W12, #3: Did Hollywood Get It Right?

While we haven't read the entire novel yet, all of you have a certain 'image' (in your heads) of what this story 'looks like'.  You might even have a vision for how you'd create a film version, too.

A few years ago, Hollywood created their own film version of the novel, 1984.  Note: the film was originally done decades ago (see W12, #4 to learn more).

Below is the original 2-minute trailer/advertisement. 

I'm curious what you think.

Challenge: In 7+ sentences, do you think that this film trailer accurately portrays the 'atmosphere' and 'ideas' of the novel as you understand them?  How did Hollywood get it right?  And how did Hollywood get it wrong?

Comments

[Student #1]

The trailer choice of music is not fitting for the film. It sounds very 1980's and dance like, something that has nothing to do with the book. The way London was depicted is exactly like I would imagine, nasty, dark, and dirty. The actor who plays Winston fits the characters description perfectly. The telescreens on the corners are very accurate. The Big Brother speech and all the Party members surrounded by it is like a scene straight from the book. The trailer should have been a little me detailed in the plot for the viewers who had never seen the book. It seemed to show more visual effects to possibly get more people to come see it.

[Student #1 (part 2)]

The music in the trailer was not appropriate for the film. It was very 1980’s and danceable, something that has nothing to do with the book. The way London was depicted was exactly like I imagined, dark and dirty. The actor who portrayed Winston looks exactly like he was described in the book. The telescreen on the street corners were also accurate. The assembly of people watching Big Brother talk is like a scene straight out of the book. The trailer didn’t explain the plot in enough detail for the viewers who have possibly not read the book. It also seemed to focus too much on the visual effects.

[Student #2]

The trailer music was rediculous and completely off so I just tried to tune that out. The city was perfect, dark, cold and isolated. Winstons character was perfect. The telescreens in every corner was really predictable and everything was kind of straight from the book. I'm all for doing everything like the Orwell, but I kind of expected Hollywood to put their own spin on things. Other then following everything by the book (so to speak) it was very accurate. Not to repeat myself, but the music is really out of place. With a book so descriptive and orinial, it would be pretty difficult to get it wrong, but it is always difficult to portray the correct message that the author tried to get across.

[Student #3]

Well at least Hollywood gets it right nine out of ten times because this one was barely, remotely close. The actors the clothes the whole atmosphere was wrong. The actor that played Winston doesn't look like someone that would try to defy anything. Liam Neeson would and could pull off the way Winston should look and act. The one thing that I felt the producers got correct was the Golden country side. That place looked like the epitome of the painting that George Orwell was trying to paint in our minds. Big Brother looked unrealistic. You’d think that he’d look a little less rough and more suspicious. Overall (or at least based on the trailer) I give Hollywood a four out of ten.

[Student #4]

I felt that the clips of the film were accurate, but I hated the music. The music was upbeat and comic, as far from Orwell's book as possible. I think it is interesting that they went into the fact that it was a book. That would never happen today. Overall, if the soundtrack on the movie is different, I think Hollywood did get it right.

[Student #5]

The opening was fairly good, but that wasn’t the only theme throughout the novel.
It was an eye opener though and a good introduction to the trailer. What spoiled it was that horrible Sydni Lopper (wannabe) music. It made the presentation seem like a joke. The novel in my opinion is by far more emotional than the trailer. The trailer didn’t leave much to the imagination though. It covered the basics which made it less interesting to someone who hasn’t read the novel .

[Student #6]

Well for the most part the entire thing portrayed the book almost exactly. The music, however, did not fit the trailer at all. The music seemed more upbeat instead of actually portraying the fear and agony in these characters. As for the memory holes and the newspeak dictionary were very accurate. The person who plays Winston is perfect for the part. The rally in which they were all cheering really showed what the book tried to show about society.

[Student #7]

Good thing they got the music right (he winks). Although the music was excruciating to listen to much less fitting to the movie/ novel, the setting does seem to match the eerie desolate city of Oceania. Everything is not what I’d imagine it yet; it does fit various degrees of Orwell’s description. Every time I see these novels to film movies, I like to imagine what the author (Orwell) would think, and in this case, I’m sure he would’ve had a lot of adjustments made. While the casting is not perfect or defective, the acting doesn’t seem to deviate from the novel. Overall, every thing complies with the novel and hardly allows room for innovative Hollywood spins. However, I sense that the technological components were probably more intricate in Orwell’s mind such as the telescreens and the memory holes. Big brother’s depiction is quite accurate, along with the mindless proles that stare blindly into the telescreens.

[Student #8]

That music was ridiculously distracting! However, I was able to tune it out and enjoy everything else. Aside from the music, I think that this was an excellent trailer. It was exactly what I expected visually and vocally. I know this may sound wierd butthe characters sounded like I thought they should. I thought that London looked like it was described in the book and the trailer was able to capture themood of the novel just with the colors and the looks on the cahracter's faces. Overall, I liked this trailer and it would have been near perfect if not for that music. I guess I kind of get what they were going for with the idea of music being bad and ironic but it just didn't work. And I didn't even recognize John Hurt... he was so young.

[Student #9]

I am a firm believer in that the atmosphere of a film and its effect on its viewer's emotions can be highly influenced by the music added to the film. In this trailer the music totally altered the clip negatively and through its accompanyment destroyed any relationship between the book's dark tone and the film in the eye's of the viewer. In essence, the music was inappropriate and inadequate to portray the environment and emotion that the book does. Although the acting and choice of clips in the trailer were portrayed the story and were well placed the music made them unable to be taken seriously. I felt myself wondering why the music seemed up beat when the scenes were so dreary, depressing, and serious, rather than paying attention to the story the trailer was trying to convey. The only other critique that I can think to give is they should of added more thought provoking lines said by the actors. In doing this, the viewers would get a better feel and taste of the upcomming film.

[Student #10]

I think that the trailer is focusing way too much on the "sex crime" part of the book. Indeed, love and adultery is a very important theme of the book, but Hollywood making it the center of the trailer is definitely wrong. The trailer doesn't talk at all about resistance, nor Goldstein, making the story way too much like lovers rebelling against law, instead of the start of a Revolution.

Despise that mistake, I really liked Hollywood bringing the fear of the possible world that Orwell created. In our age, since 1984 already happened, we are not dread by such a premise. At the time the movie came out, though, people would be anxious about such a censored world.

As a teaser, I think that the trailer was successful in catching people's eye. But as a representation of the actual novel, the trailer totally failed because it doesn't convey the notion of a world without freedom, but instead, it promotes fear, violence and sexuality.

[Student #11]

I liked it for the most part. I think it shows enough to make you want to go see it and is intriguing with the ideas it shows. It doesn't explain much but it is a trailer, so it does make you want to learn more about the story. The music in the background was awful! But it tried to play into the futuristic side of the novel, which is understandable but still bad and not very fitting. I feel as if maybe some of it was a bit of fluff and not that important to the actual novel, like the little kid running through the field. It helped show the idea and setting of the world but that time could have ben focused on something more important. The parts showing the hate weren't as intense as I had envisioned it and I wish it had been more crazy. I like how they didn't focus too much on Winston and Julia's relationship, the trailer didn't make that the center of the movie which I think is a very good thing because usually Hollywood would do something like that.