7) Fahrenheit 451 (1966)

(4 's out of 5)

"The books have nothing to say."

Director

Francois Truffaut

Cast
Oskar Werner - Guy Montag
Julie Christie - Linda Montag/Clarisse
Cyril Cusack - Captain Beatty
Anton Diffring - Fabian/Headmistress
Jeremy Spenser - Man with the Apple
Bee Duffell - Book woman
Alex Scott - Book Person: The Life of Henry Brulard
Gillian Lewis - Cousin Midge on TV

Four hundred fifty-one degrees Fahrenheit is the temperature books will burn. 

Based on Ray Bradbury's 1955 dystopian novel set in an oppressive society, the 1966 movie "Fahrenheit 451" is an impactful and significant little movie.

It's dry and a bit difficult to get into. By the end, it left me with an impression on modern society with authoritarian movements beating us over the head with dictates on what to do, what to think, and what to feel...or suffer the consequences.

In the dystopian future of this movie, it's a crime to possess or read books. All books are banned. Special firefighting units are sent out to investigate neighborhoods, homes, and individuals suspected of hiding books. Any books! Books will be torched on site upon discovery. People hide books in their homes in very elaborate ways.

One of these officers, Guy Montag (Oskar Werner), meets a gorgeous young neighbor named Clarisse (Julie Christie) who comes across as someone who goes against the current grain. What strikes Montag about Clarisse is that she strongly resembles his wife, Linda (also played by Julie Christie but with different hair.) 

Clarisse manages to open Montag's eyes to the benefits of reading books. 

After listening to Clarissa's insights, Montag soon smuggles books into his house so he can read them late at night. They captivate him like he's seeing the sun for the first time. 

Linda however doesn't feel good about Montag smuggling books into their house and reports him to authorities. 

But the authorities don't respond immediately.

On his last book raid, he turns his book burning flamethrower on the other officers.

This act quickly turns Montag into a fugitive on the run. 

And he continues fleeing the law with Clarissa until they come across a secret group of book readers who memorize entire volumes before authorities destroy them all. These people consider themselves the last hope for humanity as the preservers of literature. Realizing the importance of their efforts, Montag and Clarissa quickly join them. 

Oskar Werner as Montag in "Fahrenheit 451."

Though the depiction is certainly realistic, it's a fitting movie for modern society. If audiences have their eyes open and their reasoning is turned on, don't have to suspend disbelief much to realize how reflective a surface "Fahrenheit 451" has. 

The movie is a contrast of authoritarian government against the people under their thumb who refuse to be controlled. 

In one scene, the firemen find a huge collection of books in an older woman's house, who was previously seen with Clarisse. They try to force her out of her own house while they torch her books, but she refuses to leave. Instead, she stands amidst her books while they're set ablaze until she goes down with her own library. 

Top that scene with the final scene of the book people storing entire books to memory. They pace back and forth reciting pages upon pages to themselves. Snow falls all around them like God's gentle cleansing grace blessing their efforts. 

"Fahrenheit 451" has some of that old school British dramatic dry tone. Oskar Werner has amazing character development from stoic authoritarian puppet who does what he's told, to a mind that's opened up by the written word for the first time in his life. The movie relies so much on the subject matter that it may not appeal to the interest of the audience. It neglects to do anything about the pretentiousness of everything and everyone else in the movie. 

Director Francois Truffaut was obsessed with making this movie - his first in the realm of science fiction. His other imprint in the genre is his role in Steven Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind." The movie tries to go above and beyond the campy nature seen in all the typical American sci-fi movies of the decade, even in the UK no doubt. And I can't say it doesn't succeed.

Perhaps the dry acting is an intentional depiction of the characters who are void of the endless insight and thoughts found in books. A repressive regime will do that to people. Otherwise, it's a lot of dry performances which makes maintaining interest a challenge. Still, it gives the audience so much to consider. What won't governments and regimes do for control and power? 

We live in a similar regime with impulsive people led around by the passions they're enslaved to, forcing everyone to acknowledge them, or else. 

The movie beautifully captures human behavior. It's not a bad movie in the least. In fact, it makes me want to check out Bradbury's novel.