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Fahrenheit 451 [1966]
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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review
The classic science fiction novel by Ray Bradbury was a curious choice for one of the leading directors of the French New Wave, François Truffaut. But from the opening credits onward (spoken, not written on screen), Truffaut takes Bradbury's fascinating premise and makes it his own. The futuristic society depicted in Fahrenheit 451 is a culture without books. Firemen still race around in red trucks and wear helmets, but their job is to start fires: they ferret out forbidden stashes of books, douse them with petrol and make public bonfires. Oskar Werner, the star of Truffaut's Jules and Jim, plays a fireman named Montag, whose exposure to David Copperfield wakens an instinct towards reading and individual thought. (That's why books are banned--they give people too many ideas.) In an intriguing casting flourish, Julie Christie plays two roles: Montag's bored, drugged-up wife and the woman who helps kindle the spark of rebellion. The great Bernard Herrmann wrote the hard-driving music; Nicolas Roeg provided the cinematography. Fahrenheit 451 received a cool critical reception and has never quite been accepted by Truffaut fans or sci-fi buffs. Its deliberately listless manner has always been a problem, although that is part of its point; the lack of reading has made people dry and empty. If the movie is a bit stiff (Truffaut did not speak English well and never tried another project in English), it nevertheless is full of intriguing touches, and the ending is lyrical and haunting. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com
Brilliant movie, brilliant book
Review date: 2008-07-10 Rating: 10 out of 10
It is not so often when a very good book makes an equally good movie. And yes I red the book first, well in advance (10-15 years). the book and the movie are quite different, that is probably why I like the movie so much.
It is not plain dystopia, nor just a plot and action. If you prefer T2 over Terminator and both of them over The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, it may not be the one for you, still probably it is mainstream enough to give it a try, -- mainsteream enough for a Truffaut movie, that is...
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Reviews
Average
Review date: 2007-11-11 Rating: 6 out of 10
I am a fan of 1960's subversive films, so having read the reviews was waiting to be blown away.
I wasn't. In saying that it was well worth watching, and it's message is still relevant in the reality TV, dumbed down noughties.
Dated celebration of the written word
Review date: 2006-11-06 Rating: 8 out of 10
The irony is fairly blatent - this is a celebration of books but at the same time it's a film. That aside, a major drawback to this film is thae time that has passed since its making. It is 40 years old now and the acting is theatrical, some of the action unconvincing and the pace is much slower than we may be used to. Actors speak in Pinewood English and the sets are sparse.
These do not detract from it being a strong adaptation of a classic story. Books are the ultimate evil, banned and scorned by the TV-addicted masses who are glued to their widecreens and divorced from emotion and passion. Their memories and perceptions are addled. Underground book readers find an illegal escape from the self-indulgence.
There's some beatiful shots in the film. Books are painfully burned, and the director gets you to share the loss and the interest in the titles and contents. The wonder of discovery in immersing yourself in the wriiten word comes through - to the deprived, even the unemotional facts from an encyclopedia are a revelation.
I loved the bonus material, and the interview with Ray Bradbury (author) was terrific. The 'Making Of' was a real insight too, and showed some lovely flaws in the process and cooperation at the time.
As for the adaptation, I have to criticise the first part of the ending, if you rad the book and I say 'mecanical hound' you'll know what I mean. An understandable omission, but one I felt harmed it.
The strengths are in some of the interactions, immersion in books and painful losses of priceless literature at the hands of the nazi-esque guards. Don't see the film expecting fast-paced modern cinematography this isn't it. Slow and thought provoking rendition of a classic book sums up this one.
It did the job well.
Review date: 2006-11-04 Rating: 8 out of 10
I left school in 1966, the year this film was released. I and a few schoolfriends went to see it one Friday night. We left the cinema moved, and when we met on Monday we discovered we had all spent the entire weekend reading. The film had jolted us out of complacency, because we realised that the truth of books being valuable conveyors of ideas had been forgotten, so we were reading while we had the chance. Forty years later, ideas are still under threat: see the film, then read books while you can.
A film to come back to
Review date: 2006-04-22 Rating: 10 out of 10
I very much enjoyed watching this film, I am reading the book now and so far the director's interpretation and vision of the Ray Bradbury's book is remarkable. Truffault obviously shows us what he sees and even the author of the book was quite pleased with the result and mentioned, in a personal interview, that he has watched the movie at least 20 times and he is always touched by it.
Ray Bradbury shares with us his most terrible fear, what it would happen if libraries and books were illegal and burnt. He expresses that as a self-educated, the only idea of burning books was unimaginable and this really touches a very sensitive point in his heart. In the interview Bradbury mentiones that as self-taught he used to study in libraries and never made it to college.
The director's choice of the music background couldnt be better, having Bernard Herrmann as a composer for the film made this film to reach the level of Psycho and The birds, in a different theme (or subject) of course. Bernard Herrmann has accompanied Hitchcock's best films, without mentioning The citizen Kaine by Orson Wells.
During the film I found myself trying the guess the end and thankfully I was nicely surprised. This has no comparison with today's films in which you see what you expect. Due to the time in which the film was made, the director does not rely on special effects to give us a very special gift to be remembered.
Finally, it is a good way to reflect on what we take for granted (books, feeling, freedom of thought) and how the government can use the media to manipulate people's lives.
Product Details/Specifications
Actor(s):
Julie Christie
Cyril Cusack
Anton Diffring
Jeremy Spenser
Oskar Werner
Creators:
Oskar Werner (Primary Contributor)
Julie Christie (Primary Contributor)
François Truffaut (Writer)
Jane C. Nusbaum (Producer)
Lewis M. Allen (Producer)
David Rudkin (Writer)
Helen Scott (Writer)
Jean-Louis Richard (Writer)
Ray Bradbury (Writer)
Director(s):
Recording label: Universal Pictures UK
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures UK
EAN: 5050582014785
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2003-11-10
Number of discs: 1
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Audience rating: Parental Guidance
Region code: 2
Running time: 109 minutes
Theatrical release date: 1966-11-14
Language: English (Original Language)
Language: English (Subtitles For The Hearing Impaired)
Language: German (Subtitled)
Language: French (Subtitled)