Watching '1984' in Trump's America Hits Different

There were warnings before Trump was sworn into his second term that the United States was on the precipice of authoritarianism. George Orwell's work is a stark reminder of where we may end up.

(Note: I published this over at my personal Substack before realizing it might fit in here as well)

I recently watched the 1954 movie adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 novel starring Edmond O’Brien, Michael Redgrave, and Jan Sterling. As expected, I couldn’t help but consider parallels to our current dangerously divisive political climate, especially in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder. I found myself the following day meditating on the theme of manipulating a populace and making them compliant via hate, deception, and fear of pain. It also wasn’t lost on me, as intended by the story, that love was the only true, radical act of defiance that could break Big Brother’s manipulative grip.

There were lots of warnings before Trump was sworn into his second term that the United States was on the precipice of authoritarianism. The administration’s swift, chaotic, and sometimes illegal and undemocratic actions have made those warnings warranted. It is debatable whether we are living with a full-blown authoritarian or totalitarian White House, but its embrace of White Christian Nationalism — a form of fascism — is undeniable.

In the movie, we see a child trained to spy even on her parents and report them for falling out of step with the controlling apparatus — even in their sleep.

It isn’t the incessant surveillance or even the physical and psychological torture inflicted to maintain control that alarms me the most. It’s the strange dance of systemically falsifying information — reality, the truth itself — and feeding twisted narratives to the masses to foment hate. This calculated use of falsehoods about alleged “enemies” to incite fear pushes the populace into the arm’s of Big Brother, portrayed as their only reliable savior.

I have watched “1984” many times, including the likely most well-known version staring John Hurt. However, watching it again under such an intentionally divisive and duplicitous presidency — one that has given allegedly amoral tech bros a literal seat at the table — makes the cinematic adaptation of Orwell’s dystopian vision hit much different.

If you have never watched “1984,” or haven’t in a long while, I encourage you to find a couple hours to set aside to watch the film. The more recent version is quite good, but I find the 1954 version starring Edmond O’Brien better. Of course, you can always just pick up a copy of Orwell’s most influential book.