Anton Diffring, Cyril Cusack, Jeremy Spenser

In an oppressive future, a fireman whose duty is to destroy all books begins to question his task.

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71% liked it

19,159 ratings

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86% liked it

29 critics

PG, 1 hr. 52 min.

Directed by: François Truffaut

Release Date: November 2, 1966

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DVD Release Date: October 10, 2000

Stats: 880 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (880)


  • April 8, 2009
    This 1966 movie is officially the oldest movie I have ever watched. And the only reason I did is because the Bradbury novel is a sheer masterpiece of literature. And the movie follows it quite precisely despite some major changes and omissions (like the lack of the symbolic Mecha...( read more)nical Hound and why the hell is Clarisse still alive at the end??) But, as always, the movie never lives up to the book - for instance, Oskar Werner's character (Guy Montag) is FAR more interesting and human in the book than he is in the film.

    But generally, it's a wonderful movie. If you manage to see beyond the performances and the few flaws and try to separate it from the novel, then yes, it is a masterpiece. Chilling scenes and spine-tingling humanity, an amazing, unmatched respectful tribute to universal letters, literature and books. Through this movie, the continuing deterioration of quality in literature seems to be lesser than it really is.

    I hope the 2010 Fahrenheit 451 remake doesn't dismantle its quality by casting actors like Tom Cruise or Uma Thurman.
  • March 13, 2009
    "Fahrenheit 451" could perhaps be considered Francois Truffaut's most accessible film, but that's not exactly a good thing. It's remarkably dull and by-the-numbers - the type of disposable entertainment that you won't remember a week after you see it. Truffaut himself has noted t...( read more)hat the filming of the movie was a nightmare - from battles with the lead actor, Oskar Werner, to his struggles with the English language (this is Truffaut's only English film). While there are moments here and there that are worthwhile, as a whole it comes off as the type of standard formulaic Hollywood fare that is churned out year-after-year.

    "Fahrenheit 451" is of course an adaptation of the popular 1953 novel by Ray Bradbury which serves as a sort of love-letter to literature. The story tells the tale of an oppressive futuristic society in which books are deemed worthless - evil instruments used only to make people sad. Because of this, books are routinely burned much to the delight of the brainwashed public who tunes into all the latest television programs for their mindless entertainment. The law enforcement are the firemen, a group of men who set books on fire rather than put fires out.

    Guy Montag (Oskar Werner) is one of said fireman - a sad fellow stuck in a loveless marriage with his simpleminded wife, Linda (Julie Christie). One day, on a train, he meets a woman named Clarisse (also played by Julie Christie), an intelligent thinker who questions why books need to be burned. Inspired by her quiet protest, Guy begins to read an assortment of books in hiding.

    Late in the film, Linda and her friends' narrow-minded lifestyles frustrate Montag so much that he reads to them in order to express the beauty of literature. Soon after, he's sent running from the firemen, and eventually he seeks solace with a secret society of men and women who make it their life duty to recite books. They have names like "Pride & Prejudice" and "A Tale of Two Cities".

    The biggest flaw of the film is that Guy is no more interesting than the shallow masses that the film criticizes. He's "Generic Hero #1", and we never truly sympathize with him. Also, the conclusion is unsatisfying and rather dreary. Take, for instance, the scene of a father reciting a book to his son on his deathbed. It's supposed to be a film about the beauty of the written word and human spirit, and instead we're presented with traditionalists in a forest who live the tedious life of memorization.
  • May 12, 2008
    Guy Montag: "Look at that fellow over there."
    Clarisse: "What's he doing?"
    Guy Montag: "That's the information box, he can't make up his mind. "
    Clarisse: "What does he want to find out? "
    Guy Montag: "He doesn't want to find out anything, he knows someone who has books. So...( read more) he got hold of the person's picture and number and is going to drop it into that box."
    Clarisse: "But he's an informer! "
    Guy Montag: "No, he's an informant."


    Based on the 1951 Ray Bradbury novel of the same name. Guy Montag is a firefighter who lives in a lonely, isolated society where books have been outlawed by a government fearing an independent-thinking public. It is the duty of firefighters to burn any books on sight or said collections that have been reported by informants. People in this society including Montag's wife are drugged into compliancy and get their information from wall-length television screens. After Montag falls in love with book-hoarding Clarisse, he begins to read confiscated books. It is through this relationship that he begins to question the government's motives behind book-burning. Montag is soon found out, and he must decide whether to return to his job or run away knowing full well the consequences that he could face if captured. The plot is the strong point of the film. It carries a powerful message and leaves a strong emotional impact. Julie Christie's blandness and sporadic awkward enthusiasm work well enough in this environment for her almost to seem to give a good performance.
  • February 11, 2008
    Lots of people seem to like this, and while I like the concept of it, I find it pretty dull.
  • February 11, 2008
    Truffaut attemps to make a Hitchcock film. the results are good without being among his average films. Julie Christie is beautiful (as always) and gives a surprisingly good double role. Oskar Werner does a fine job as the self absorbed fireman. overall an interesting dystopian fa...( read more)ntasy.
  • November 13, 2009
    Terrible...it's not even based on the novel anymore so much as it stole the title -_-. Such a shame to such a great book...
  • November 1, 2009
    Read the book instead...
  • October 28, 2009
    book was more compelling, but still great
  • October 27, 2009
    I thought this movie followed the book very closely. I love the story of Fahrenheit 451.
  • October 18, 2009
    Francois Truffaut's film is that rare thing: an unusual, creepy, well-made, bizarre, overacted but effective thriller based on a classic book that touches all the bases and still leaves you wanting more. The French master's first (and only) film entirely in English stars Oskar We...( read more)rner as Montag, a "fireman" in a futuristic version of England, whose job it is to go around searching for books and, upon discovering them, burn them with a flamethrower. His immediate superior is a crusty and cold old man (Cyril Cusack). Soon, Montag meets an intriguing young woman (Julie Christie, voluptuous here) who begins debating him on the merits of reading and of preserving literature in this newly censored world. Montag begins to question society, and that really gets the ball rolling. Truffaut's film is based on the classic novel by Ray Bradbury, and it depicts with breathtaking and surprising detail the paranoia and fear-mongering in a world where censorship is the government-sanctioned norm (even in the future!). The color cinematography by future director Nicholas Roeg ("Walkabout," "Don't Look Now") is astonishing in its beauty, its bright and gorgeous palette, and in the elegance of its somewhat labyrinthine tracking shots. Ultimately, Truffaut's film might not be one of his best works, but it is a faithful and rewarding experience well worth seeking out! Note: Similarities between "1984" (book and film) and this are stunning.

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Fahrenheit 451 Trivia


  • Which actress played a double role (Clarisse/ Linda Montag) in Fahrenheit 451?  Answer »
  • Equilibrium V for Vendetta Brave New World Fahrenheit 451  Answer »
  • What dystopian film starred Oskar Werner and Julie Christie?  Answer »
  • I've had a role in Harry Potter- The Prisoner of Azkaban. I was in Dr. Zhivago. I played TWO roles in the 1960s version of Fahrenheit 451 and I was in Troy. Who am I? (TOUGH one).  Answer »

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