From the director of 2021’s Quarantine comes this new adaptation of the classic George Orwell novel.

In a dystopian world known as the United State, everyone follows the rule of Big Brother. There are no personal freedoms allowed. Everything and everyone has a schedule. Each person must stick to his or her own job with no qualms. Mathematician D-503 begins to wonder if there is more to life than just doing what Big Brother says. When he meets Art Department member I-330, he soon learns that what he wonders may soon become a reality.

The two start a relationship and I-330 tells D-503 of a possible resistance group who believe people should be allowed to have their own thoughts and feelings. Conflicted with the world he has always lived in for so long and what could be, D-503 begins to learn that people who are close to him begin to have the same feelings and thoughts. However, the totalitarian society considers this an illness known as “fantasy” and they will go through extreme means to ensure the world still remains intact under Big Brother. 

After making the excellent film Quarantine, Finnish filmmaker Diana Ringo decided to up the ante and make a film based on George Orwell’s final work. This is the third film adaptation of the novel after the John Hurt-led 1984 released in the same year and the 1956 film starring Edmund O’Brien. While the 1956 and 1984 adaptations rely on the actual novel, Ringo’s take meshes both with Orwell with a 1921 Russian novel, We, by Yevgeny Zamaytin. 

The cast of the film are great, especially Aleksandr Obmanov as D-503 and the director herself as I-330. The film’s major focus is on the former, who begins to show signs slowly of personal thoughts, considered a no-no in the world run by Big Brother. Even during his lunch schedule, he finds himself sick of eating the same stuff, which leads to his meeting I-330. We see glimpses of Ringo at first as we see what she does best: bring a certain appeal with her ability to perform a great piece on the piano described as “garbage” in Big Brother’s world. Her chemistry with Obmanov is definitely great here as well as is just a piece of the heart of the film. 

Aleksei Shamayev is excellent as the announcer who is more or less the voice of “Big Brother”, described as having a resemblance to Stalin. Shamayev informs the viewer of the rules of the world, news updates of any traitors, and even goes as far as to pitch Big Brother Vitamins. Some other standouts of the film include Aleksey Sharanin’s C-340, a philologist who also believes there is more to life than follow constant rules or happiness defined by Big Brother; and Sergey Budanov’s doctor, who tries to get through C-340 in a pivotal scene. 

1984 is a well-made new adaptation of the Orwell novel with Diana Ringo continuing to prove herself a force behind the camera and even pulls off a very powerful performance alongside Aleksandr Obmanov in the lead role. If you’re a fan of the novel, you will likely enjoy this adaptation. 

WFG RATING: A

An Aelita Productions film. Director: Diana Ringo. Producer: Diana Ringo. Writer: Diana Ringo; based on the novel 1984 by George Orwell and the novel We by Yevgeny Zamyatin. Cinematography: Diana Ringo. Editing: Diana Ringo.

Cast: Aleksandr Obmanov, Diana Ringo, Aleksey Sharanin, Aleksey Shamayev, Vladimir Ivaniy, Anton Biryukov, Sergey Budanov, Vladislav Kuvitsyn, Dima Rubin, Sergei Khrustalyov. 

The film will debut on Amazon Prime on November 15.