FAHRENHEIT 451 (1966) C widescreen 112m dir: Francois Truffaut

w/Oskar Werner, Julie Christie, Cyril Cusack, Anton Diffring, Jeremy Spenser, Bee Duffell, Gillian Lewis, Ann Bell, Caroline Hunt, Anna Palk

Based on a Ray Bradbury story, the film is about a future where books are burned (the title refers to the temperature at which paper ignites) and their readers are hunted down.

From The Movie Guide: "Throughout much of his brilliant career, Francois Truffaut was criticized for not making explicitly political films. However, he did tackle political themes in two films: FAHRENHEIT 451, an indictment of totalitarianism and book-burning, and THE LAST METRO, which dealt with the German occupation of France. These films address the suppression of two media of deep personal significance for Truffaut --- literature and the theater, respectively. The former is the most restrained and elegiac of science fiction films, full of poignant moments; a paean to the physical importance of books. ...

"Severely underrated and misunderstood by critics who wanted Truffaut to continue making films like his early French New Wave classics THE 400 BLOWS and JULES AND JIM, FAHRENHEIT 451 is a marvelously courageous personal statement that becomes more fascinating with time. This was Truffaut's first color film. The cool crisp cinematography is provided by future director Nicolas Roeg. The great Bernard Herrmann supplied the memorable score."