Nineteen Eighty-Four (sometimes 1984) is a 1984 British science fiction film, based upon George Orwell's novel of the same name, following the life of Winston Smith in Oceania, a country run by a totalitarian government. The film was written and directed by Michael Radford and stars John Hurt and Richard Burton in his final film role.
In a dystopian 1984, Winston Smith (John Hurt) endures a squalid existence in the totalitarian superstate of Oceania under the constant surveillance of the Thought Police. The story takes place in London, the capital city of the territory of Airstrip One (formerly Britain).
Winston works in a small office cubicle at the Ministry of Truth, rewriting history in accordance with the dictates of the Party and its (probably mythical) supreme figurehead, Big Brother (Bob Flag). A man haunted by painful memories and restless desires, Winston is an everyman who keeps a secret diary of his private thoughts, thus committing thoughtcrime — the crime of independent thought, contrary to the dictates and aims of the Party.