Fahrenheit 451

[JediJaida]

Has anyone else seen the Truffaut version?

I have it on DVD and I think it is highly underappreciated.

It was a bit of a flop at the box office, but now is a cult classic.

Julie Christie is excellent in her dual role as two very different women.

Oskar Werner is very good in his role as Montag, if a bit stiff. But that's how he played the part, so it's very believable.

Now, the real question; to remake or not to remake?

The movie has its problems; stilted dialogue, no real special effects, and otber goofs.

But, it is also a gripping drama of a man whose curiosity and conscience are awakened by the seemingly innocent questions of a young neighbor, which leads him into the world of books. Books that up until then, he had been burning in hsppy ignorance.

[Godzilla]

I like it, although I don't love it. I am a huge fan of the book and Bradbury in general so I'd be happy with a one and done on the movie versions. I think Gibson and maybe even Arnie was linked to a more action oriented remake for years. I was glad that never saw the light of day.

[PNGwynne]

I'm a great fan of the novel, and I like the film quite a bit. Not perfect, but well-done all things considered. I'm pretty sure, as per ^Godzilla, a modern version would be awful. "I Robot" anyone?

There are some very powerful scenes in the film, I love the poignant ending. The self-immolation of the neighbor still gives me shivers, and I've seen the film many times.

[Goblin19]

Great book. Good movie. If they remake it, it would have to be a low budget thing. I can't see it working as a major production, either artistically or financially.

[PNGwynne]

They will never re-make it as a major studio film IMO: Bradbury's ideas are at odds with a mass-market actioner.

[JediJaida]

Do you think that Netflix could make it as a miniseries? It might work that way.

[Gorn Captain]

Let's hope nobody makes this into a "major motion picture".
I can see them adding stuff that would make Bradbury return from the grave, like Bookburning Robo-Squads, and a couple of highspeed chases.
Same with other books: I love Blade Runner, but it has little to do with the book.

Maybe if HBO got on board, it might have a chance....

I liked the movie, been ages since I've seen it.

[Brazoo]

I saw it years ago when I studied the book in high school. I remember the movie being kinda dull, and I thought the few effects it had were terrible. Plus, to me the ending of the movie seemed to contradict the message in the book. Instead of being freed the commune of exiles all seemed like slaves. Just repeating the lines from the novels they memorized over and over, like mindless zombies. To me that was weird.

Maybe I'm remembering it wrong though?

I should probably see it again. I am a big Truffaut fan, and I'd probably appreciate the acting more now.

[Mr.Marion]

When I was on my film kick I saw this 6-8 years ago. I enjoyed the film but it's not a classic. I like that Truffaut was given at a shot at directing a blockbuster. The 400 Blows should be required viewing for tweens. Probably my favorite coming of age story.

[JediJaida]

Brazoo, I agree. It is a bit dull in places, but Truffaut was operating under a budget, and concentrated on the drama between the characters. He didn't have a huge budget to concentrate on special effects, which I am glad of, as those can easily take over a movie.

There was a lot of tension on the set between him and Oskar Werner, and he was quoted as saying that if he hadn't spent six years trying to get the funding for it, he'd have walked off the set.

I hope that either Netflix or HBO can pick this up as a miniseries; there was a lot of detail in the book that was left out of the movie.

[ShadowAvenger]

Loved the book when I first read it for my Science Fiction reading class in high school (loved the class but hated the teacher since she was not a big science fiction fan). Thought the movie was okay but could have been so much more. I would like to see a miniseries too instead of a over the top movie.

[palitoy]

The leads are kind of limp as I recall, I did enjoy it's look though. Very fond of 60s Eruo Sci Fi and of Bradbury but I do agree that his work is largely not big box office.

[JediJaida]

Oskar Werner played it very stiff, which really ticked off Truffaut, and Julie Christie, as Linda Montag was basically a Stepford wife, but without being a robot duplicate.

Clarisse, her other part, was much more lively and actually had a brain in her head.

[PNGwynne]

Truffaut and Werner were barely speaking for most of the shoot, I read. Too, you had a director and a male lead working in another language.

[JediJaida]

Well, I listened to the commentary on the DVD, and Werner, as well as Julie Christie spoke French fluently, so it wasn't the language barrier that was the problem.

Werner was literally the LAST choice they wanted for the part of Montag, and his own German accent amongst a group of English actors didn't help.

His relationship with Truffaut started going down the toilet practically from the first day, and by the end, they weren't speaking to each other at all.

Despite it's problems, I still like the movie; even though there is a LOT of room for improvement.