1984 (1984)

In these polarized days especially, I've heard many references to the George Orwell book. I came to realize that I shouldn't just rely on what people say about its content. At the same time, I doubted that I would enjoy reading the whole thing. After all, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World succeeded at shocking me, but I gave up when it took too long to show any signs of plot progression. So I chose what appears to be the most popular screen adaptation. Subsequent perusal confirms that it does not deviate far from the source material; there are just a few shifts in Newspeak labels for some reason.

In what had been the future at the time of writing, there are three world superpowers, and the one awkwardly called Oceania extends as far as England. Winston Smith (John Hurt) serves in London's Ministry of Truth but seems less satisfied than the average totalitarian party member. He meets Julia (Suzanna Hamilton), who outwardly presents as an ardent member of the Junior Anti-Sex League but swiftly seduces him into a forbidden relationship. Of course, it's no secret that "Big Brother" (Bob Flag) has eyes everywhere, and Winston is not prepared to pay the price....

Yes, there are torture scenes. Oddly enough, I was less disturbed by the torture itself than by the object thereof. The overseer makes clear how insanely dehumanizing it will be. And despite what that famous Apple ad suggests, there will be no happy ending.

Aesthetically, the most distinctive thing about the movie is the limited color palette. When the filmmakers didn't get the go-ahead for pure black and white, they still used a lot of actual black and white, with dark blue uniforms and a dash of red in party motifs. I also notice a complete lack of racial diversity apart from footage of Eurasian and Eastasian soldiers, which may have been intended to convey racism or mere sameness (can't suggest that something good came of totalitarianism), unless the studio simply didn't think about it.

Also notable is the scoring. The version I watched uses the haunting orchestral compositions of Dominic Muldowney, including a Soviet-style anthem, but the disc also offers a version with the Eurhythmics. Director Michael Radford didn't welcome their pop contribution, on which the short-lived Virgin Films insisted. I don't mind the Eurhythmics in their own right, but it's hard to improve on Muldowney.

Be prepared for a lot of nudity, including female full frontals, not just of Julia. As relieving as it is to see Winston and Julia enjoying each other's company in a miserable realm, I can't call it romantic. They hardly know a thing about each other when they declare mutual "love." They seem motivated mainly by an urge to rebel. And, y'know, get their rocks off.

I won't go into thematic applicability to modern RL, because this isn't that kind of blog. Suffice it to say that one can easily see parallels in many settings, and no major party is free of them all. That said, it's hard to picture the events of 1984 becoming completely true, even ignoring the year and dated technology. Forbidding and watching for all non-procreative sex is no way to win loyalty. Neither is gaslighting at this blatant a level.

For all the fidelity, I think key aspects of the novel got cut or barely mentioned. I often wondered about the points of many party policies. Nobody seems to be prospering, so why does anyone think they're doing the right thing? The people in charge might simply be on a power trip, but even they never smile.

Then again, maybe that's part of the point. Villainy at its most powerful doesn't need any self-justification, to anyone, including the perpetrators. And the worst kind of tyranny is neither reasonable nor predictable, so you'd never be sure you wouldn't get on its bad (well, worse) side. At any rate, this wouldn't be the first story to show someone committing evils for no other reason than to prove they could: The Dr. Mabuse series predates the novel.

I think I made the right choice in watching. Oceania is not a nice place to visit, and I'd rather spend a mere 113 minutes than however long the book would take me. At its best, the result is thought-provoking as well as moving.