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1984 Reviews

1985

60
from 6574 members

A fine and stunning screen adaptation of Orwell's prophetic 1948 novel about a world in which the government completely controls the masses by controlling their thoughts, altering history and even changing the meaning of words to suit its needs. This was Richard Burton's final film. Read more

Starring	John Hurt, Richard Burton, Cyril Cusack, Roger Lloyd Pack
Director	Michael Radford
Genres	Drama

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Critic's review of 1984
View all (1)
- Sensibly realising that science fiction is always a distortion of the time at which it was written rather than a... read more on Time Out
- 46368
- - Time Out
  - 04 Nov 2008 at 00:16
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Most helpful member's review of 1984
View all members' reviews (81)
- - 20
  - 1
  Good
  
  I really enjoyed the film but i got the feeling you needed to have read the book first, i was constantly telling the wife what was going on and why it came ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 19868
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - a customer
  - Acton England
  - 28 Sep 2004 at 12:45
Most recent members' reviews of 1984
View all members' reviews (81)
- - 0
  - 0
  Far less exciting than the book.
  
  Normally the problem with adaptations is that they skip the boring bits so the plot and character development suffer as a result. Not so with 1984 where they&#... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1035136
- - a customer
  - England
  - 30 Aug 2011 at 15:07
- - 0
  - 0
  A Valiant Effort
  
  The film stayed quite faithful to the book and, I felt, Orwell's vision; or at least my personal perception of it. Needless to say, it met with expectation... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1013000
- - a customer
  - 04 Jul 2011 at 18:35
- - 2
  - 0
  2 + 2 = 5? Not while I'm still breathing
  
  There are 4 adaptations of Orwell's novel and this (the 1984 version) was the first one I saw, at the cinema, on its initial release in late 1984.
  read more »
  
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- 995087
- - blackpolekev
  - 47 reviews
  - blackpole
  - 20 May 2011 at 17:16
- - 0
  - 0
  Not as a good as the book- but what films are?
  
  Its a very dark film, and you probably need to know a bit about the book before you watch it (although if you haven't read 1984 then what the hell have you ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 989323
- - a customer
  - 05 May 2011 at 18:57
- - 0
  - 0
  Ninety Eighty Four
  
  An excellent film.
  
  Not seen this for years, still good.
  
  Excellent adaptation of the book.
  
  One most definately to add to your ... read more »
  
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- 959499
- - a customer
  - Gloucestershire
  - 01 Feb 2011 at 13:06
- - 0
  - 0
  Did a groundbreaking novel justice
  
  After a slow start 1984 shifts into gear stylishly. We probably all know the story but I was fascinated to see how it was portrayed, I wasn't disappointed ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 949856
- - operationscar
  - 12 reviews
  - Southwell
  - 31 Dec 2010 at 10:09
- - 0
  - 1
  Self righteous
  
  Fairly true to the book in its narrative, this film fails to hit the mark.
  
  While John Hurt gives a powerful performance, as does Richard Burton, it ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 933986
- - robertnewtonhowesfacebook
  - 6 reviews
  - Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire
  - 23 Oct 2010 at 19:44
- - 0
  - 1
  Wow, like, totally heavy.
  
  Really, really good adaptation of some seriously tough material. The book is obviously revered immensely but i felt that the film managed to cover all the main ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 932735
- - thebishmeister
  - 35 reviews
  - Brizzle
  - 18 Oct 2010 at 15:59
- - 1
  - 0
  1984, George Orwell
  
  Its like any film you watch after reading the book, You will look at the book and not the film. I read the book but tried to switch off the book. The film was ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 924451
- - Trebor59
  - 2 reviews
  - Newcastle
  - 17 Sep 2010 at 23:54
- - 1
  - 1
  Nineteen Eighty Snore.....
  
  I know the book wasn't exactly uplifting but this adaptation drags you down to a new level of depression, and not in a good way.
  
  Maybe I loved ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 917949
- - PJshadow
  - 195 reviews
  - Leeds
  - 25 Aug 2010 at 17:12
View all members' reviews (81)

- - 20
  - 1
  Good
  
  I really enjoyed the film but i got the feeling you needed to have read the book first, i was constantly telling the wife what was going on and why it came ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 19868
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - a customer
  - Acton England
  - 28 Sep 2004 at 12:45
- - 13
  - 2
  Absolutely fantastic film
  
  This film is brilliant. As dark and despairing as you'd hope after reading the book, Orwells vision has been very well translated for the big screen.
  <... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 315682
- - NickAxford
  - 33 reviews
  - Sheffield
  - 02 Dec 2004 at 18:42
- - 13
  - 2
  Superficial adaptation that seems to miss the point
  
  British adaptation of George Orwell’s dystopian nightmare of a novel, 1984. The film stars John Hurt (The Elephant Man, Alien, Midnight Express) as Winston... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 721928
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - Daniel Pollard
  - Manchester, England
  - 07 Mar 2009 at 16:22
- - 11
  - 3
  You WILL learn to love Big Brother!
  
  I remember reading the book in 1983 – just to see what was to happen the following year! At that time I wasn’t much of a reader, but this really got ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 137851
- - a customer
  - Portsmouth
  - 08 Aug 2005 at 21:15
- - 9
  - 0
  A dark vision
  
  Trying to make a film out of such an intense book was always going to be difficult, and though the director made a good stab at it this was always going to fall... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 310519
- - JimBobAJob
  - Worcestershire
  - 01 Oct 2004 at 08:39
- - 9
  - 3
  Bad adaptation of a must-read book
  
  Creating a film version of what is, in my opinion, the most important political novel of the 20th century is a very tall order. That said, despite some ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 65516
- - George
  - Cheshire
  - 19 Jan 2005 at 20:41
- - 5
  - 0
  As good an adaption as you're going to get
  
  Having read, and loved, the book, I really wanted to watch the film. I wasn't disappointed. Sure, the film was nowhere near as good as the book, but in ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 137761
- - Peter Kühne
  - Warwick Uni, England
  - 08 Aug 2005 at 17:22
- - 4
  - 0
  Worth a watch if you like Orwell
  
  As an Orwell fan i have been wanting to see this film for a long time, and it was worth the wait. I enjoyed comparing the set to Orwell's descriptions, it ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 403626
- - a customer
  - Yorkshire
  - 18 Jan 2007 at 18:26
- - 4
  - 1
  We have ALWAYS been at war with adaptation!
  
  It's such a shame that this mediocre adaptation of one of modern literature's greatest achievements was the swan song of Richard Burton's career. On... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 312607
- - Johngc
  - United Kingdom
  - 29 Oct 2004 at 10:44
- - 4
  - 1
  Great book, good film
  
  It's hard for a film to do justice to a book as important as 1984, one of the most important novels of the 20th century. The film does a good job, and ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 415884
- - Rick
  - London
  - 28 Feb 2007 at 13:29

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Critic's review
- Sensibly realising that science fiction is always a distortion of the time at which it was written rather than a... read more on Time Out
- 46368
- - Time Out
  - 04 Nov 2008 at 00:16

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Buy from Amazon.co.uk

- - Buy
- 1984
  
  A fine and stunning screen adaptation of Orwell's prophetic 1948 novel about a world in which the government completely controls the masses by controlling their thoughts, altering history and even changing the meaning of words to suit its needs. This was Richard Burton's final film....