Fahrenheit 451 (1966)
 Based on the 1960 novel by author Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit
451 is an insightful study of our society and the fears of the
Cold War.
It presents us with an oppressive future society in
which reading is considered criminal conduct.
An effective touch
is that the movie's credits are not printed, but spoken at the
beginning of the film.
Montag is a fireman in this future - a man whose job is to
incinerate books and the property of those who read them (451
degrees Fahrenheit is described as the temperature at which paper catches
fire - although this is not strictly accurate).
 In this vision of the future, firemen are the foot soldiers of
a repressive culture that does not allow the written word and
marks offenders as first-degree criminals.
The people in this futuristic vision lead a dreary live without
any individual responsibilities, succumbing to an oppressive rule.
The only meaning in their shallow lives is to work, obey, and
watch manipulative TV shows.
Neither personal nor intellectual freedom are allowed in this
uniform, permanently-supervised society.
 One day, on his way home from work, Clarisse approaches Montag
and questions him about his profession and the damage it causes on
society. She gives herself away as a reader and challenges Montag
to decide on the evils of reading for himself by experiencing it
firsthand.
Intrigued by the rebellious Clarisse and the thought that there
might actually be a better life to be found in the books, he
steals a book from one of his jobs and begins reading it at night.
The book devastates him emotionally, freeing his mind and
expanding his horizons.
 Montag becomes a devoted reader, torn between the call of his
duty and his adoration for books.
When his conformist wife (also
played by Julie Christie) discovers his reading habit, she informs
on him.
Montag is declared an outlaw and is forced to flee as a
fugitive in a search for his freedom and a better life.
He finally finds an encampment of fellow fugitives - the Book
People - who pass
their days memorising the entire contents of great written works
so they can pass them on verbally to future generations.
As each of these refugees commits a book to memory, they also
take the name of the title and so ensure the work lives on for
future generations.
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