Nineteen Eighty-Four

Top 10 Fun Facts

1. This would turn out to be screen legend Richard Burton's final role - he passed away two months before the movie premiered in Britain. The film is dedicated to his memory.
2. Surprisingly, Burton had not been the first choice to play O'Brien. Paul Scofield, Sean Connery and Anthony Hopkins were also considered for the part.
3. Burton had taken a five-year hiatus from making films before appearing in 1984, and had great difficulty remembering his lines. He reportedly had to film some scenes dozens of times to get them right.
4. John Hurt, who starred as Winston Smith, would go on to appear in the 2006 film V for Vendetta as High Chancellor Adam Sutler, who frequently appeared as a glowering face on a massive television screen - just like Big Brother.
5. The wrist-crossing salute in the film does not appear in George Orwell's novel, but a similar salute does appear in Pink Floyd The Wall.
6. Also different from the novel: Inner and Outer party members call one another "brother" or "sister." In the book, they use the unisex term "comrade."
7. Take your lasers and shove 'em: George Orwell's widow finally signed off on the film rights to her husband's novel when she was assured that no futuristic special effects would be used in the movie.
8. Director Michael Radford was unaware that Richard Branson's Virgin Films had signed synthpop duo Eurythmics to compose music for the film as a way to increase its audience appeal. Bradford was so incensed that he removed the film from Best Picture contention at the BAFTA Awards in retaliation.
9. Alexandra Palace in London had been gutted by a fire in 1980, and its roofless shell provided a perfect setting for the rally scenes in Victory Square.
10. How's this for eerie? Several of the scenes were shot on the actual days noted in Winston Smith's diary - for example, the scene where Smith writes in his diary "April 4, 1984" was actually filmed on 4/4/84.

Cast

Crew