1984 (1956)

In a totalitarian future society, Winston Smith, whose daily work is re-writing history, tries to rebel by falling in love.

Director:

Michael Anderson

Writers:

George Orwell (freely adapted from the novel by: "1984"), William Templeton (screenplay) (as William P. Templeton)

Stars:

Edmond O'Brien, Michael Redgrave, Jan Sterling

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Edmond O'Brien	...	Winston Smith of the Outer Party
Michael Redgrave	...	O'Connor of the Inner Party
Jan Sterling	...	Julia of the Outer Party
David Kossoff	...	Charrington the Junk Shop Owner
Mervyn Johns	...	Jones
Donald Pleasence	...	R. Parsons (as Donald Pleasance)
Carol Wolveridge	...	Selina Parsons
Ernest Clark	...	Outer Party Announcer
Patrick Allen	...	Inner Party Official
Ronan O'Casey	...	Rutherford
Michael Ripper	...	Outer Party Orator
Ewen Solon	...	Outer Party Orator
Kenneth Griffith	...	Prisoner (as Kenneth Griffiths)

Storyline

In a futuristic, state-run society controlled by "Big Brother" in which love is outlawed, employee of the state Winston Smith falls for Julia, and is tortured and brainwashed for his crime.

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Plot Keywords:

future | big brother | communist dictatorship | orwellian | dystopia | 

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Taglines:

Amazing wonders of tomorrow! Nothing like it ever filmed!

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Genres:

Drama | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

September 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

1984

Filming Locations:

UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation,Holiday Film Productions Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The character played by Michael Redgrave is called "O'Brien" in the original novel, but, as Edmond O'Brien was cast as Winston Smith, the name was changed to "O'Connor" for this film.

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Connections

Referenced in The Patty Duke Show: Little Brother Is Watching You (1965)

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Soundtracks

Symphony No.5: Second Movement
(uncredited)
Music by Ludwig van Beethoven

User Reviews

A failure

The first half of the book contains practically no dialogue. Just chats with the Parsons and with Symes. But aside from that Winston Smith's total isolation.

Rendering this cinematically required more subtlety and intelligence than was shown in this Cold War propaganda piece. In the '80s version a voice-over rendered Winston's thoughts. In this version he prattles them nonstop.

SPOILER...

Well, we've all read the book so hardly a spoiler. Do you remember the part in the book where Winston finds himself holding in his hand an old clipping that proves that three recently purged and executed party members were actually in London when they were charged to have been meeting with Eurasian agents in New Jersey ? Now, in a totalitarian state of the murderous Hitler/Stalin/Mao variety, where a careless remark can get you shot or sent to a concentration camp, you learn to very, very carefully watch what you say. Spontaniety must be completely eradicated from your character. Well in this movie Smith enthusiastically goes running up to his superior waving the picture, babbling like an imbecile, "Look ! Look ! See what I've found. Proof that those three traitors were innocent !" No one who lived in a society as terrifying as Oceania would ever be that stupidly naive.

This movie was so unimaginative that it insisted on making Winston Smith a conventional movie hero but the constant furtiveness necessary to survive in a society as crushing as 1984 Oceania is not heroic so it made him a fool.

And by the way, do all the people rating this comment negatively understand that it is about the 1956 movie that virtually no one has seen in 30 years, not the John Hurt movie in the '80s ?