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| Orwell 2+2=5 still slide |
George Orwell's writings, particularly his diary and his acclaimed books, Animal Farm and 1984 are the focus of this film which seeks to apply the Orwellian observations to current international events. Documentary director and producer, Raoul Peck traverses Orwell's life from childhood to his experiences in Burma (as a colonial policeman), his participation in the Spanish Civil War and the progress of his writing. Current illustrations and examples which support Orwell's warnings (Trump, Musk, Putin and the war on Ukraine etc) are interspersed with quotations.
The chief weakenss of this film is the seemingly random nature of drawing quotes from different Orwell sources then connecting with a variety of film clips from multiple sources including feature films with no direct Orwell connection. Constantly jumping from his diary to book quotes to film scripts often blurs the examples of the messages being conveyed. The film has very high production values and has been carefully researched but it lacks a discipline in structural continuity to assist with easy viewing and comprehension.
Nonetheless the central message conveyed is that Orwell's warnings about totalitarianism and authoritarianism was very prescient and remains as relevant today as when he was first published.
Evaluation:
Production values: 10/10
Narrative and direction: 5/10
Cast: 7/10
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