My only gripe with this film is they must presume everyone has read Orwell's 1984. If you haven't you may find this film hard to follow. Too often key points or changes are not made apparent enough to the viewer. This being the case, the film fails to equal the book in any area. It's a pity as Hurt's acting is excellent, and the film certainly gives out the right atmosphere.
This version of Orwell's 1984 is well performed by its three leads, even though Burton apparently had difficulty with lines. I wonder if that may account for the fact that the scenes where Winston Smith is re-educated are somewhat shorter than might have been justified. But the horrible totalitarian milieu, the drudgery of everyday life, the manipulation of information are well drawn. Suzanna Hamilton ably suggests both warm humanity and a certain ambiguity as Smith's lover - who does she really work for, apart from herself? Parallels with today, Trump etc can be over-stretched but this is still very thought provoking.
This the best film adaptation we could have ever hoped for. Based on George Orwell's classic novel of the same title, this distills all the landmark moments from the book and it's gripping, sad and ultimately crushing. Perfectly cast, the principal trio, John Hurt, Suzanna Hamilton (who ended up in TV's Casualty!!) and in his last role, Richard Burton, all put in note perfect performances. It's a spooky, sad, and upsetting film. The futility of everything permeates everything. CLASSIC>