Rendering - Week 9

This article was published By Jaklei  Mutombo on April 12, 2013, on the www.twcenter.net website, which is called “The deadly ill rebel of words and his brilliant copycat” and tells us about a book-transformation-to-film  review of “1984” by Michael Radford

The author points out , that the story of “1984” ( originally by George Orwell ) revolves around the lead character Winstons life in a world split by three superpowers- Oceania and its government called Ingsoc ( Eastasia and its culture of deathworship, Euroasia and its neo-bolshevism form of society and at all three nations are dystopias that represent what Orwell thinks could be the result of extremist political ideas.

The author also adds, that the movie 1984 is an acceptable popcorn movie by modern standards (Initially he preferred to shoot the movie in black and white but luckily the arranged distributor (Virgin films) botched that idea.) Moreover, Deakins then decided to run the whole movie through a colour saturation filter , to filter flirts with the environment of the book.

The author admits, that in the novel different races are represented and emphasized as a common denominator between the three superpowers, they’ve changed Incsoc’s “salut” or “sign”, call it whatever you want, from the traditional fascist fistsalut to a X formed through crossing ones forearms and in addition to that, the film is clearly gives the theme - the original meaning of the symbols was to put a political theorem into the spotlight.

It would be unfair for the author , not to mention, that film’s main themes of the storyline is different - metaphorically speaking; it is like if Michael Radford was the emotional equalient of a fourteen year old girl at the time when he wrote the manuscript - the theme of the book was a political message the author can summarize in one sentence “Totaliarism can happen anywhere, so be careful”. However, apart form that several other social and political issues where brought up and debated in different ways.

Moreover , analysing the situation it is necessary to emphasize that the story is focused on the relationship between Winston and Julia, with the main theme of forbidden love, the disillusioned party members, the plight of the proles, Julias background, the emotionally gripping discussion between Oneil and Winston when the couple decides to join the fake brotherhood and many other events of the book are completely left out of the movie.

The author tell us, that all things considered it is a great movie, because he was never expected it to match the quality of George Orwells masterpiece and he was surprised that it even managed to hold its own. But at the same time, Mutombo  has to blame shame Radford did not make the cinematic story of 1984 into a trilogy, cause’ even though the book is short the story is epic, too great to be told in one hundred and six minutes.

To draw the conclusion, the author says, that . for the movie’s ability to properly recreate 1984 in a different form without loosing its original meaning and subtle messages the author give it a four out of ten possible and  as standalone movie meant to entertain and appease its audience Mutombo give it a seven out of ten possible.

To my mind the film-interpretation of this epic masterpiece of Orwell really could by more wider and with the aim to touch every theme upon the storyline progress – as this word not only for great fast-actions on-screen , but with the blessed idea to understand the depths of writer’s flight.