FAHRENHEIT 451
US, 2018, 100 minutes, Colour.
Michael B.Jordan, Michael Shannon, Aaron Davis, Cindy Katz, Katherine Cullen, Keir Dullea, Martin Donovan.
Directed by Ramin Bahrani.
Fahrenheit 451 was a novel with strong impact, written by Ray Bradbury, prolific author of science fiction books and screenplays. It was filmed by François Truffaut with Julie Christie and Oskar Werner in 1966.
This version is directed by Ramin Bahrani, director of small-budget films but working here with quite lavish budget for a television film. The setting is the future, and near future after apocalyptic civil wars and the taking over by an authoritarian and totalitarian government, using its fire brigade with flamethrowers to destroy books rather than to put out fires. There is an authority figure speaking on Big Brother -like television screens.
While the general population is urged on to fanaticism about the burning of books, the brainwashing of children, the rabble rousing of adults, there are rebels, individuals who memorise complete books, a woman going up in flames who had memorised The Grapes of Wrath and a young man who has memorised all the works of Proust.
Michael Shannon brings his customary sinister severity to the role of the police captain. Michael B. Jordan is the central character, Montag, a long-serving fireman but who has memories of his father in books, who is curious about the books even as he fulfils his duties rigorously. He takes a book, starts to read, is in contact with a rebel who leads him out of the city to a refuge of rebels who want free a bird who is instilled with the DNA of knowledge and soon it to Canada where it could change the world.
Montag himself become something of a martyr. It is interesting to see Martin Donovan and, especially, Keir Dullea in cameo roles.
1. Ray Bradbury and science-fiction, science-future? A totalitarian world? The film version of 1966?
2. The future world, a Blade Runner kind of city? The darkness, the lights, the neon, the huge television screens on buildings? The interiors, police officers, classrooms, the headquarters? Homes and the refuges? The world of books? The burning of the books? Escape to the countryside and the contrast with the city? The mansion in the country? A future world?
3. The title, books burning at 451 Fahrenheit, the fireman with their flamethrowers, their jobs and duty?
4. The background of wars, civil wars, authoritarian government? Big Brother television screens and authorities pontificating? The fire chiefs? The ideology? Ruthless behaviour?
5. The status of books, physical books and the touch, the smell, the feel? All the burning of the books, the denunciation of words, ideas, ideas deemed stupid, the need to destroy? The fanatical children, the fanatical crowds and the burning? The contrast with the rebels and then memorising books, the personification of books, the expert with
Proust?
6. The point of the story in the IT age? The Internet, control of television, news? Promotion of propaganda? The banning and ridiculing books? Yet people’s capacity to read?
7. The character of Montag, his role in the police and the squad, interracial officers? His 16 years of work, working with Beatty, his job, supporting the authorities, his ideology, with other offices, the drills, the children? Is loyalty, no personal life?
8. The flashbacks, the memories of his father, the books, the recurring flashbacks?
9. The city, middle America, Ohio? The young woman, giving the information, leading to the house, the woman personifying Grapes of Wrath? Her defiance? The immolation? The effect? On Montag? The using the word Omnis?
10. The old man, the books, his speech, the interrogation, the arrests?
11. Montag, his doubts, taking the book, Dostoievsky, reading it, getting the woman to read it aloud, the effect on him, his report to the woman? The meetings, personal?
12. Beatty, harsh, yet his knowledge, his way with words, quotations, demanding loyalty, mocking books?
13. Montag and his change, professing his loyalty, his being abducted, the group in the country, testing him to kill the officer? His credibility?
14. The explanation of the Omnis, the young man, Chris, his knowledge, the DNA in the bird, its needing to be rescued and transported to Canada?
15. Montag, Beatty challenging him, the arrest, the flamethrower, defiance, burning the associate?
16. Montag returning to the mansion? The flames, the prisoners? Going inside, finding the bird, getting it ready to fly? Confronted by Beatty, Beatty to fire, hesitating, the bird
released? Montag and the fire, a martyr?
17. The bird flying free – and humanity saved?
