Fahrenheit 451 (1966)

Director:

François Truffaut

Writers:

François Truffaut (screenplay) and
Jean-Louis Richard (screenplay) ...
(more)

Release Date:

14 November 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Aflame with the excitement and emotions of tomorrow!

Plot:

In an oppressive future, a fireman whose duty is to destroy all books begins to question his task.

Plot Keywords:

Book | Fireman | Future | Television | Fire Department

Awards:

Nominated for BAFTA Film Award. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Julie Christie	...	Clarisse / Linda Montag
Oskar Werner	...	Guy Montag
Cyril Cusack	...	The Captain
Anton Diffring	...	Fabian / Headmistress
Jeremy Spenser	...	Man with the Apple
Bee Duffell	...	Book Woman
Alex Scott	...	Book Person: 'The Life of Henry Brulard'
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gillian Aldam	...	Judoka Woman (uncredited)
Michael Balfour	...	Book Person: Machiavelli's 'The Prince' (uncredited)
Ann Bell	...	Doris (uncredited)
Yvonne Blake	...	Book Person: 'The Jewish Question' (uncredited)
Arthur Cox	...	Male Nurse (uncredited)
Frank Cox	...	Book Person: 'Prejudice' (uncredited)
Fred Cox	...	Book Person: 'Pride' (uncredited)
Noel Davis	...	Cousin Midge - TV Personality (uncredited)
Judith Drinan	...	Book Person - Plato's 'Republic' (uncredited)
Kevin Elder	...	Robert - First Schoolboy (uncredited)
Joan Francis	...	Telephonist (uncredited)
Denis Gilmore	...	Book Person: 'The Martian Chronicles' (uncredited)
David Glover	...	Book Person: 'The Pickwick Papers' (uncredited)
Arthur Haynes	...	Man on Commuter Train (uncredited)
Caroline Hunt	...	Helen (uncredited)
Edward Kaye	...	Judoka Man (uncredited)
Mark Lester	...	Second Schoolboy (uncredited)
Gillian Lewis	...	TV Announcer (uncredited)
Eric Mason	...	Male Nurse (uncredited)
Charlie McFadden	...	Nervous Man at Post Box (uncredited)
Roma Milne	...	Clarisse's Neighbor (uncredited)
Michael Mundell	...	Trainee Stoneman (uncredited)
Anna Palk	...	Jackie (uncredited)
Donald Pickering	...	TV Announcer (uncredited)
John Rae	...	Book Person: 'Weir of Hermiston' (uncredited)
Tom Watson	...	Instructor Sergeant (uncredited)
Chris William	...	Trainee Black (uncredited)
Earl Younger	...	Book Person's Nephew: 'Weir of Hermiston' (uncredited)

Directed by
François Truffaut

Writing credits
François Truffaut		(screenplay) and
Jean-Louis Richard		(screenplay)
Ray Bradbury		(novel)
David Rudkin		(additional dialogue) uncredited &
Helen Scott		(additional dialogue) uncredited

Produced by
Lewis M. Allen	....	producer
Miriam Brickman	....	executive producer
Michael Dalamar	....	associate producer
Jane C. Nusbaum	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Bernard Herrmann

Cinematography by
Nicolas Roeg		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Thom Noble

Casting by
Miriam Brickman		(uncredited)

Production Design by
Syd Cain
Tony Walton		(uncredited)

Art Direction by
Syd Cain

Costume Design by
Tony Walton		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
Joyce James	....	hair stylist
Basil Newall	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Ian Lewis	....	production manager
Tony Walton	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bryan Coates	....	assistant director

Art Department
Yvonne Blake	....	assistant art director
Tony Walton	....	production design consultant

Sound Department
Robert T. MacPhee	....	sound (as Bob McPhee)
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound mixer
Norman Wanstall	....	sound
Barry Gray	....	electronic sound effects (uncredited)
Graham V. Hartstone	....	sound camera operator (uncredited)
Charlie McFadden	....	boom operator (uncredited)
Otto Snel	....	sound re-recording mixer (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Charles Staffell	....	special effects
Les Bowie	....	special effects (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alex Thomson	....	camera operator

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tony Walton	....	costume design consultant
Yvonne Blake	....	assistant costume designer (uncredited)

Other crew
Kay Mander	....	continuity
Suzanne Schiffman	....	assistant to director

Production Companies

• Anglo Enterprises (as An Enterprise Vineyard Production)
• Vineyard Film Ltd. (as An Enterprise Vineyard Production)

Distributors

• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1966) (UK) (theatrical)
• Seven Films (2009) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Universal Film (1966) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Universal Filmverleih (1966) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures France (UPF) (1966) (France) (theatrical)
• Universal Pictures (1966) (USA) (theatrical) (as A Universal Release)
• Väinän Filmi (1966) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Epoca (Argentina) (video)
• Future Film (2010) (Finland) (DVD)
• Image Entertainment (1998) (USA) (DVD)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1982) (1997) (2006) (Finland) (TV)
• National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1969) (USA) (TV)
• Rainbow Products Limited (1995) (Australia) (video)
• Universal Home Video (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2003) (Finland) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (2003) (Germany) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Video (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2010) (Finland) (TV)

Special Effects

• Bowie Films
• Rank Films Processing Division

Other Companies

• Synchro-Mondiale  post-synchronisation

Also Known As:

Runtime:

112 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-12 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:12 (video rating) (2000) (2004) | USA:Unrated | Singapore:PG | West Germany:12 | Iceland:12 | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:A (original rating) | Australia:M (TV rating) | France:U

Filming Locations:

14 Linkway, Edgcumbe Park, Crowthorne, Berkshire, England, UK

Company:

Anglo Enterprises

Trivia:

In the scene where the middle aged woman is burned alive, one of the last images we see from the books that are burning is what looks like Joan of Arc, who also burned alive for her convictions.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After Montag comes out of the first raid to burn the books, the placement of the fire protective clothing (helmet and gloves) are unnatural movements and appear to be a reverse run of film footage. This is further compounded by the fact that he walks backwards to get the flamethrower which has flame entering the nozzle instead of leaving the nozzle.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Announcer:An Enterprise Vineyard Production. Oskar Werner, Julie Christie... in Fahrenheit four-five-one.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Omnibus: Ray Bradbury: The Illustrated Man" (1980)

An Underrated Movie

Yes, the movie is slow. Yes, the sets and the costumes are very 60ish and very dated. But it has something to say.

Its depiction of a narcissistic, alienated, superficial, mass media lobotomized culture might ring true for more than a few of us. The movie also shows the fireman's wife as being addicted to downers/uppers. All of the "normal" human relations that are shown in the movie appear to be detached and lacking emotion.

People are not to trouble themselves with unpleasant thoughts or feelings. Hence, the banning of books and literature. They bring up unpleasant, sad, and depressing subjects. They depict too much of life as it actually is. This is troubling to people. Consequently, the government pushes drugs, emotion-free and sanitized sex, and witless mass media. There is more than a little resemblance to our society of the year 2000 and heaven knows what the future will bring.

Oskar Werner is one my favorites, so I'm very prejudiced, but I think he does an excellent job. I think both Truffaut and Werner wanted the audience to see the fireman's partial dehumanization. He recovers much of that humanity as the film progresses. The supporting cast was good, especially the actor who played the fire chief. Julie Christie was good in the film, too, although her self-conscious woodenness or manner bothered me more than Werner's.

Perhaps something less than one of the great films. But it is a very thoughtful film with a lot to say to its audience--although some viewers choose to focus only on its rather dated veneer.