«1984» by Michael Redford, Great Britain, 1984. John Hurt, Richard Burton, Susanna Hamilton and others.
The novel «1984», released in 1949, was the last work by British writer George Orwell (the real name is Eric Blair) and, in fact, his main book. It is part of the so-called «Quarter of Anti-Utopia» (with the novels «We» of Eugenia Zamtin, «451 degrees Farengeit» of Ray Bradbury and «O Amazing New World» of Aldos Huxley) and is considered to be one of the models of the antitopia genre itself.
The novel, which takes place in the distant future, describes a state with the most totalitarian structure that has changed capitalism. The system categorically denies the freedom of the individual and her separation from the State: in Oceania (the name is England of the future), all power is concentrated in the hands of the ruling party and its leader, the Great Brother; they control all means of communication, as well as the public and private life of citizens; and all acts of autonomy and dissent are severely punished. The party is guided by an ideology that cannot be challenged. In addition to this, there is an enemy somewhere with whom there is an endless presence.
The hero of the «1984» novel, Winston Smith, seems to be the flesh of the regime, but doubts what surrounds it. Forbidden love for Julia’s colleague leads him to the underground Brotherhood, but he ends up in the police’s thoughts. There, being subjected to psychological and physical torture, Smith gradually renounces both his own feelings and the very idea of freedom.
The novel «1984» has been filmed several times, but the most successful of them is Michael Redford’s film, released in the same year that Orwell placed his book in action. It is the most accurate adaptation of the source, and the director has been able to convey very accurately the frustration of the world in which heroes live, the sense of claustrophobia, oppression and the constant surveillance by the State of its citizens. Redford deliberately moved away from trying to bring a dynamic effect into his picture: it is slow, filmed in muffled flowers, and focuses primarily on the personal tragedy of the main hero, which is becoming a metaphor for the tragedy of society as a whole.
The film was created by the Europeans pop duo, who wrote and recorded nine songs for the soundtrack, which were released as a separate album. In 1985, he was ranked 12th in the «Music & Media» edition of the «Music & Media» chart. His song, «Nineteen Eighty-. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The lead role was played by actor John Hurt, whom famous film critic Roger Ebert called «the perfect Winston Smith». The role of the party functionor O’Brien, Smith’s main torturer, was played very accurately and vividly by the great actor Richard Burton, who was the last in his grand career. The film was dedicated to Burton’s memory.
«1984» was awarded several prizes at the International Film Festivals in Valladolid, Porto and Istanbul; John Hurt was recognized as the best actor of the year as part of the influential film award of Evening Standard.
