Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)

My Review

“Nineteen Eighty-Four” is a movie version of George Orwell’s famous dystopian novel of the same name, published in 1949. The film is actually quite watchable despite dealing with dark themes of a futuristic society ruled by a socialist dictatorship. Credit goes to good direction by Michael Radford (“Another Time, Another Place” 1983), who also penned the screenplay, which is faithful to the original novel.

The cast is headed by John Hurt as the beleaguered Winston Smith, a man under the oppression of the globalist-style world government, punished for minor offenses. Co-stars include Richard Burton, Suzanna Hamilton, Cyril Cusack, Phyliss Logan, and Bob Flag as Big Brother. Burton made his final big screen appearance here, passing away in August, 1984, several months before the film’s release. His first movie role was in 1949.

“Nineteen Eighty-Four” was not successful at the box office for Virgin Films and Umbrella-Rosenblum Films. It was filmed in England, UK.