Fahrenheit 451

Rating:
Summary: versatile Julie Christie in unforgettable vision of future
Review: Ray Bradbury's 1953 science fiction classic is brought to the screen here by French New Wave director Francois Truffaut. There are a number of memorable elements in the story, that does justice to Bradbury's vision of a dystopic future-world. Among the sleek modern architecture and monorails of its city, its denizens' main pursuit is watching TV (the book even suggests 3- and 4-wall television "rooms"). Happiness is emphasized, and books are excoriated as giving people confusing or melancholy ideas. Oskar Werner portrays Montag, a well-off fireman, employed here for the purpose of burning books, which alight at the title temperature. Julie Christie--in just part of a fascinating dual performance--portrays his pretty but vacuous wife, Linda. Montag becomes interested in an enigmatic neighbor, Clarisse (also played by Christie), an elementary school teacher who likes talking with her family and discussing ideas.
I like the environment suggested by the film, although the somewhat stark 1960's modernism may seem a bit dated to some. In a zeitgeist sense, our visions of tomorrow have gone sort of "back to the future" styles of the 1930's Art Moderne with industrial structural suggestions, like at Disneyworld's Tommorrowland or in the recent film "Sky Captain and the World of Tommorrow." However the mod hair styles and clothing fashion are perfectly suited to this subject, and are well modelled on the versatile Julie Christie. Montag's basic black also suits the simple citizen just starting to learn about literate ideas.
The most haunting idea of the film is presented near the end, where Montag meets the group of scholars, renegades who have have banded in the woods, memorizing books to save them for a time when their wisdom might one day be valued again. The closing scene with all the people walking about reciting their books must be one of film's greatest "what-if's?" It brings to mind the Wim Wenders film "Wings of Desire", where the angels quietly listen to the thoughts of readers in a Berlin library.



Rating:
Summary: Classic 60's Sci fi complete with fakey monorail & decor
Review: I love orange shag carpeting, plastic furniture, those big teased flip hairdos, avacado green walls from the 60s and this has all that and more. I especially love the monorail in this movie. It goes through the wierd looking English countryside where this was filmed. It stops out in the middle of nowhere and you can see the wire that drops the door and steps down from the bottom of the monorail although it is supposed to be invisible to viewers.
Oh, and the plot is equally freaky. Anyone with books is a high criminal (sort of like anyone with cocaine is now) and the "firemen" come driving up in appropriately wierd looking firetrucks and set them on fire with flame-throwers.
I think the plot is great and gives a real warning about what happens when you start to allow government censorship. But for me the real thrill of the movie is the settings. There is simply not one scene that does not look wierd in a way that makes me wish I could live in a place that looked just like that. It shows the futuristic mod vision that created some of the finest looks in decor ever. And the way the countryside and houses look! It is so cool and if I ever find out where those houses in England are I am moving there. That ultra-modern futuristic look from the 60's is displayed at it's best in this movie and it is fun to watch it just for that even without the wild plot. The characters are a bit zombie-like in their expressions which goes well with the settings.
For me it is a great movie in all ways and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you see it!