Rating: 
Summary: book was great, movie wasn't
Review: I was eager to see this movie after reading the novel, and I have to say I was disappointed. As far as movies go, I thought this was one of the worst I have ever seen. While it is faithful to the novel, I thought some scenes were very poorly done, cheesy, and not entertaining at all. It was painful to watch and the soundtrack was terrible too. If you want to be depressed and see a lot of a hairy naked chick, buy this movie. You have to be one of those literary types to enjoy it even a little bit.
Rating: 
Summary: awful
Review: this movie slaughtered one of the greatest pieces of modern literature. Everything from the acting to the scene was just miserable. DO NOT WATCH!
Rating:
Summary: Good movie... wrong soundtrack
Review: If I had known this DVD version was going to have a different soundtrack than the original U.S. release, I would not have purchased it! With all due respect for the director Michael Radford, the Eurythmics soundtrack is what makes this movie very, very good, in a disturbing way. I agree with other reviewers that MGM should have provided the option to choose the soundtrack. And frankly, I don't think customers should have to read about others disappointments in DVD purchases before clicking the BUY button. If the Eurythmics were not going to be featured on the soundtrack it should have been made very obvious in the ad. In fact the DVD case and the movie titles say music by Eurythmics and Dominic Muldowney! This seems to be happening a lot with DVD's. Movies hit the theaters, people fall in love with them as they are originally seen, then DVD's are sold with changes from the way they were first seen and remembered. This becomes infuriating given the cost of DVD's especially when replacing VHS tapes and getting stuck with a changed movie. I purchased this "1984" DVD for the Eurythmics musical score, as well as the movie itself and it's two great actors Richard Burton and John Hurt. I understand the VHS tape version has the Eurythmics soundtrack, therefore I recommend it over the DVD.Aside from that, having read the book several times, the movie is an excellent adaptation that follows the original story in feeling and bewilderment, with only minor changes that comes with making a movie from a great novel. I urge everyone who sees this movie for the first time to read the book for many more interesting little details, all of which makes this story a very frightening one since it could become very real someday. Maybe by 2084?
Rating: 
Summary: A must-see film for EVERYONE but the soundtrack....
Review: Let me start by stating that the transfer on this disc is right on the money, revealing every gritty detail in the London of 1984 (both story-wise and, in fact, also when and where this movie was filmed)
Orwell's 1984 contains a message for us all, and on the day this film is banned - worry.
This is one of my staple films that I like to come back to every year or so, and it's an excellent adaptation of Orwell's novel (unlike the 1954 version that I once purchased out of curiousity). Everything in Winston Smith's London has a poverty that rival's Moscow's during the Cold War, and the element of dread of the opressive INGSOC government and the Thought Police is conveyed perfectly!
I was quite pleased that this film had finally made it to DVD, but discovered much to my chagrin that the soundtrack wasn't the same one that I had been accustomed to hearing in all these years of seeing this film.
The soundtrack that is on the VHS and premium-cable version of the film was performed by the Eurythmics, and in my opinion enhanced the surreal feeling of dread and hopelessness that is at the core of this film.
On the disc, however, is the score that the director originally wanted - in the 80's it was replaced with the Eurythmics soundtrack in the American theatrical and video releases to make it more "marketable".
I could understand if perhaps the disc could have contained alternate soundtrack options - since this is a bare-bones disc that wouldn't have been too difficult, I imagine, but unfortunately we don't get a choice.
I'm not saying the score the director preferred is necessarily inferior - simply that, after years and years of watching this film, my mind associates certain scenes with certain scores, and now that all that is changed...well, I guess the only thing I can do is play my VHS recording of the film while watching the DVD picture.
We should have been given a choice in soundtracks, as Universal did with Legend.
Rating: 
Summary: Do not watch this movie with a loaded gun nearby
Review: ...I believe it is essential to read the novel then watch the movie. If you have seen the movie without reading the novel you should read it and then go back and watch the movie. I agree that it is almost impossible to translate a novel into celluloid but I believe the pathos this movie exudes is breathtaking. It is stark, melancholic and disturbingly close to Orwell's vision. Radford drew from the core of the literary creation and gave his movie pungent and decadent life. Orwell would have approved of the movie but not of the world's current state of affairs, which he had himself predicted...
Rating:
Summary: Read the Book!
Review: I'm sorry, but this movie does not do any justice to the power of the book 1984. If you don't read it and simply dive into this film, you will be lost, bored, and will not have seen an unforgetable and frightful parallel with modern society. Please, I beg you, read Orwell's original vision!
Rating:
Summary: true to the book, bleak and depressing
Review: 1984 is not a happy book nor is this a feel good movie. one gets the sense of how opressive the world of Big Brother would be. The film was prosessed to look washed out and this adds to the overall effect. The film is done well, but it's not something you would want to watch everyday, it's just too depressing.
Rating: 
Summary: FUTURE PAST?
Review: A small but rising chorus of concerned voices in the U.S. suggest that in an age when we are eagerly surrendering our freedom for the illusion of more security, Big Brother may not be so far off. 1984, Michael Radford's adaptation of George Orwell's depressing premonition stars John Hurt and Suzanna Hamilton as lovers who must keep their affair a secret. Richard Burton, in his final role, is a government agent who exposes Hurt to the concept of resistance. Oceania is a country that outlaws sex, fabricates reality and reconstructs history so it can suppress the masses, who are brainwashed via TV. Sound familiar? Orwell was off a little on his dates, but some of his ideas have been boldly mirrored ... An almost great film that deserves to be reconsidered because of it's timely and relevant ideas.
Rating:
Summary: A WORK OF ART!
Review: This movie is too good to describe. John Hurt is a man living in 1984 Earth which is controlled by "Big Brother". He falls in love with Suzanne Hamilton & commits a "sex crime". Hurt goes to room 101 & is tortured by O'Brien (Richard Burton) Gripping! Scary! Nail Biting! Even sensual at times. One of the most intriguing movies I ever saw! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Rating:
Summary: Effective Adaptation
Review: The movie 1984 is as dark and foreboding as Orwell's original book. John Hurt and Richard Burton depict Winston and O'Brien well. Hamilton makes for an excellent Julia. The performances of these actors make this film believable and quite effective. There are some great lines in this movie. The dialogue between Hurt and Burton towards the end might make you cringe (given the setting) but it is memorable. The screenplay follows the book closely, and focuses on the most important passages, a necessity due to the time constraints of any movie. This movie is long, but how could one make a short version of this story worth watching? The lighting and soundtrack add to the atmosphere or dread and gloom. The messages conveyed by the book emerge from the dialogue and performance of the actors. The sets it was filmed on match this mood aptly. This is a rare instance where the movie version of a great story is as worthwhile as the book it drew upon. Though it is depressing, it is a profound and unique film that all who appreciate fine cinematography should watch.
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