Brave New World

This is naturally a low-budget TV version, but it's long enough to go into the themes of the book in some depth, and follows the plot and dialogue accurately enough. It gives the impression of a theatre version really, with the cheap sets and costumes: or maybe the original Star Trek is closer to it, with the pyjamas. So you never forget that it's an adaptation of a novel; which I realise must be a problem for those expecting Blade Runner or something. I thought everyone did a commendable job on this given the limitations of the budget, and while it's not great cinema, it captures the spirit of Huxley's work, and in particular it was nice to hear the Shakespeare quotations very nicely done.

I am not going to pretend this is my favourite film of all time, but it was a good, clear version of the excellent book.

The film looks dated and would be boring for some. But those who are interested in what might happen to the human race should check this out. This idea is the most likely to come true of all possible fates of humans.

The acting is in places 2-dimensional, but this is usually only when portraying characters who are themselves 2-dimensional, such as Lenina, Linda and Thomas.

The three more interesting and deeper characters of Bernard, John and Mustapha are portrayed well and all change dramatically and believably as the story unwinds.

Not a funny, thrilling or exciting film but a clear film that makes you think.

When it aired in 1980, I wondered what the heck happened to the promised BNW miniseries with a one-night broadcast that left so much out.

Almost three decades later, due to the miracle of the Internet, I saw the entire version as broadcast by the BBC & then bought the DVD. I totally loved it. The cartoonish Gil Gerard Buck Rogers-ish special effects and the superficial characterization, much disdained, totally fit the "soulless streamlined Eden" of the book.

Btw, back in 1980, I was fortunate enough to buy the PB tie-in, which I still own.

Please put this on official DVD!

I don't know what the above person is saying. The television 1980 version of the book is not as bad as they said but it is a good representation of the book. It was so good that I brought a DVD copy of that TV movie!! The acting is OK. The production and special effect is adequate for at TV movie. The story is 3/4 accurate. The 2000 version version of the book for a lack of a better term is lame. Even Leonard Nimoy, Spock, couldn't help this truly lame version. The 1980 version gave us an pessimistic and dark look of the future showing test tube conception as well as the bleak viewpoint of natural conception and falling in love in a world of no love.

When I saw this television film back in 1980, I was captivated--so captivated that I almost immediately went out and read the source material, the Aldous Huxley novel. I loved the book and its prescient look at the future of mankind and now, decades later, I decided to watch this television adaptation once again. Well, I sure was surprised, as I really didn't love the film nearly as much as I once did--much of it due to the really annoying way that John the Savage talked. I found it wearisome after a while hearing him talking in Shakespearean lingo...something not as ever-present in the book. Much of it could be because it was so obvious since the film was a bit overlong. As for the rest of the story, it generally was well done at showing the vacuousness of the future engineered society--and the use of drugs, genetics and sex to keep everyone dumb and happy. It does look a tad dated but overall it's still much better than the ultra-bland later Leonard Nimoy version of the story. And, the story itself is so good even a lower-budgeted TV version like this one is worth your time.

If you are interested in seeing it, the film (and the worse Nimoy version) are available to watch on YouTube.