1984 Movie Vs Book Analysis

It is argued that 1984 is the most influential dystopian drama in the modern era. Due to its popularity, the novel was translated from text to film, under the direction of Michael Radford in 1984. During this process, vital background information was lost. Therefore, it is apparent that the novel is more powerful compared to the film. This is because it provides background detail to vital connotations and concepts compared with the film. The anagogical concepts of Newspeak, Double think and Oligarchical collectivism in Emmanuel Goldstein’s book are explored in greater in the novel. Furthermore, the scenes are more detailed, as evident in chestnut tree café. Because detail is lacked, the audience is left questioning scenes, leaving the cinema
The novel is narrated in third person, compared to the film which is in first. Because the novel is in third person, the motives behind character actions are explained, compared with the film which does not delve into the detail. The Chestnut Tree Café scene is evidence of this idea. In the novel, there is more detail about the thoughts of Winston, the background of Rutherford, and the time pre Big Brother. Pre Big Brother is exposed in, “By 1970 none of them was left, except Big Brother himself. All the rest had by that time been exposed as traitors and counter revolutionaries” (pg78). This quote positions the reader to assume that the party is a totalitarian figurehead. Furthermore, Rutherford’s past is exposed, evident in, “Rutherford had once been a famous caricaturist, whose brutal cartoons had helped to inflame popular opinion before and during the Revolution”(pg79). This vital point of information allows the reader to conjure the idea that freedom is something of the past in Oceania. Furthermore, Winston comes to this conclusion when he narrates, “They were men far older than himself, relics of the ancient world, almost the last great figures left over from the heroic early days of the Party” (pg79). These important intricacies are lost in the translation of the film. Firstly, the audience does not know who is who in the Chestnut tree café scene. There is no introduction to the characters, or explanation of their history. The audience is left to assume the thoughts of the characters by their facial expressions and reactions to situations. Radford tries to compensate for this by using extreme close up shots of the characters faces. This is evident when there is a close up shot of Winston’s face where he appears expressionless and intrigued at why they are there. In this moment he narrates, “Under the spreading chestnut tree, I sold you and you sold me”. However,