Analysis Of George Orwell's 'Reading The Movies'

In ‘Reading the Movies’, it was William Costanzo who stated that one third of all films ever made were translated from literature onto the big screen for modern day audiences (Costanzo, 1992). Unsurprisingly, the 20th Century classic ‘1984’ written by George Orwell is no exception, adapted to film almost 40 years after it was published in 1949; but was it an effective adaptation? The novel depicts a world where the government, referred to simply as ‘The Party’ seizes ultimate control over their country; placing their state underneath a totalitarian regime. The book itself is most famous not for its narrative but for its frighteningly accurate portrayal of a future society that could emerge based on current events in the real world observed by Orwell throughout the writing process. For this reason, the book is blunt, confronting and, most importantly, powerful; but is the screenplay able to translate this intrinsic value into film? The following essay argues that, due to an unparalleled intentions fuelling each of these separate ventures, the novel and the film, the message and meaning of Orwell’s original works is simply not as powerful in the screenplay as it was within the book. This will be further explored throughout the following essay through the extended analysis of the films extrinsic and intrinsic value as compared with the novel. …show more content…
Unlike the movie, Orwell 's intrinsic meaning and ability to encapsulate the spirit of his totalitarian dystopia stems not from his dialogue or characterisation, but from his essays. He was often able to truly dive into the nature of the INGSOC regime through his pages of explanation as to how they maintain such control within their society. For example, at the very beginning of the book, Orwell lists each of the government agencies and their perceived roles within