1984
1984 (NINETEEN EIGHTY FOUR) (15)
D: Michael Radford
Virgin/Umbrella/Rosenblum (Simon Perry)
UK 1984
110 mins
Science Fiction
W: Michael Radford [based on the novel by George
Orwell]
DP: Roger Deakins
Ed: Tom Priestley
Mus: Dominic Muldowney
PD: Allan Cameron
John Hurt (Winston Smith), Richard
Burton (O'Brien), Suzanna Hamilton (Julia), Cyril Cusack (Mr. Charrington), Gregor Fisher (Parsons), James Walker (Syme)
It's about as good a cinematic dramatisation you could
get from George Orwell's classic novel. Many people consider the work dated or this filmed version pointless, purely because the year of its prophecy had been and gone, but Orwell's
prose is still an important piece of 20th century literature.
John Hurt is brilliant as Winston Smith and Richard
Burton also gives a creepy, insidious performance.
A lot is missing from the novel, but it does include
the majority of the important things and the dystopian future is very well realised by director Mike Radford.
Recommended to fans of the book and general science
fiction, it's just a shame that it dated itself immediately upon the year of its release.
7/10
