Tuesday, October 20

1984


FROM: Crijevo, Jul 30, 2007

"Reading about all the conflicts between Eurythmics and film director Michael Radford on soundtrack issues regarding his rather good film-adaptation of George Orwells novel, it is truly criminal Radford excluded the duos excellent film score for it served its purpose in all of the story's nature (read totalitarian perfection).
Unlike many that would eventually hump into the soundtrack idea of being classical, Eurythmics used the scary futurist image creating a powerful, frightening testimony. Each theme brings along a phrase accompanying both, the book and the film - the opener I Did It Just the Same offers one sole comforting leisure funk-styled piece, the rest - even deserved hits Sexcrime (1984) and Julia, control their listeners using brainwashing Newspeak phrases confronting individuals true nature of desire (Julia slides and twists from emotional to frigid, ultimately synthetic state of mind). Predominantly instrumental with occasional vocal improvs of Annie Lennox, this is Eurythmics most avangarde offering - using electronics in claustrophobic kind of way, expressing Orwellian stage to its maximum (powered by strange choice of percussion during the process), marking all of the 1984s society's paranoias and misbliefs as enforced by The Party.
Among the pieces that do hit the nerve like a bag of bricks are For the Love of Big Brother, the ultimate tale of hopelessness (continuing with a short harmonica-delivered Winston's Diary, suggesting the decency/danger of silent/thought rebellion/conspiracy; propaganda-anthem Doubleplusgood with excellent vocal cut-up effects, delivered in sort of a sinister reggae/rap thing, Ministry of Love with intimidating s.o.s.-like signals trance before full-blown enraging choir screams of fear and horror; Greetings From a Dead Man in similar percussive horror-fashion leaving absolutely not a single trace of hope. In the end its Room 101 that serves it precise finale - melodically promising and optimistic but between the lines threatening and with extreme aggression - Lennoxs vocal tuning here demonstrates fear struggles before the ending sequence embarks with brutal iron shutting.
Considering the book, the film and the very idea, it is truly bizarre how people today perceive Big Brother as something of a certain entertainment. The fun aspect of today's version, however, proves it is no less different but transferred into a perverse state of play where people corrupt their own dignity for money."

No comments: