Thread by @OliverJia1014

Rewatched the 1984 film adaptation of Nineteen Eighty-Four.

I've always loved this cinematic take on Orwell's novel. Yes, the original book was more in-depth story-wise, but director Michael Radford beautifully captured the spirit of its themes.

It's a visual masterpiece, one of the best of the decade, and exactly how I imagined the dystopian society of Oceania looking. It's dark, soul-crushing, and without any spark of hope. I was constantly reminded of the Soviet Union, Cultural Revolution-era China, North Korea, and other communist states, which is obviously intentional.

Nineteen Eighty-Four is arguably John Hurt's best performance and it was also the last appearance of Richard Burton. Both the actors and the visual design of the film do a fantastic job with showing, not telling the world Orwell envisioned.

I'm aware that some take issue with how the film adapts Orwell's novel, but I think everyone involved understood the assignment of creating something that could tell the same narrative through visual storytelling. I view it as a companion piece rather than a replacement.

It may be a cliche at this point, but more than ever people should being paying attention to what Nineteen Eighty-Four warns about. Every era has its new forms of totalitarianism and Orwell was ahead of his time in understanding the human condition. There's a reason why terms like "doublespeak," "Big Brother," and "Thought Police" are in common parlance now.

It should be noted that Nineteen Eighty-Four has two soundtracks. One that combines electronic songs by the British group Eurythmics with orchestral cues by Dominic Muldowney and one that only has the Muldowney score.

People will debate which is better and it was a significant source of controversy because Muldowney disowned the original theatrical cut since significant portions of his music were replaced by the Eurythmics songs.

I previously only watched this film on the Criterion Blu-ray with the unedited Muldowney score, but it contains both options. This time, however, I watched the film with my wife on the Japanese Blu-ray and *only* the Eurythmics/Muldowney score is included.

I like both, but it's a very different viewing/listening experience. Muldowney is orchestral music in the vein of a traditional Hollywood score, while the Eurythmics contributions make the film much more in line with the soundscape of the 1980s. Some argue that it dates Nineteen Eighty-Four, while others say it adds to the dystopian futuristic feel. It's ultimately down to personal preference.

One last thing of note: the 2017 Japanese Blu-ray of Nineteen Eighty-Four has the rare option of multiple Japanese subtitles.

You get the choice of the original 1985 subtitle translation, an updated translation commissioned specifically for this release, and subtitles that match the Japanese dub. The Nineteen Eighty-Four novel also had multiple translations.

The 1985 version was notably translated by Shunji Shimizu who played a significant role in subtitling foreign films for Japanese audiences. It was one of his last works before he passed away. The 2017 version updates the translation in certain areas, but it's great the original is also included for historical preservation.

I wish more Blu-ray releases both in the U.S. and in Japan offered these translation choices. It would give fans the option to go with their preferred one, while it also shows that translation is truly an art that can lend itself to multiple interpretations.

Long thread, but I hope you found these observations insightful.