1984

MGM | minutes | | | Standard DVD reviewed by: Fusion3600

After an atomic war, the world is divided into three states, one which is Oceania and London is its capital. This is where Winston Smith (John Hurt) resides, but in this world, he doesn't have much in terms of freedoms or even rights. Instead, he works as a bureaucrat and his tasks involve editing the news before it reaches the masses. In other words, the masses don't learn about what is happening around them, only what the party of Oceania wants them to be aware of. This way, the party can control their thoughts and direct their actions in whatever fashion they please. The party has also installed a myriad of rules, which limit free speech, sex & love, and even independent though, all of which are banned in Oceania. And with countless cameras, listening devices, and loyalists surrounding the citizens, it is almost impossible to find some privacy, let alone enough to break some of the rules. Winston adheres to these rules as best he can, but when he meets Julia (Suzanna Hamilton), his world is turned upside down. She is a rebel and thinks whatever she pleases, but Winston is attracted to her nonetheless. Even with immense passion and true love however, they will be hard pressed to avoid Big Brother's watch. Can love exist even in this desolate, confined realm, or will the party ensure it is crushed?

As this was based on George Orwell's landmark novel, you can imagine the pressure involved to deliver an excellent picture. Michael Radford (Il Postino, B. Monkey) provides creative direction here, even shooting the scenes in real time as dictated in Orwell's book, so if an event happened on April 4, 1984, that is when it was shot for this production. In other words, Radford wanted to make a great movie about a classic novel, so his vision remains as dark and bleak as Orwell's in the novel, which is crucial in this case. So if you're looking for a fun sci/fi movie, 1984 is not the one to throw on the rental shelf, not even close. Just like its source novel, this picture is depressing, dank, and deadening, with a complete sense of enclosure, as if any kind of escape is impossible. And since we don't see faithful book adaptations too much, I am very pleased that Radford stayed true to Orwell's vision with this movie. The visuals are superb and really capture Orwell's texture, creating this dark and very burdensome atmosphere. This ensures the tension and pressure stay constant, though we do get one small break from the darkness. The cast is superb here also, John Hurt and Suzanna Hamilton, as well as Richard Burton in his final performance. Even in this barebones disc, 1984 is simply too good not to own.

The more I watch this movie and read Orwell's book, the more I think that John Hurt was the perfect choice for Winston. This role couldn't have been an easy one, but Hurt is excellent and never stumbles even for a second. He has to be controlled in almost every scene, not to show too much emotion, but not to draw a total blank. So he brings countless subtle touches to the role, just little things that add humanity to the character, but he remains grounded in Orwell's vision of the character, without question. The introspective texture of the part is simply amazing at times, kind of like when a book gives us the character's inner thoughts, which isn't a simple task to achieve on screen without a voice-over. Even when he is put through the wringer toward the film's close, Hurt is in fine form and never lets up, even for a moment. Other films with Hurt include The Elephant Man, Scandal, Heaven's Gate, Midnight Express, Love and Death on Long Island, Dead Man, Alien, and Lost Souls. The cast also includes Richard Burton (Cleopatra, The Robe), Suzanna Hamilton (Out of Africa), and Gregor Fisher (Gormenghast).

1984 is presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is a good overall effort, but keep in mind, the film's visuals are bleak and muted. That means colors and contrast are limited, so don't expect pristine black levels or vivid colors. But when compared to the laserdisc, the elements are much more refined, even within this dreary visual landscape. So colors have a little more life and contrast is much sharper, so detail is opened up a shade. The image still retains the grim texture as intended, but we have a cleaner and sharper presentation here. The print is cleaner than expected, though some of the darker sequences show some slight grain. But with so little debris and such, I can't say complaining too much about print flaws. This is a terrific presentation on the whole, with vast improvements over previous releases.

This release has removed the music by the Eurythmics, as director Michael Radford never desired that music to be present. The scoop is that the band's music was used as a sort of marketing tool, so for this edition, Radford had it removed and in the process, was able to deliver his vision as he planned. This might shake some folks up, but as this was done by the director himself, I have no problem with the exclusions. The included mono option is a decent treatment, but as expected, it doesn't allow much in terms of atmosphere. I didn't hear any hiss or other age related issues, so the elements aren't hindered in that respect. The music sounds good, but isn't able to have much depth, which is the case with the sound effects also. But dialogue sounds very good, so no concerns in that department to mention. This disc also includes subtitles in English, Spanish, and French, should you need those.

This disc includes the film's theatrical trailer.