Fahrenheit 451 (new version on HBO)

[Dave (imported)]

Dave shits on a TV movie:

HBO has a new production of FAHRENHEIT 451 based on the novel by Ray Bradbury.

For those who don't know the story -- Guy Montag is a fireman who burns books, books which have been banned by the new society, Books are considered subversive. Eventually, Montag finds some redemption -- that is the story -- Montag's journey. (added: the title is the temperature at which paper burns)

In this version set not to many years in the future, the internet exists and people are spoon fed only short state-approved messages. And so Montag burns people and books. There is, however, a resistance of book lovers. There are people who remember the past and keep it safe.

Montag's Captain (the district's fire captain) drops some truly remarkable lines that simply threw me out of the story.

One of those lines is this:

how can we see nothing but the fire shadows in the cave if we are not allowed to move our heads

How can a man like the Captain supposedly devoted to the state burt out a line of dialog like that?

It's startling and it occurs so fast that the story has to stop... However, the story doesn't stop and the audience has no chance of understanding the reference contained in that single line of dialog.

That line refers to Plato and his allegory -- Plato's Cave.

The premise is that there is a group of people chained to the wall of a cave all their lives and they cannot see the fire behind them but they see the shadows cast on the wall opposite them. They name the shadows. The shadow's movements are their reality.

That is an allegory for the book burning. (and lots more but this isn't Philosophy 101)

My criticism is that if a movie is to be profound, then give it a chance and don't step on details and imagery like this.