1984

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DanTheMan 2 Tough, rugged, pitiless and ultimately hopeless, Nineteen Eighty-Four is a haunting vision of a society dominated by relentless tyranny and the subversion of truth. This BBC adaptation marks a key transitional moment in the development of television drama in Britain, one that was given an unprecedented and unusual amount of freedom to portray its dystopian socialist utopia. Controversial at the time for its scenes of torture and sexuality, it provoked an outburst of Thought Police-style outrage among politicians and assorted editorialists. The program seems brutal even today, depicting comprehensive hopelessness and deliberate cruelty with such controlled malice, despite how much the standards and audiences have changed since the 50s. Reuniting director Rudolph Cartier and writer Nigel Kneale fresh off their success with The Quatermass Experiment, you can see Cartier taking a clear influence from German Expressionism with his long contrasting shadows, careful use of close-ups, accompanied by recorded voice-over allowing us a window into Winston's inner torment as he struggles to disguise his 'thoughtcrimes', while effectively representing Big Brother's frightening omniscience, the world building alone is utterly outstanding. It's a real shame the whole thing wasn't shot on film as those sequences look utterly astonishing even today, as with most productions of the time it combines film inserts with a live production which while restrictive works tremendously in the play's favour to conjure a bleak atmosphere of constant anxiety. Kneale has done a marvellous job of conveying the novel in a manner that can be easily digested, it's made all the better thanks to the central of Peter Cushing who shines as Winston even amongst a truly fantastic cast, especially that of André Morrell as O'Brien. As gruelling as it is to watch now, one cannot imagine how shocking it must have been for viewers 60 years ago, Nineteen Eighty-Four is a milestone of television productions and should be celebrated as such. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/10/24 Full Review Audience Member Excellent for its time and the oppressive atmosphere of the production comes through loud and clear today Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Originally broadcast on the BBC in December 1954, Nineteen Eighty-Four is a made-for-TV movie based on the book 1984 by George Orwell. Like the book, this movie explores the libertarian theme of the individual versus a collectivist state that aims to eliminate individuality and conform its subjects to rigidly authoritarian standards. Because of the "subversive" nature and "horrific" content of this teleplay, the broadcast proved to be rather controversial for viewers in the 1950s. Nevertheless, according to a poll conducted by the British Film Institute, this teleplay was one of the 100 greatest British television programmes of the 20th century. The second live performance of the teleplay, recorded on the 16th of December, is the only surviving record of the performance. Read the full review here: http://alexpeak.com/art/films/19841954/ Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

1984

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