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1984

  • 19561956
  • Not RatedNot Rated
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
3.9K
YOUR RATING
Jan Sterling, Edmond O'Brien, and Michael Redgrave in 1984 (1956)
DramaSci-Fi
In a totalitarian future society, Winston Smith, whose daily work is re-writing history, tries to rebel by falling in love.In a totalitarian future society, Winston Smith, whose daily work is re-writing history, tries to rebel by falling in love.In a totalitarian future society, Winston Smith, whose daily work is re-writing history, tries to rebel by falling in love.
IMDb RATING
6.9/10
3.9K
YOUR RATING
    • Michael Anderson
    • George Orwell(freely adapted from the novel by: "1984")
    • William Templeton(screenplay)
    • Ralph Gilbert Bettison(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Edmond O'Brien
    • Michael Redgrave
    • Jan Sterling
    • Michael Anderson
    • George Orwell(freely adapted from the novel by: "1984")
    • William Templeton(screenplay)
    • Ralph Gilbert Bettison(screenplay)
  • Stars
    • Edmond O'Brien
    • Michael Redgrave
    • Jan Sterling
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 39User reviews
    • 17Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos80

    Edmond O'Brien in 1984 (1956)
    Edmond O'Brien in 1984 (1956)
    Jan Sterling and Edmond O'Brien in 1984 (1956)
    Jan Sterling and Edmond O'Brien in 1984 (1956)
    Jan Sterling and Edmond O'Brien in 1984 (1956)
    Bernard Rebel in 1984 (1956)
    Donald Pleasence and Edmond O'Brien in 1984 (1956)
    Michael Redgrave in 1984 (1956)
    Jan Sterling and Edmond O'Brien in 1984 (1956)
    Michael Redgrave in 1984 (1956)
    Edmond O'Brien in 1984 (1956)
    1984 (1956)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Edmond O'Brien
    Edmond O'Brien
    • Winston Smith of the Outer Party
    Michael Redgrave
    Michael Redgrave
    • O'Connor of the Inner Party
    Jan Sterling
    Jan Sterling
    • Julia of the Outer Party
    David Kossoff
    David Kossoff
    • Charrington the Junk Shop Owner
    Mervyn Johns
    Mervyn Johns
    • Jones
    Donald Pleasence
    Donald Pleasence
    • R. Parsons
    • (as Donald Pleasance)
    Carol Wolveridge
    • Selina Parsons
    Ernest Clark
    Ernest Clark
    • Outer Party Announcer
    Patrick Allen
    Patrick Allen
    • Inner Party Official
    Ronan O'Casey
    Ronan O'Casey
    • Rutherford
    Michael Ripper
    Michael Ripper
    • Outer Party Orator
    Ewen Solon
    Ewen Solon
    • Outer Party Orator
    Kenneth Griffith
    Kenneth Griffith
    • Prisoner
    • (as Kenneth Griffiths)
    Barbara Cavan
    • Woman
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    Walter Gotell
    Walter Gotell
    • Guard
    • (uncredited)
    Anthony Jacobs
    • Telescreen
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    Barbara Keogh
    • Special Woman
    • (uncredited)
    Bernard Rebel
    • Kalador
    • (uncredited)
      • Michael Anderson
      • George Orwell(freely adapted from the novel by: "1984")
      • William Templeton(screenplay)
      • Ralph Gilbert Bettison(screenplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Sonia Orwell, widow of George Orwell, objected to the changed ending, and had this movie withdrawn from circulation.
    • Quotes

      R. Parsons: Maybe we shouldn't have stopped here. I get pretty uneasy when I'm near people who aren't... healthy, if you know what I mean. Oh well. Long live BB!

      Winston Smith of the Outer Party: Long live BB!

    • Alternate versions
      There are reportedly two endings to this film. The UK version ends with a defiant Winston Smith and Julia being executed by the authorities. The US version is more faithful to Orwell's book and concludes with Winston and Julia being brainwashed into becoming loyal followers of "Big Brother."
    • Connections
      Featured in Hollywood and the Stars: The Angry Screen (1964)
    • Soundtracks
      Symphony No.5: Second Movement
      (uncredited)

      Music by Ludwig van Beethoven

    User reviews39

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    A Cold War 1984
    It's been too long since I read the book, so I'm just concerned with the movie as a movie. And what a downer the 90-minutes is for the generally sunny 1950's. Hard to think of a grimmer storyline or more downbeat ending for that period. I take the film's anomalous presence as a useful Cold War commentary on the Soviet Union, the rivalry then at its peak.

    Anyhow, the sets are grim, even the one outdoor scene is drained of any natural beauty, while the photography remains dull gray, as it should be given the dystopian subject matter. Then too, the two leads, O'Brien and Sterling, are not exactly marquee names. However, they are excellent actors, as the storyline requires—you don't want "movie stars" competing with the plot-heavy symbolism. In short, the production, though clearly economical, is pretty uncompromising.

    Story-wise we're plunged into the middle of the dystopian society without much explanation of how it got that way or why. Instead, the narrative emphasizes the tools of thought control among Party members, who are subjected to all sorts of thought conditioning techniques, such as the histrionic hate sessions. Just how the non-party people live is not really portrayed. However, love may be forbidden among Party members, but I doubt that it was among the common people, otherwise how would re-population take place.

    Besides dwelling on Winston's (O'Brien) efforts at contacting the political underground, the script dwells on the forbidden love affair between Winston and Julia (Sterling). And I had to laugh when Julia sheds her shapeless Party uniform for a flowing white gown right out of the Loretta Young Show of the time. This may be the movie's one concession to 1950's norms. The film does manage a few twists, one of which I didn't see coming. But, if I have one complaint, it's that Redgrave's high Party official lacks subtlety, in pretty much a one-note performance. This can be seen as a defect if you think about his official's changing roles.

    Anyway, the film remains a visual oddity for then as well as now. However, its thought- control message, though crudely put, may be more relevant in our digitalized age than it was then. At the same time, this is one of the few subjects that I think needs a bigger budget remake to do it justice. I haven't seen the latest remake from 1984, so I can't comment on its worth. All in all, this version maintains a grimly narrow, but thought-provoking focus.

    (In passing—having seen the movie on first release, I seem to remember the "rat cage" sequence as being longer, more detailed with glowing eyes, and much scarier than my DVD version. But then that was well over 50-years ago.)
    helpful•11
    3
    • dougdoepke
    • Dec 27, 2013

    Details

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    • Release date
      • September 1956 (United States)
      • United Kingdom
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • London, England, UK
    • Production company
      • Holiday Film Productions Ltd.
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 30 minutes
      • Black and White

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