1966, Film: “Fahrenheit 451”

The British film “Fahrenheit 451” is released 16 September 1966. The science fiction drama is directed by French cineast François Truffaut, starring Oskar Werner, Julie Christie in a dual role, and Cyril Cusack. The script is based on the 1953 novel of the same name by Ray Bradbury. This was Truffaut's first color film and the only English-language film he ever directed. The film was nominated for the Golden Lion at the 1966 Venice Film Festival.

Synopsis

In the near future, Guy Montag (Oskar Werner) is a firefighter who lives in a lonely, isolated society where books have been outlawed by a government fearing an independent-thinking public. The duty of the firefighters is to burn all books on sight that have been reported by informants. All people are drugged into obedience by reality television broadcasts on wall-length screens...

Oskar Werner as Guy Montag and Julie Christie as Linda Montag

Oskar Werner as Guy Montag and Julie Christie as Clarisse McClellan

Trivia

• The title of the movie and the book comes from the auto-ignition temperature at which paper catches fire, according to a fireman to whom Ray Bradbury posed the question.
• Paul Newman, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Aznavour, Peter O'Toole, and Terence Stamp were at some stage considered for the role of Montag.

Oskar Werner as Guy Montag and Julie Christie as Clarisse McClellan

Cyril Cusack as The Captain and Oskar Werner as Guy Montag

Anton Diffring as Fabian

Director François Truffaut at the set of Fahrenheit 451

Main Cast

• Julie Christie as Clarisse McClellan/Linda Montag
• Oskar Werner as Guy Montag
• Cyril Cusack as The Captain
• Anton Diffring as Fabian/Headmistress
• Jeremy Spenser as Man with the Apple
• Bee Duffell as Book Woman
• Alex Scott as Book Person: 'The Life of Henry Brulard'

Fahrenheit 451 Trailer