Severely handicapped class arrives - The Lowell

1984' brings Orwell's
vision to the screen
By Stephen Hcuscr
He who controls the past, control*
the future; he vho controls the
present, controU the p*st." These
openinj words of the movie 1984
form the basic premise of the op*
prcuive goverfimcni af Oceania.
George Or«U's fictitious, partycontrollcd,
totalitarian state.
Director Michael Radford's Him
adaptation of Orwell's' prophet* *
novel U a powerful, haunting vision
cf a figure where one'* every move
u monitored by the Parry'* gum
two-way telescreens: where love,
sex, and marriage arc being rapidly
abolished; where a single thought
contrary to the Party's principles U
n "thoughicri-nc." punishable by
death.
The plot revolves around Winston
Smith (John Hun), a resident of
Airstrip One. the province of
Oceania formerly known as Britain.
Smith is an outer Party member
employed in the Ministry of Truth,
rewriting archived newipjpcr
ttorics to conform with cutreiu
government policy and itatwics
He begins keeping a diary, an illegal
journal of his ihoughicrimei —
the forbidden feelings and opinions
which mark him as an exception to
hit absolute conformist society.
He eventually encounters Julia
(Suzanna Hamilton), a co-worker
sympathetic with his ideas. With
secret note*, they arrange meetings
jn a »etluded country wood,
John Hurt broods under the watchful R«ze of •
from Big Brother's: ever-wiicMuI
telescreens. They swear their love
for each other and continue to meet,
but are soon Decayed to the Thought
Police by the secret government
agent from whom they had rented a
room in the squalid proletariat
ghetto-
Winston is taken to the Ministry
of Love, where he is ruthlcrjy in*
lerrogated by O'Brien (Richud Burton),
a member of the prestigious
ind secretive Inner Piny. The two
had met before, when O'Brien
deviously trapped Winston into
discussing his aflti-Parry sentiments.
Tue movie climaxes with
Winston's slow brainwashing at the
hands 01 O'Brien, and his eventual
trip to room 101. which, to facUitatf
the final crushing of his spirit.
brutally confronts htm with hi*
greatest fear.
The importance of the dnal out*
come of Winston's agonizing torture
is greatly undcremphasixed;
although John Hurt gives • superb
performance during the intenoga*
lion scenes, the movie seems to end
on an cmklimactic note.
The rest of the movie suffers from
nrKh the ean.
Th>- lit song EP which will be
premienng on .he 413 tetord Ufcel
i» the cu!(rin)lion of \\< young
baiid'f diverw talents. Mow cf the
members of thi\ niric-piec*: band aiicnJcU
Berkeley High where :)n>
ki\tcmiy well bectu^c people wcrr
siill in school and not everyone take chances.
If there'* Otu thing The Uptmcs
are. ii't ilarinz. and we're A|hm piitjr.v
"Pic UpUM*:- >Uriol i«t a* j
I md iif nclt.'UCthcr nn the
^cckernl'.. SiMKlhtn^ MC CIXIM
^J.C tun with that MIMIJ gn>t to tii»i*jr h*nrc»