Rating: 
Summary: Truffaut Versus Bradbury.
Review: Set in a future where books and all literature are banned and seen as a subversive influence. Firemen are employed to burn these illegal texts (farenheit 451 being the temperature at which paper catches fire), rather than extinguish burning buildings etc. Not Francois Truffaut's best film by a long way, but nevertheless an interesting interpetation of Ray Bradbury's classic science fiction story. This should have been a emotional experience but Truffaut's understated style doesn't quite work. Some scenes are impressive (such as the old woman in her house set alight by herself, happy to be burned to death with her illegal books rather than live on without them). Photographed by Nicolas Roeg, Music by Bernard Herrmann.
Rating: 
Summary: Worth seeing, but hardly a blockbuster
Review: As with so many science fiction novels that are translated into film, this version of F451 follows most of the plot points of Bradbury's novel but, in my opinion, alters the themes significantly. However, in the final analysis, this is a movie worth seeing -- just brace yourself for the lackadaisical, French-art house style and Oskar Werner's tenuous grasp of English.
Rating:
Summary: Uninspiring
Review: Plodding, sometimes boring film. A couple of good sequences, but generally not spectacular in its effect on mind and body. See it if you liked the book and want to see an interpretation, but otherwise, don't bother.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining, but read the book, too!
Review: I bought the video to share with eleventh grade students who had read and discussed the novel. The film captures some of the symbolism of the book (having spoken credits at the beginning was a nice touch)but fails to deliver much of the science fiction that was part of Bradbury's horrific vision. I missed the mechanical tracking dog and Faber's earphones (and Faber, for that matter!), and the anti-war message was diluted. Still, the film entertains and provides a nice point of comparison for the novel.
Rating: 
Summary: The most moving hymn to literacy on film
Review: A film of the 1960s, in its picture of a society in dislocation, finding refuge in the superficialities of manipulable communications media, and starring Julie Christie, a great ikon of that decade. The film is convincing in its picture of literature as the final carrier of civilization, as the enduring medium of human expression, of the values of liberal society, and the object of total human commitment. The living books, the passing on of Weir of Hermiston from grandfather to grandson, are amongst the most moving scenes in cinema.
Rating:
Summary: Force to Be Reckoned With
Review: When I first saw the film version of Fahrenheit 451, I was offended by the way Francois Truffaut treated the original text. Important details were left out in order to pursue his own personal vision of the future. Somehow I find it wrong to title a film after a book of the same name when the interpretation is so loose and vague. On a more positive note, Julie Christie, despite popular opinion, was true to her role and even a bit frightening, which can be expected in this particular story. Oskar Werner, whom prior to this film I had never heard of, put an amazing amount of depth and passion into his role, yet managed to retain the sense of dividedness that is necessary for the character of Montag. Had this been an Academy Award-rate film, Mr. Werner would've been my choice for Best Actor.
Rating: 
Summary: not oddly intriguing, just odd
Review: Many years ago, I wrote a book report on this Lame movie adaptation of a great book. It was pretty low-budget, and didn't follow the story well enough for me to like it. I still remember a Montag afraid of *the firepole*, and the cheap hover machines on strings swooping down after him. Two stars for at least ripping off a good plot in the first place.
Rating:
Summary: good version of Farenheit
Review: Though It looks a little bit dated by now the movie succeeds quite well. Oscar Werner is excepitonal.
Rating:
Summary: Beware the Four-eyed Snake and his Media Lackies!
Review: In Ray Bradbury's renowned novel FAHRENHEIT 451,the ubiquitous TV set is ONE-EYED SNAKE. This was our nation's foremost story teller's metaphor for SATAN himself. Poisonous pap of televison programing--as moronic narcotic--was Bradbury's ingeniously ironic reversal of Biblical Forbidden Fruit TEMPTATION. Books (Written Word,THE LOGOS) became singluar source of SIN. A near future, Government-issue-drug stupored, anti-child, PC society run by fascist oligarchs and policed by FIREMEN (licensed to burn books and Readers to death)was Bradbury's arch parody of the Culture of Death's Garden of Eden. Francois Truffaut gamely tries to capture the suicidal listlessness...Unholy Spirit...of The 451 NATION. The anti-grace of Death is cinematically characterized by repeated sequences of autoeroticism(masturbation)by myriads of vacant-eyed,zombie-like citizens. That these lack erotic power(or even quality of the mildly perverse)conveys the pathetic depths to which a once-powerful people has deprived itself of its own humanity. Even "depravity" requires too much energy of this narcisscist culture embracing rank stupidity in the name of equality. IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH proclaimed Orwell in 1984. CYRIL CUSACK...who essays role of THOUGHT POLICEman in the Richard Burton-featured adaptation of 1984...is BEATTY, consummate GRAND INQUISITOR and high priest. Oscar Werner is superb as MONTAG his would-be acolyte successor. The thematic climax of the film consists of ritual burning of a hidden,forbidden LIBRARY;and martyrdom death of a woman who refuses to "live"life of non-being "distracted"...as T.S. Eliot observed...from distraction by DISTRACTION. Julie Christie plays dual/pivotal roles of CLARISSE; the young woman(in the book she's a 17 year old wunderkind)who initiates/converts Montag into the world of books and THE BOOK PEOPLE...the remnant who flee 451 Society to memorize books-- (become LIVING books--whose "leaves...will one day be..."for the healing of the nations." Julie Christie also plays LINDA[in the novel named Mildred:allegorically damned/damp "dust" Mildew/Mordred anti-woman/Judas]. Linda betrays her husband(calls Beatty/the Firemen)because he has offended her child-hating friends (one particularly repugnant 30'ish/thrice-married narcissist/twelve abortions-so-far named...with ironic prescience CP...Clara Phelps);and jeopardizes her standing in THE TELEVISION FAMILY.[Consisting of idiotic glamour shows participation; and membership in "reality"-interactive serial-SOAP OPERAS ] Unlike the novel...which ends with nuclear annihilation of the 451 Nation...Truffaut's 451 concludes with an ambiguity in which it's filmed. Sometimes photography is in frequently European "wash-out" grey colors. Sometimes is blazes with colors of killing flames; or nihilistically numbs with GESTAPO jet black k uniforms of Firemen sealed with the scourge/flash of the Phoenix-rising-from-flames in triumph. 1966 Critics neither appreciated nor grasped Truffaut's cinematic metaphors(an APPLE is strategically eaten by Book People or initiates; the Forbidden Fruit is manifestly bidden to humanity's new Adam & Eve's). It's said Ray Bradbury had previously submitted three scripts for a 451 update(and was tempted by offering Sean Connery as Beatty).
But Hollywood Homies mangled 451 of intellectual impact with TERMINATOR-action ambience consigning subtlety or chance of religious/mythical metaphor to the flames.Another try is promised in 2005. NOW that Michael Moore has offended Mr. Bradbury by pirating/plagiarizing not only his greatest work's title, but bastardizing its essence(which IS about Freedom:The Logos/Word(s)
that Set one Free)in comprise of Left-wing dreck and propaganda); one of America's few genuine literary geniuses has "cried havoc" and threatens to set loose the dogs of war on the Four-Eyed Snake. What the result will be, quien sabe? It's possible not only a renewed study of a literary masterwork will ensue, but revived interest in a cult film, more or less consigned to cinematic dustbin, will acknowledge the reel FAHRENHEIT 451 as minor, but worthy achievement in its own right. Whatever Moore and his media lackies end up calling "'Fahrenheit'9/11",irony of his effort at pirating superb Political-Religious Allegory might well turn firey wrath on PC's pitiful Captain Beatty clone.(451 Stars!)
Rating:
Summary: Back to the future
Review: "Look, mummy, there's going to be a fire!" exclaims the young boy as hero Montag goes off on his duty to keep people from learning. Francois Truffaut's first English language film is an indictment of closed mindedness, censorship and probably Communism. Oskar Werner, as Montag, goes through a metamorphosis in this movie. First, he dispels the notion that firemen once put out fires, then morphs from book burner to book reader to revolutionary with the help of Julie Christie's alter ego. Christie plays two roles in the film -- Montag's vacuous wife and the school teacher that first questions his happiness as a book burner and later aids his fulfillment as agent of change in a bookless society. This little film, that couldn't keep up with its big brother book, still packs quite a wallop. The "future" presented in this flick definitely seems like the past in 2004. Still, the message of anti-intellectualism is as rich and poignant today as anytime. Even by digital 2004 standards "Farenheit 451" remains a memorable landmark about a time in world history when people worried about things as mundane as antiintellectualism, book burning, government intrustion in personal lives, and seeking life experience greater and more meaningful than looking nice, having a good figure and an empty head.
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