Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
78%RT Audience Score: 72%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Francois Truffaut’s adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is a film that has divided critics since its release in 1966. Some have praised Truffaut’s artistic approach to the material, while others have criticized the film’s meandering narrative and lack of emotional impact. However, one thing that cannot be denied is Truffaut’s skill as a filmmaker. Even in the film’s weaker moments, Truffaut’s cinematic acumen shines through, and his minute-long sequence of a book burning is a masterclass in visual storytelling. While the film may not be perfect, it is a thought-provoking and visually stunning work that deserves to be seen by fans of both science fiction and cinema.
Fahrenheit 451 is a movie that has received mixed reviews from critics. Some say that Truffaut’s artistic approach to the material is what makes it fail, while others praise his cinematic acumen. Personally, I think the movie is like a book that you have to read twice to fully appreciate. At first, you might get lost in the meandering narrative, but if you stick with it, you’ll find that it has a powerful emotional impact. Plus, who doesn’t love a good sci-fi fairy-tale? Just don’t expect any vulgar exploitation or pretentious pedantry.
Production Company(ies)
Brace Cove Productions, Outlier Society
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Release Type
Streaming
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
1966
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 52m
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Language(s):English
ALL CAST, AUSPICES, AND BELOW THE LINE -
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jan 1, 1967 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 27, 2009
Genre(s)
Sci-fi
Keyword(s)
starring Oskar Werner, Julie Christie, Cyril Cusack, Anton Diffring, Jeremy Spenser, Bee Duffell, directed by François Truffaut, written by Ray Bradbury, Jean-Louis Richard, François Truffaut, sci-fi, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Penelope Houston, Pauline Kael, Dave Kehr, Bosley Crowther, Marjorie Baumgarten, Richard Schickel, A.S Hamrah, Glenn Dunks, Josh Larsen, Fernando F Croce, Cole Smithey, Jeffrey M Anderson, MPAA rating, Lewis M Allen, Anglo Enterprises, Vineyard, Universal Pictures, Truffaut’s first color film, based on Ray Bradbury’s novel, banned reading material, firemen, book-loving girl, future society, paper burns at 451 degrees, Fahrenheit 451
Worldwide gross: $222,446,882
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: $119,194,771
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Julie Christie – Linda, Clarisse
Cyril Cusack – The Captain
Anton Diffring – Fabian
Jeremy Spenser – Man with the Apple
Bee Duffell – Book Lady
Director – François Truffaut
Producer – Lewis M. Allen
Writers – Ray Bradbury, Jean-Louis Richard, François Truffaut
Production Company – Anglo Enterprises, Vineyard
Distributor – Universal Pictures
Sound Mix – Mono
Aspect Ratio – Flat (1.85:1)
Director(s)
François Truffaut
Writer(s)
Ray Bradbury, Jean-Louis Richard, François Truffaut
Producer(s)
Lewis M. Allen
Film Festivals
Cannes, Toronto
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (36) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (29) | Rotten (7)
It is as though Truffaut has drawn on everything he knows about cinema to express unshakable loyalty to the written word.
July 6, 2018
Penelope Houston
Sight & Sound
TOP CRITIC
Even at the science-fiction horror-story level, the movie fails — partly, I think, because Truffaut is too much of an artist to exploit the vulgar possibilities in the material.
August 30, 2012
Pauline Kael
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
This 1966 film often looks good (it was Truffaut’s first in color, photographed by Nicolas Roeg), but the ideas, such as they are, get lost in the meandering narrative.
June 5, 2007
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
Holy smoke! What a pretentious and pedantic production he has made.
May 20, 2003 | Rating: 2/5
Bosley Crowther
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
The movie is filmed in a rather low-key, dispassionate manner.
March 12, 2003
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Ultimately, the film has a powerful emotional impact, but it is achieved the hard way — through the mind rather than the viscera — and only in Its own good time.
August 30, 2019
Richard Schickel
LIFE
Truffaut brought more cinematic acumen to this minute-long sequence than many filmmakers deploy in an entire feature.
November 29, 2018
A.S. Hamrah
n+1
Truffaut’s movie clearly suffered from a troubled shoot – Truffaut didn’t actually know English – so his oddball take on the material succeeds in only fits and bursts.
September 16, 2014 | Rating: B-
Glenn Dunks
Quickflix
Bradbury’s 1954 vision of a totalitarian society where technology is worshiped and books are burned has been neutered and consigned to camp.
October 29, 2010 | Rating: 2/4
Josh Larsen
LarsenOnFilm
Truffaut faces Bradbury’s abstractions head on, not as science-fiction but as humanistic fairy-tale
October 26, 2009
Fernando F. Croce
CinePassion
April 6, 2008 | Rating: 4/5
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com
On the downside, it doesn’t particularly feel like a Truffaut film, but on the upside, it’s a decent entry in the sci-fi genre.
January 31, 2008
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid…
Plot
In a future society where all reading material is banned, a fireman begins to question his job when he meets a book-loving girl in the sci-fi film adaptation of Ray Bradbury’s novel, Fahrenheit 451.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features Julie Christie in a dual role as both Linda and Clarisse.
François-Truffaut.jpg
