews,rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Retrospective: 1984 (1984) Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.movies Date: 7 Jul 1997 04:33:02 GMT Organization: None Lines: 72 Approved: graham@ee.washington.edu Message-ID: <5pprhu$8q4@nntp5.u.washington.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: homer38.u.washington.edu Content-Type: text NNTP-Posting-User: grahams Summary: r.a.m.r. #08133 Keywords: author=polenz X-Questions-to: movie-rev-mod@www.ee.washington.edu X-Submissions-to: movie-reviews@www.ee.washington.edu Originator: grahams@homer38.u.washington.edu Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.movies.reviews:7535 rec.arts.sf.reviews:1405 1984 Chad'z rating: **1/2 (out of 4 = OK) 1984, R, 115 minutes [1 hour, 55 minutes] [science fiction/drama] starring: John Hurt (Winston Smith), Suzanna Hamilton (Julia), Richard Burton (O'Brien), produced by Simon Perry, written by Michael Radford, Jonathon Gems, directed by Michael Radford, based on the novel by George Orwell. When a film is based on a famous novel the filmmakers often make the mistake of assuming the viewer is familiar with the material and thus don't provide necessary details... "1984" is a perfect example of this. The film has what could and should be very intelligent themes and allegories, but it seems more interested in its Gothic atmosphere than telling a story. The film is based on George Orwell's novel and it does an excellent job of capturing the dark mood of the oppressive, fascist government where everyone must work "for the common good" and free will and free thinking are not allowed. John Hurt stars as Winston Smith, a man who looks like he has been worked to death his entire life. At first him seems like another drone, but we realize he has a silent hatred for "Big Brother" - the supposedly great leader he has never actually seen. The only thing Winston can do to fight back is to keep a journal of his thoughts and a constant belief in hope. The first act is a surrealistic experience, we often go inside Winston's mind and see encounters so bizarre it's often difficult to discriminate the dream sequences from reality. There isn't much dialogue, so we learn about the setting through his thoughts, which are often so vague and so over-written they don't make sense. Winston is a government bookkeeper, he "erases" certain people from existence and rewrites history according to the government's demands. There is also a woman (Hamilton) who seems to take an interest in him, and the two must use secretive measures to communicate with each other. Eventually he learns her name is Julia and they immediately indulge in a secret, but passionate affair. But it's only implied the two love each other. I didn't buy it because they have no chemistry and they never get to know each other. There are two-way television monitors just about everywhere, so to escape the eye of Big Brother (who has the voice of a woman!) they rent a room in the ghettos of the "Proletarians." The Proletarians are poor people who seem to live in the same place as the masses, yet are not oppressed and no reason for this is given, not even in passing. As easy as it is to understand how oppressive this government is, the film doesn't take the time to establish the necessary details which would explain why Winston and Julia must be so secretive, or how this government ever came to be. The final act aims to be the brilliant political allegory that is the basis of the entire story, but it only scratches the surface. Winston is befriended by a government official, O'Brien (Burton), who he believes is actually the leader of an underground revolution. But everything falls apart when he and Julia are caught, tortured, and brain-washed. Burton gives a cold, powerful performance as O'Brien when he speaks of the establishment in ways that should be thought-provoking and frightening, but seem just like sci-fi moviespeak. "1984" seems more like a collection of images rather than a straight story. Radford is obviously trying to set up plot and theme through the surrealistic mood, and as interesting as it can be at times, it doesn't work because important details are missing. (4/19/97) (4/23/97) (6/21/97) (7/6/97) Please visit Chad'z Movie Page @ http://members.aol.com/ChadPolenz E-mail: ChadPolenz@aol.com (C)1997 ChadPolenz