Movie Review: Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451 is a movie based on Ray Bradbury’s 1951 novel of the same name. In the movie, the director François Truffaut presents a futuristic society where books have been outlawed and reading is not encouraged in any form. People in this society are told to accept what is presented to them and any kind of individuality or freedom of expression is strictly prohibited. Guy Montag , a fireman is one of these people who obediently follows the orders that he is given by his superiors and does not question his profession of burning books, until he meets Clarisse. Only after meeting her does Montag start questioning his own rigid ideas and ideals. Ultimately he feels trapped in his life of complacency and runs away with a secret group who memorize books in order to preserve the tradition of reading books for the future generations.

Fahrenheit 451 is one of the most prominent movies about censorship and its message resonates with viewers to this very day. Themes like the importance of literacy and individualism are presented effectively throughout the movie. Individualism and personal freedom are the most important forms of human expression, and thoughts and ideas cannot be formulated and shared with other people in society. The film tries to show that this basic freedom was done away with by the government who thought that they would lose control of people if they weren’t all trained to accept what was told to them.

This was done by ‘the family’, a government sanctioned programme on TV which almost hypnotized viewers to stop thinking. Montag’s wife Linda is a classic example of the kind of person who is brainwashed into believing and accepting the propaganda of the government. She is a drudge who does not question anything around her, thus proving the immense power of the administration over people. Clarisse, on the other hand, is the opposite of Linda and stands out because of her ability to think differently from the rest of her community.  She does not blindly accept or conform to anything and seems to be aware of the government’s ploy. She represents the small minority of people who are able to critically think and comprehend events for themselves, and is thus an outcast in her society. Even today people who question any kind of authority have the power to overthrow governments, and are hence feared and on the fringes of society.

Bradbury’s vision of the future is seems fairly accurate to me because we seem to be moving at such a pace that the written word no longer holds as much value as it used to. While all the characters in the movie seem to be sufficiently literate, they stand out due to the ease with which they accept everything that the state dishes out to them. Books are known to broaden one’s horizons and worldview as well as critically analyze the state’s actions. Bradbury foresees a society where television slowly takes over and moulds people’s thoughts a certain way, and this can be seen even now due the decrease in overall reading habits.

 Television has thus become a threat to critical thought and has only succeeded in encouraging conformity. This can be clearly seen in the instance where, Linda is shown to be in almost a trance like state when she watches a soap opera that requires her participation, and instead of sharing her own ideas and thoughts, she is told to repeat lines from a script. The state does all it can to provide mindless entertainment to keep citizens occupied so that they don’t have the desire to think and the prohibition and burning of books works an effective tool to achieve this purpose.

Bradbury is a clear believer in the idea that people should think for themselves, independent of the state or what is shown on television and the easiest way to build and carefully assess ideas is to read a varied variety of books and enrich one’s knowledge.  Though this may seem like a daunting task for a lot of people, it is essential in order to avoid making past mistakes, and solving problems in the future as far as possible.

Doggie Love

There he was.

A white furry bundle; tiny brown eyes peeking over the blanket that my dad was carrying him in.

My joy. My everything. My Sunday.

Ever since I can remember, I have always wanted a dog more than anything else in the world, and at the age of 19, my wish FINALLY came true. I was painfully shy and reticent as a child, choosing to spend time on my own rather than in the company of children my age. I would spend days without speaking to anyone and needless to say, my parents were extremely worried about my lack of social skills.

Except when it came to dogs. My eyes lit up as soon as I saw one and I instantly became happier and more cheerful. I remember whiling away afternoons as a child, in the company of a few strays who lived in my area. I’d share my lunch with them and spoke to them just like I would with any other friend. They replaced the human friends that I never had and I felt complete. Years went by and my pleas for a dog were ignored, especially by my mom who had an immense dislike for anything that even vaguely resembled an animal. I grudgingly accepted this fact and eventually the matter was laid to rest.

Until that day.

It was just like any other day. I had bunked college again and was lazing around the house as usual, until my dad called.

“I have surprise for you”, he said

“Whaa…what are you talking about”, I yawned, trying hard to fight the sleepiness in my voice

 “I’m coming home a little early…don’t go to sleep, you’ll want to see this”

“Okay.”

 I hung up, flopped down on my bed and went right back to sleep.

The doorbell awoke me a few hours later and I slowly forced myself to get up from my snug bed. Fighting the lethargy, I trudged slowly to the front door, blissfully unaware of the surprise awaiting me on the other side of the door. I opened the door slowly and saw my dad carrying a blue bundle in both arms, with a slight smile on his face

“What’s that?”, I asked suspiciously, half expecting it to be a bird of some sort (I like birds but really not enough to keep one, plus my mom would’ve had a heart attack at the sight of one in the house.)

My dad remained quiet, while his smile grew wider by the second. Unable to understand what was going on, I hesitatingly made my way to the blue bundle, ready to take flight at the slightest hint of danger from it. I shuffled towards it until it was suddenly at face level and very carefully, so as not to touch it in any way; I stood on my toes and peeked over it.

The best feelings in the world are the ones that words can’t describe and my first reaction to Sunday was one of them. I stood on tiptoe, numb with shock for a few seconds, unable to believe the bite-sized little creature in front of me. Unexpressive as I usually am, all I could do was let out an ecstatic shriek (pretty uncharacteristic as well), and then grabbed him from my dad, and for the next half an hour refused to let go of him.

Tiny brown eyes and ears, teeny little paws and a velvety coat…he was nothing short of perfect. I love dogs in general, but this one was special and above all, MINE. Every little yawn, whine, yip and bark was enough to make me come running to whichever corner of the room he was in and I’d go crazy with joy at the sight of my little treasure.

It’s been three years since then and Sunday no longer looks like the little puppy he used to be, but he’ll always remain one for me. Eager to play at the drop of a hat, he longs for someone to toss one of his favorite toys in the air, and it’s quite a funny sight to see him scamper after a ball or a piece of rope with the kind of gusto and enthusiasm that he does. Whoever said that “a dog is a man’s best friend” sure wasn’t kidding. Sunday has brought the kind of mirth and laughter in my life that no one else could earlier match, and I can’t begin to describe the kind of effect that he’s had on all of us. He’s been with me through all my ups and down and his presence and companionship is a constant source of comfort and reassurance in my life.

To me, he’s Happiness, and for that I am truly grateful.

Movie Review: Requiem for a Dream

There are movies, and then there are MOVIES and Requiem for a Dream fits into the latter category. This monster of a film is profoundly disturbing and instantly unforgettable, definitely not for the weak hearted. One of the most powerful movies on the prevailing drug culture, Requiem takes you on a journey to hell with no respite in sight. Visually it’s a nightmare like no other, so prepare yourself a truly gut wrenching experience.

The film opens by introducing each of the main characters. Harry (Jared Leto) and his best friend Tyrone (Marlon Wayans) live a hand to mouth existence because of their drug habits and their lives revolve around trying different ways to get their next fix. Harry’s girlfriend Marion (Jennifer Connelly) is also addicted and joins them in most of their exploits to score their next fix. The fourth main character in the film in Sara (Ellen Burstyn), Harry’s mother who’s addicted to television. While watching one of her daily soaps she is taken in with the opportunity of appearing on television, and from then onwards spends all her energy on losing weight and trying to fit into her favorite dress. She does this with the help of medication procured from a sleazy doctor, and in the end is addicted just like the other characters.

The movie offers a telling insight into an addict’s mind and reveals the physical and emotional turmoil that takes place within. Drugs replace every sort of emotion for these characters and are the basis for their relationships with each other. I honestly can’t even begin to imagine how these characters would behave if they weren’t constantly injecting themselves with something. While all of them have their demons to cope with, director Darren Aronofsky does offer a glimpse into  each of their dreams and aspirations and we’re shown a more human side of them as well, rather than the drug consumed one in the rest of the film. However, the grisly and brutal climax clearly shows that each of them has reached a point of no return and nothing can bring them back from the depths of hell that they’ve put themselves into.

Aronofsky’s treatment of his characters is brutal and uncompromising to say the least, and he isn’t afraid to lay them bare and expose all their flaws and inconsistencies. The actors on the other hand, are absolutely brilliant and Ellen Burstyn in particular, steals the show as a hapless pensioner consumed by the hellish experience of drug addiction.


All in all, this movie is depressing so don't expect any happy endings. What you can expect is some awe inspiring cinema that will be a benchmark for similar movies of its kind in the coming years.

Prepare to be sucker punched.