1984

For many years, I've read about the much fabled 1954 BBC adaptation of Orwell's 1984, written for the then fledgling medium of television by Nigel Kneale.

I've seen the 1984 film version, starring John Hurt and an obviously very ill Richard Burton (who died not long after) and found it a very faithful adaptation with superb performances from the two leads, yet the inclusion of tracks by the Eurythmics just detracted too much from the story, which was a pity really...

Anyway, with thanks to Mark Samuels who sent me the link, you can now watch the original TV version on Youtube. Extremely primitive, technically speaking by today's standards, yet the fact it was produced live is just awe-inspiring.

I first read the novel when I was 21, more or less at the start of my working life - prior, I was still in full-time education - and to say it was a politically life-changing experience would be an under-statement; prior, I was a typical Valleys boy, who voted Labour because your family always voted Labour, and that Thatcher and the Tories were evil, but I read the novel then Animal Farm; Huxley's Brave New World and We (not to mention Philip K Dick and William Gibson), and realised quite easily that it's not the political leanings of a party, but rather the level of power a Government has over it's populace.

Any political ideology, taken to extremes, whether it be Communism or Capitalism, is wrong, and will always mean a handful of people subjugating the majority.

The perfect Government should contain elements of both right and left thinking, but as we all know, is there such a thing has a perfect Government?

(Hmm, 9:30am and discussing politics...)