Nineteen Eighty-Four (1953)

 

Nineteen Eighty-Four (1953)

The BBC had Nigel Kneale (later of Quatermass fame) adapt the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four into a play, which was performed live, with pre-recorded excerpts, many of them external shots. This was the usual way of producing drama on TV at the time. The still bomb-ravaged London of the 50s stood in for the, um, bomb-ravaged London of Nineteen Eighty-Four. Peter Cushing played Winston Smith. It was powerful and controversial with questions asked in Parliament about it. This isn’t that production, broadcast on a Sunday, which was not recorded; this is the Thursday repeat with an introduction from the BBC Head Of Drama.

In the near future of 1984, Winston Smith works in the Ministry of Truth, altering past editions of newspapers to make them accurate to today’s Party briefings, especially pronouncements by Big Brother, the leader of Oceania. The slogan is Big Brother Is Watching You, which is true thanks to two way televisions. Smith is a member of the Party, which intends to transform language, end the family and change society to make rebellion impossible.

Smith rebels, in part by falling in love with Julia. O’Brien, a member of the Inner Party, tricks them. Smith is tortured until he does whatever the Party requires.

A good adaption, cleverly dramatizing many of the ideas of Orwell’s novel. Perhaps a little more interested in the action such as it is, than the ideas.

Watch This: Influential adaption of classic novel
Don’t Watch This: Peter Cushing said the Sunday performance was better