somewhere I get the feeling that any adaptation of the novel will be driven by a desire to convince people that they don’t see the pages of the book unfolding before them in real time. That big tech is not somehow doing the work of big brother and silencing the opposition, that numerous figures in politics are not calling for the cleansing or deprogramming or whatever else of conservatives, and that the war in Eastasia is going as planned.
Fraser Bailey
3 years ago
Why do we need a film or musical of ‘1984’ when our various governments and Big Tech companies are providing us with the real thing? This article seems to miss out the film of ‘1984’ made in, I think, 1984 with, I think, Anthony Whatsisname – the one who played Hannibal Lector. Funnily enough, he might also have been in the film version of Philip Roth’s ‘The Human Stain’, which isn’t mentioned here among the film adaptations of his novels. Or am I imagining that? ‘The Human Stain’, by the way, was a pretty good book by Roth’s standards (I am not really a fan) and anticipated a lot of the Woke tyranny by about 20 years.
Perhaps so the people are made aware of the dystopian trend in modern life?
While it would probably be sufficient to re-release that 1984 film, a “2050” adaptation that takes today’s trends to their logical conclusion could serve as a the same sort of wake-up call that the original book was in 1948.
Wonderful idea I think, as probably the closest thing to 1984 I’ve seen on screen is V for Vendetta (already an iffy adaptation) and it just isn’t relatable at all to fully understand the dangers that Orwell was trying to highlight. If someone is going to attempt a modern day 1984 then I think you definitely need to get Charley Brooker on board. In Black Mirror almost every episode seems like with one wrong decision our reality will follow that of the show.
Tim Bartlett
3 years ago
On another site, I once read a comment quoting from Orwells review of Mein Kampf. The passages they used appeared to show Orwell approving of Hitlers program. I’m not sure if it was intended, but the Orwellian butchering of the man’s own words was brilliant. It also made me read Orwells entire article, which is well worth doing.
David Lawler
3 years ago
1984 is here now, we’re watching it happen.
Kiran Grimm
3 years ago
Rock musicians look to grandiose projects when they become aware that the genre they have been working in is merely a limited form of entertainment that does not carry the status of high art.
If, like Bowie, you have adoring fans and fawning critics treating your catalogue of songs as the product of creative genius it must be tempting to try creating something more significant than a just another set of pop tunes. And thus we have (God help us!): Tommy by The Who; The Wall by Pink Floyd; Just about any prog-rock “concept” album;
Chris Wheatley
3 years ago
I assume the film is not a film of 1984 but one like 1984, about our future from now. For me, being an oldie, the films today are only about computer simulations and any film made by computer simulation with the topic of computer simulation will be stretching a little.
Philip Stott
3 years ago
I think Bowie would readily admit (if he could) that in the era he made those comments he was doing a lot of drugs, and that his opinions on a lot of subjects changed widely once he got clean.
Fraser Bailey
3 years ago
‘In November 1973, Rolling Stone magazine brought together David Bowie and William S. Burroughs for a wide-ranging conversation between two icons of the counterculture.’
I can only be grateful for the fact that in November 1973 I was still reading Victor and Cor!, and had not yet discovered the ‘music press’.
somewhere I get the feeling that any adaptation of the novel will be driven by a desire to convince people that they don’t see the pages of the book unfolding before them in real time. That big tech is not somehow doing the work of big brother and silencing the opposition, that numerous figures in politics are not calling for the cleansing or deprogramming or whatever else of conservatives, and that the war in Eastasia is going as planned.
Why do we need a film or musical of ‘1984’ when our various governments and Big Tech companies are providing us with the real thing? This article seems to miss out the film of ‘1984’ made in, I think, 1984 with, I think, Anthony Whatsisname – the one who played Hannibal Lector. Funnily enough, he might also have been in the film version of Philip Roth’s ‘The Human Stain’, which isn’t mentioned here among the film adaptations of his novels. Or am I imagining that? ‘The Human Stain’, by the way, was a pretty good book by Roth’s standards (I am not really a fan) and anticipated a lot of the Woke tyranny by about 20 years.
Perhaps so the people are made aware of the dystopian trend in modern life?
While it would probably be sufficient to re-release that 1984 film, a “2050” adaptation that takes today’s trends to their logical conclusion could serve as a the same sort of wake-up call that the original book was in 1948.
Wonderful idea I think, as probably the closest thing to 1984 I’ve seen on screen is V for Vendetta (already an iffy adaptation) and it just isn’t relatable at all to fully understand the dangers that Orwell was trying to highlight. If someone is going to attempt a modern day 1984 then I think you definitely need to get Charley Brooker on board. In Black Mirror almost every episode seems like with one wrong decision our reality will follow that of the show.
On another site, I once read a comment quoting from Orwells review of Mein Kampf. The passages they used appeared to show Orwell approving of Hitlers program. I’m not sure if it was intended, but the Orwellian butchering of the man’s own words was brilliant. It also made me read Orwells entire article, which is well worth doing.
1984 is here now, we’re watching it happen.
Rock musicians look to grandiose projects when they become aware that the genre they have been working in is merely a limited form of entertainment that does not carry the status of high art.
If, like Bowie, you have adoring fans and fawning critics treating your catalogue of songs as the product of creative genius it must be tempting to try creating something more significant than a just another set of pop tunes.
And thus we have (God help us!):
Tommy by The Who; The Wall by Pink Floyd; Just about any prog-rock “concept” album;
I assume the film is not a film of 1984 but one like 1984, about our future from now. For me, being an oldie, the films today are only about computer simulations and any film made by computer simulation with the topic of computer simulation will be stretching a little.
I think Bowie would readily admit (if he could) that in the era he made those comments he was doing a lot of drugs, and that his opinions on a lot of subjects changed widely once he got clean.
‘In November 1973, Rolling Stone magazine brought together David Bowie and William S. Burroughs for a wide-ranging conversation between two icons of the counterculture.’
I can only be grateful for the fact that in November 1973 I was still reading Victor and Cor!, and had not yet discovered the ‘music press’.