“1984 Orwell” Essay

By Álvaro Escobar (u20191e484)

For Political Communication Course (CR85)

The movie 1984 Orwell is a classic film that has been praised for its insight into the workings of
political propaganda. The movie centers around three main characters: Winston Smith, Julia,
and Big Brother. These three characters provide us with an in-depth look at how political
communication works and how it can be used to manipulate people’s thoughts and beliefs.

One of the most relevant facts about this movie is that it portrays a world where freedom of
thought does not exist; instead, citizens are constantly monitored by “Big Brother” through
telescreens installed in their homes. This serves as an example of how powerful governments
can use surveillance technologies to control their populations without them even realizing it. It
also highlights the importance of privacy rights which have become increasingly important
topics today due to advances in technology such as facial recognition software or location
tracking apps on smartphones.

Another significant fact from this film relates to its portrayal of government propaganda being
used by Big Brother for mass manipulation purposes; one example is when Winston is forced
into watching clips from old war films meant only for propagandistic purposes rather than
entertainment value. This shows us just how powerful media messages can be when they are
carefully crafted with specific goals in mind – something we still see happening today whether
through news outlets or social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter.

Finally, one last notable aspect of this film revolves around its depiction of language
manipulation – particularly Newspeak - which was designed specifically so people could no
longer express themselves freely but had limited words available based on what was approved
by those running Oceania (the fictional country). In our current society, we often see similar
tactics employed both online and offline whereby certain words deemed ‘inappropriate’ are
censored out or completely blocked off access altogether depending on who you ask.

Overall, 1984 Orwell provides viewers with valuable insights into various aspects related to
political communication including propaganda techniques, actors involved within political
communication networks along with requirements needed for effective messaging strategies
all while making connections between these elements and real-life examples present
throughout history up until now.