Fahrenheit 451 (Truffaut, 1966), BFI Southbank, 2.30pm
This film is an oddity that has grown in stature over the years. When the movie was released no one really expected a sci-fi movie from Francois Truffaut and most were both puzzled and disappointed but its depiction of an authoritarian state that has outlawed books looks amazing (partly thanks to Nic Roeg's superb cinematography).
There are other numerous pleasures along the way, including Julie Christie (think Deborah Kerr in The Life and Death of Colone Blimp or the central character in Luis Bunuel's That Obscure Object of Desire) playing both the hero's wife and his lover and the innovative opening credits. There is also the music which, and I don't say this lightly, contains some of Bernard Herrmann's finest work. The film may lose its way towards the end but the denoument aside this is a work very much worthy of investigation.
It is on again in March as part of the Roeg season if you can't make this early screening. Details here.
Here is an extract and here is an interview with Truffaut on Hithchock (just for the hell of it).
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