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Topic: NOTW: "1984" (1956 version) (Read 1239 times) |
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HJ
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NOTW: "1984" (1956 version)
« Thread started on: Jan 6th, 2008, 8:27pm » |
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I read the book back in the late 1950s just before entering my teens, and was really impressed! The one item that has stuck with me throughout the years was "Newspeak," where words were limited, and seemed to be expressed in terms of a positive connotation. Therefore,instead of "terrible," one would say "double plus un-good."
But I must rate the 1956 version of the movie as at least "plus good." Its Noirness is debatable, although the very concept of 1984 as such a tightly-controlled society is quite Noirish.
I'm not going to use a lot of verbiage in explaining the film itself, other than to say that Edmond O'Brien was a very competent Winston Smith and Jan Sterling was convincing as his illicit girlfriend Julia. The obligatory weasel was well-portrayed by Donald Pleasance.
If you're looking for a colorful flick, this ain't it! The drabness of Winston Smith's existence both on and off the job is profound. And his realization that the Ministry of Truth is propounding nothing but a constantly-shifting pack of lies and revisionist history in support of whatever Big Brother's current needs demand is well-handled, IMO.
If I may digress somewhat here, you can find at least SOME elements of 1984 in real life now, depending on your political leanings.
The monitoring of people's lives by the government is somewhat of a fact nowadays, though not in quite such a malevolent way as in the movie.
The revisionist history (which I really despise!) is also a fact of life in our lives today, though employed more in a political propaganda way than a governmental way.
And the drab lives are lived every day in Third World countries by most of their citizens, as drab lives always have been and will probably continue to be for millennia to come......
This is a novel (and movie) that flirts with conventions of Film Noir while not actually being a Noir, IMO. That said, to me it's very well worth a watch!
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| « Last Edit: Jan 6th, 2008, 8:37pm by HJ » |
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Steve-O
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NOTW:
« Reply #1 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 8:27pm » |
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Interesting pick HJ... we did have a thread about this one a while back. Certainly the actors and photography make this one look very noir.
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"I shoulda kicked your teeth in."
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A True Noiraholic
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Re: NOTW: "1984" (1956 version)
« Reply #2 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 8:37pm » |
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Hi! HJ,
I think this is a nice and straight to the point write up by you on one of my favorites book(s) George Orwell's 1984. (and also one of my favorite author(s) along with author Ray Bradbury.)
I have never watched neither (The 1956 version of this film nor the 1984 version of this film) versions of these films before, but after reading your review I may place my "hesitation" to watch these films on the "shelf " and search out both versions of the film 1984. (The "1956" and the "1984" versions ....of these films)
The reason that I hesitated to watch both versions of the film(s) 1984 is because the characters in the book are so imbedded in my mind that I don't think that I want the "illusion" of what I imagine they (Winston Smith, Julia, O'Brien etc....) looks like in my mindseye to make me "disillusion" with the book after I watch the films.
Quotes About Orwell's book 1984 by Erich Fromm and Roger K. Miller :
According to the back cover of a copy of George Orwell's 1984 that I own ....
"1984 has come and gone, but George Orwell's prophetic, nightmarish vision in 1949 of the world we
were becoming is timelier than ever." 1984 is still the great modern classic of "Negative Utopia."....
And in the foreword by Erich Fromm, he stated,....... "Orwell teaches us, the danger with which all men are confronted today, the danger of a society of automations who will lose every trace of individuality, of love, of critical thought, and yet who will not be aware of it because of "doublethink.".....
You know I also read an article by writer Roger K. Miller were he stated, "that author George Orwell is one of only a few authors that added words and phrases to our language and culture such as:
Big Brother, Thought Police, Thought Crime, Double Think, and Double Speak."
and it is "kind of" "scary" how apropos his words are still today.
(Speaking of, Orwell's words I recently purchased 8 buttons from a store on eBay with the words used in George Orwell's book 1984.)
Therefore, I hope to pickup copies of the film(s) 1984 and "know that everything will be all right, and my struggle will be finished. and I win the victory over myself. and learn to love Big Brother" ....(and the 2 films)
Orwell~(1903-1950)
HJ, thanks for the write-up! on George Orwell's 1984.
A True Noiraholic 
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Capt.Walter Anderson~NYC an architectual jungle where fabulous wealth and the deepest squalor live side by side,NYC is the busiest, the loneliest, the kindest, and the cruelest of cities~a murder a day, every day of the year and each murder will wind up on my desk.
Original Moniker~A Truenoirhead
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Steve-O
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NOTW:
« Reply #3 on: Jan 7th, 2008, 9:39pm » |
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Well, the book is always better so yeah you will be let down to a degree. However, this is an under-rated gem on it's own.
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"I shoulda kicked your teeth in."
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A True Noiraholic
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Re: NOTW: "1984" (1956 version)
« Reply #4 on: Jan 8th, 2008, 3:27pm » |
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FYI BAN members....While over on the IMDb website I read that another film version about George Orwell's book 1984 will be release in 2009.
I wonder if this is this true? 
A True Noiraholic
P.S.
2 books about Orwell over there at Amazon.com that Orwell fans maybe interested in and they are:
"What Orwell Didn't Know: Propaganda and the New Face of America" (This book features several authors) and "Why Orwell Matters" by Christopher Hitchen.
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Capt.Walter Anderson~NYC an architectual jungle where fabulous wealth and the deepest squalor live side by side,NYC is the busiest, the loneliest, the kindest, and the cruelest of cities~a murder a day, every day of the year and each murder will wind up on my desk.
Original Moniker~A Truenoirhead
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A True Noiraholic
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Re: NOTW:
« Reply #5 on: Jan 8th, 2008, 4:00pm » |
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on Jan 7th, 2008, 9:39pm, Steve-O wrote:| Well, the book is always better so yeah you will be let down to a degree. However, this is an under-rated gem on it's own. |
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I wonder why? Because I was "racking' my "brain'" trying to think of a book that I read lately that was adapted to the "big" screen successfully. I don't even think that the film The Da Vinci Code was adapted successfully to the screen?
(But I am not sure?)
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Capt.Walter Anderson~NYC an architectual jungle where fabulous wealth and the deepest squalor live side by side,NYC is the busiest, the loneliest, the kindest, and the cruelest of cities~a murder a day, every day of the year and each murder will wind up on my desk.
Original Moniker~A Truenoirhead
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HJ
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Re: NOTW: "1984" (1956 version)
« Reply #6 on: Jan 8th, 2008, 7:08pm » |
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Item #1: Thanks for your enthusiastic responses to my rather drab review, True Noiraholic!
Item #2: Thanks also for the nice clip from the movie, Steve-O! The drabness of the surroundings and the "ambiance" of London under air raid conditions add greatly to the feeling of desperation of the movie.....
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