1984 is not a book I have ever finished. I never had to read it for school, somehow because I was placed into honors classes it fell through the cracks of my curricula, and although I've attempted it a few times on my own I've never been able to get very far. So this was a nice easy shortcut for me feeling all of the depression and hopelessness of knowing the story and seeings it parallels with our society today without all of the majesty of the Orwellian prose. Perfect. I do think Orwell is a great writer and I love several of his other books (Down and Out in Paris and London, Animal Farm immediately come to mind) so it's not I doubt his abilities. I don't know. Anyway I did finish the movie and it is every bit as bleak and British and weird as I imagined it would be. John Hurt really gives it his all and even though I got a little tired of the Richard Burton monologues, which basically comprise the last 30 minutes of the film (or feel like they do), he really does give a great performance as a human being stuck in a system so inhumane he's no longer capable/interested in discerning between truth and lie.
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