His path crosses with a woman, Julia (Suzanna Hamilton) and the two begin to have regular sex and fall deeply in love. This is something the Party disapproves of beyond the need for procreation to make the next generation of proud soldiers.
No good will come of this.
CW: scenes of torture and general misery
This Michael Radford adaptation of the classic novel is perhaps the best known. It's bloody miserable, as expected, and looks amazing. The film has been graded to a very washed out look that somehow also has colour.
The endless boot stamping on a human face is there onscreen in the dismal surroundings, charmless canteens, two minutes hate and strained interactions between the less zealous Party workers all keen to be seen to fit in.
It's both dated and horribly relevant. We're under more surveillance than ever but it's mostly used to sell us consumer goods. The fear of the other is stoked but the endless war we're in is more one of class and generations than nations.
Making something so downbeat is rare outside independent cinema nowadays, would a modern big name adaptation like this get made?
Worth a look, 6/10 but it is 'stagey' and feeling the burden of almost 40 years of changes to conventions of cinema.