Head-to-Head: Winston Smith in 1984 (Peter Cushing v.s. Edmond O'Brien v.s. John Hurt)

Peter Cushing, Edmond O'Brien and John Hurt all played Winston Smith in the 1954, 1956 and 1984 versions of '1984', respectively.

Before going any further, I have to say that while '1984' is most certainly a dystopian masterpiece, its themes of oppression and limiting of autonomy, the singularities of human purpose, still prevalent nowadays, to make a film of those themes in a very precise, culturally relevant manner runs the risk of making it very, very quickly dated. While the novel's power is never lessened by context, the films inadvertently lend themselves to this inevitable fault.

I will say that of all 3, the 1956 American version has dated the most horrendously; especially in the way it tries to mould Orwell's war-torn Britain into a frankly rather cheesy-looking 1954 setting. Many of the deeper psychological elements of the source material are briskly skimmed over and there's plenty of miscasting all round. It's not without merit though as there are several good performances that help to overcome some of the weaker material. The 1954 version in my view is a fine version, bit dated in terms of setting but with good performances all round and quite a palatable sense of dread in the atmosphere it generates. It was deemed fairly shocking and provocative for its day but nowadays seems relatively tame; I can definitely see how it had such a tremendous impact and elicited such protests and even a House of Commons debate. The 1984 version is not flawless but is perhaps, the best; it perhaps best shows the vision Orwell was trying to convey with its blend of the viscerally haunting, and the unnerving implications of them. The grimy, tolitarian state is very effectively conveyed and pretty hard to watch, and if the film's direction lacks a bit of subtletly at times it's aided in this respect by the very naturalistic performances all round. It's also the most emotionally involving of the three adaptations, though I'm not so sure Orwell would've liked that himself (or the ending...)

In terms of character creation I'll mention O'Brien first because he stands out; rather than play Winston as envisaged by Orwell, an intellectual but passive man, O'Brien plays him as a bit of an oaf who's stringing himself along, rather than being strung along, to the chords of Big Brother's regime. It's not a disastrous approach and not without merit, but I can't say that it works nearly as well as the quiet retiring quality Cushing and Hurt give their roles. O'Brien was perhaps slightly miscast from the very outset as, even though he's accustomed to playing impartial observer/straight men characters, he usually gave these avatars a rough edge and charismatic bent to them. This characterisation goes against the norm but I must insist, it's not bad at all, just takes some getting used to. Always a good, solid presence to lend a bit of sanity to films, I like O'Brien's screen presence but do think he could've toned it down a bit here, something he was perfectly capable of doing as can be seen by his very understated turns in 'White Heat' and 'The Killers'.

In some ways, Hurt and Cushing give the more conventional sort of dystopian leading man performances, and are all the more effective for them. In particular Hurt seems particularly attuned to the character and his surroundings; I don't think there are many actors as well-versed in playing the victimized individual than Hurt, and here he does that without overplaying the character's weaknesses, by showing it to be a by-product of the oppressive environment he lives in. Cushing takes a similar approach, nullifying his usually rather dominant screen presence into a rather meek, unassuming fellow who seems keen to just let things be as they are. He really is very effective in making his Winston just another face in the crowd. The main problem I feel, and the only glaring one, of O'Brien's performance is that by making Winston a bit too rough and slightly cynical from the outset, the transition into a man willing to fight against Big Brother for what he sees as right lacks the same arc and power that Hurt and Cushing instill.

Cushing displays a growing distaste and discontent to his performance, especially in his interactions with Donald Pleasance's Syme (incidentally, Pleasance plays roles in both the 1954 and 1956 version and is just about equally as effective in both at making their smaller stories resonate with the Party). Pleasance is a terrific foil to Cushing in that he provides the audience with a counterbalance to Cushing's listlessness; O'Brien also works well with the various other cast members of the 1956 version to show just where his character's convictions are coming from, somewhat rectifying some of the initial problems of his portrayal. Hurt, I will say, has a bit less to work with besides Cyril Cusack's brief but memorable turn as the duplicitous Mr Carrington, actually, so his performance in the initial stages, is one mostly conveyed through many silent glances, particularly in the scenes where he begins to feel the unsettling glimpses of hatred for Big Brother. Equally effective in this respect is Cushing who merges the disconnect of his character with the fear he feels at slowly being pulled into  Hurt is great in that he both takes centre stage and yet always remains quietly, rightly so, in character, by no means an achievement to be sniffed at.

The love affair with Julia is also the best conveyed by Hurt, and he alongside Suzannah Hamilton make for a not incredibly passionate but instead, wonderfully sweet, coupling. Hurt conveyes the brimming love for Julia so wonderfully, providing a bright spark amidst all the bleak darkness of the film; something to root for in a world without roots, so to speak. With Cushing this love is more gradually conveyed first with a sense of inquisitiveness, and interest in Julia, before merging it with his newfound passion for radicalism. I find that Cushing and Yvonne Mitchell have a very effective, low-key chemistry that works well in subduing some of the more jarringly unpleasant incidents of the third act like Syme's arrest; with O'Brien and his co-star Jan Sterling the relationship is far colder and yet still retaining that tinge of affection on both sides. As Winston develops in confidence, so does O'Brien begin to settle more nicely into the role; I've always thought O'Brien an incredibly adept straightforward leading man with charm to spare, and he makes good use of that here, 'Hunchback of Notre Dame'-style, where he helps to gradually immerse the audience into this very esoteric crapsack world.

All three actors lend the romantic subplot the weight it requires to make it resonate with the story, but I'll give Cushing extra points here for really imbuding his growing sense of paranoia into the portrayal. The frequent use of disorientating closeups allows Cushing to convey his inner torment with such power, showing that perhaps had he taken a different career route, Cushing may have been heralded in equal standing as the likes of Richard Burton and other contemporaries. It's a subtle and moving character creation of a man being brought out of his shell that's so well conveyed by that gradually more assertive posture and voice that Cushing takes on; wonderful work, indeed. Hurt and O'Brien though are no slouches either in showing how their inner convictions bring vibrancy to their lives, which they show by the increasing liveliness of their performances.

I won't get too much into the character of O'Brien/O'Connor yet as I may well be doing a future Head-to-Head on them, but suffice to say each actor mends his portrayal in the right way, in right accordance, with the domineering performances of the actors playing O'Brien/O'Connor. O'Brien I would say is quite overshadowed by Michael Redgrave's brilliant portrayal overall, but does well enough to show the eagerness and initial enthusiasm Winston has for the cause, and concern and fear when he gets captured. In the torture scenes I will say that he, perhaps, underplays his reactions a bit too much for his own good, particularly when juxtaposed against Redgrave's threats to have him squeezed 'empty' to the 'point of no return', but his emotional breakdown at the prospect of Room 101 is well done. Cushing is even better in showing the gradual breakdown of the man by Andre Morell's O'Brien (another interesting performance) into a complete, utter wreck, removing all of the qualities built up within him that makes his final scenes all the more unsettling and heartbreaking. His final form as a lifeless, huffing and grunting, broken man is just so difficult to watch, and that final reaction shot of his, a soulless grin professing love to Big Brother, is pitch perfect.

In the end though, I'll have to go with Hurt as the victor, as his final few scenes as Winston are what makes this a truly great performance by him. The fear and anguish of Winston is portrayed most vividly by Hurt's physical performance as he really singlehandedly conveys the sheer pain and suffering he's enduring not just by his gaunt physique but also, by the ways his eyes swivel in fear, the way his voice breaks into a fearful frenzy, and finally that quiet but devestating note of resignation he consigns his life and soul to Big Brother. Also his final scene as he sits by the chessboard and watches Julia walk out of his life, is the pinnacle of his performance even though Orwell would probably be rolling around in his grave at it. Unlike the other two versions where Winston has most explicitly been brought under complete control by Big Brother, Hurt ends his performance on a note of ambiguity. His final 'I love you' could be to Julia, could be to Big Brother, it doesn't matter; it might be the moving strings of music or just my partiality to Hurt as an actor, but that ending, though inaccurate to the source material, entirely works for Hurt's more emotional performance and makes this in my opinion, the best portrayal of Winston Smith of all.

1. John Hurt (4.5/5, VERY close to a 5; I will need a re-watch)
2. Peter Cushing (4.5/5)
3. Edmond O'Brien (3/5)



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