Although billed as “The Original 1984”, that distinction belongs to the 1954 BBC-TV version that starred Peter Cushing and Andre Morell and was adapted by Nigel Kneale of QUATERMASS fame. It is now available on DVD and on You Tube although the quality is certainly not up to today’s standards. However that version was taken from a live BBC broadcast so the quality is understandable. That should not be the case with the 1956 film but unfortunately, for the present, all we have are public domain copies with some better than others but none of them great.
Part of this is due to the estate of George Orwell who hated the altered ending SPOILER ALERT wherein Winston & Julia overcome their brainwashing and are killed rather than becoming mindless followers of Big Brother. They had the film withdrawn from circulation shortly after it opened in the U.K although the USA version has the original book ending. The other reason is that Columbia allowed the copyright to lapse and 1984 and its companion release, THE GAMMA PEOPLE, disappeared for many years. Both are now on You Tube in TV prints.
Most of the reviewers here and on imdb compare the 1956 version unfavorably to the later 1984 version with John Hurt & Richard Burton but it’s another apples to oranges comparison. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. While the newer movie is certainly more realistic in both visuals and performances, to me it lacks the nightmarish quality produced by the cramped sets and the black & white photography of the first film (which would be even more impressive in a restored version).
People like to criticize Edmond O’Brien for being too “chunky” as Winston especially compared to the much leaner John Hurt but O’Brien looks more like your average worker that spends most of his time sitting in front of a screen and when it’s time for Room 101 he is more than capable of delivering the goods. Michael Redgrave’s performance is more theatrical and less realistic than Burton’s but he conveys more of the ideological fanaticism inherent in Orwell’s world view of post-Atomic life.
There were certainly more restrictions placed on director Michael Anderson in 1956 than Michael Radford who had carte blanche in 1984 but on the whole I prefer the “less is more” approach The one notable exception is in the Room 101 scene which is virtually non-existent. They should have copied the earlier BBC version where Andre Morell’s explanation of what the rat mask can do creates a far more disturbing image that sticks with you more than anything that could have been shown.
So I sit waiting for the day that a quality release of the 1956 movie will appear. Although Sony/Columbia no longer own the rights, hopefully the original film materials still exist with the U.S. ending intact (the reviled U.K. ending could be a bonus feature) and someone like Eureka or Kino or Criterion will give us the restored version so that it can be properly evaluated. And while they are at it, a quality version of John Gilling’s THE GAMMA PEOPLE would also be appreciated so that the original double feature can be duplicated at home or online.
The Capsule Critic 