Fahrenheit 451

An Enterprise Vineyard Production.

Oskar Werner, Julie Christie...

in Fahrenheit 451.

Co-starring: Cyril Cusack, Anton Diffring...

Jeremy Spenser, Bee Duffell, Alex Scott.

Screenplay by François Truffaut and Jean-Louis Richard.

From a novel by Ray Bradbury.

Music by Bernard Herrmann.

Director of Photography: Nicolas Roeg.

Colour by Technicolor.

Art Director: Syd Cain.

Production and Costume Design Consultant: Tony Walton.

Film Editor: Thom Noble.

Associate Producer: Mickey Dalamar.

Produced by Lewis M. Allen.

Directed by François Truffaut.

Hello.

- Get out! Hurry! - What? Who is that?

Quickly! Get moving! For God's sake, get out of there!

Hello?

Montag, here.

Well... what sort were these then, Montag?

I didn't really look, sir. A little bit of everything.

- Novels, biographies, adventure stories. - Oh, routine, eh?

Why will they do it? It's sheer perversity.

- By the way... - Pass it over.

What does Montag do with his day off duty?

Not very much, sir. Mow the lawn.

And what if the law forbids that?

Just watch it grow, sir.

Uh-huh. Good.

Good. Montag might be hearing some exciting news in a day or two.

Benedict won't be with us very much longer...

- and Montag's name has been mentioned. - Promotion, sir?

I trust that the thought makes Montag happy.

I think we're neighbours. I live near block 813.

- Isn't that where you live? - Yes, I do.

Do you know we make the same trip together almost every day?

- Do we? - Hmm.

That's why I thought to myself...

well, we ought to talk to each other.

Do you mind? Me talking, I mean.

No, no, go ahead. Talk.

I can't promise to think of anything to answer though.

Don't worry about that.

Once I get started, nothing can stop me.

My uncle says I am a veritable well of words.

Hasn't this uncle of yours ever warned you never to speak to strangers?

No. He did say once if anyone asked how old I was...

to say I was 20 years old and light in the head.

- They always go together. - "Light in the head"?

Mmm. Loopy. Crazy.

Anyway, you don't frighten me.

- Why should I? - No reason really.

The uniform, I suppose.

Most people are... frightened...

- frightened of firemen. - This is my stop now.

Mine too.

- Are you an officer? - Oh, no. Not yet.

An officer has to... I'm going to be promoted soon.

Even with my eyes closed, I could tell what you do for a job.

- Because of the smell of kerosene? - Huh.

Quite a scent, isn't it?

My wife doesn't like it very much. She says it lingers.

I don't mind. I think of it as a... perfume.

- Perfume? - Yes, a perfume, like any other.

I don't think I've seen your wife. What's she like?

She's rather like you, except her hair is long.

- Rather like me? - Quite like you.

Tell me, that number you all wear, what's it mean?

Oh, Fahrenheit 451.

Why 451 rather than 813 or 121?

Fahrenheit 451 is the temperature at which...

book paper catches fire and starts to burn.

I'd like to ask you something else, only I don't really dare.

Go ahead.

Is it true...

that a long time ago...

firemen used to put out fires and not burn books?

Really, your uncle is right. You are light in the head.

"Put fires out"? Who told you that?

- I don't know. Someone. But is it true? Did they? - What a strange idea.

- Houses have always been fireproof. - Ours isn't.

Well, then, it should be condemned one of these days.

It has to be destroyed, and you will have to move...

to a house that is fireproof.

Too bad.

Tell me, why do you burn books?

What?

Well, it's a job like any other.

Good work with lots of variety.

Monday, we burn Miller; Tuesday, Tolstoy; Wednesday, Walt Whitman;

Friday, Faulkner; and Saturday and Sunday, Schopenhauer and Satre.

"We burn them to ashes and then burn the ashes."

- That's our official motto. - You don't like books then?

- Do you like the rain? - Yes, I adore it.

Books are just so much... rubbish.

They have no interest.

Then why do some people still read them although it's so dangerous?

Precisely because it is forbidden.

Why is it forbidden?

Because it makes people unhappy.

Do you really believe that?

Oh, yes. Books disturb people.

They make them antisocial.

Do you think I'm antisocial?

Why do you ask?

Well... I'm a teacher.

Well, not quite. I'm still on probation.

This afternoon the analyst called me in...

and I don't think I said the right things.

I'm not at all happy about my answers.

That's probably why I've been so rude to you. Have I been annoying you?

Oh, no, not at all.

In fact, I was questioned this afternoon as well.

I didn't do too well either.

This is where I live.

You see? This is my house.

- One more question. - Another one?

- Just a little tiny one. - What is it?

Do you ever read the books you burn?

Why should I? First, I'm not interested.

Second, I've better things to do. And third, it is forbidden.

Of course.

- You happy? - What?

Of course I'm happy.

...so that you can protect yourself on the streets.

The art of self-defence, and of attack on occasions...

may also come in quite handy in the home, cousins.

If you watch carefully, you will see...

how a woman can use a man's superior weight to her own advantage.

Did you see that?

Now let's watch that once again normally.

And now in slow motion.

Watch it carefully again, cousins.

I'm going to be promoted.

- As he starts to advance, notice her position: - Are you listening, Linda?

Knees bent slightly and toes turned slightly inwards.

Oh, that's marvellous, Montag.

There. Now you see how easily she has disposed of her...

The captain told me while we were out on a call.

What did you say?

I'm talking about my promotion.

Does that mean an increase, dear?

- How much? - He didn't mention that.

We could move to a larger house. Would you like that?

I'd rather have a second wall-set put in.

They say when you have your second wall-screen...

It's like having your family grow out all around you.

Linda, how many of these pills have you taken today?

What's that?

Oh, those. Help yourself. I've got another bottle full.

- How many have you had? - Oh, don't carry on like that, Montag. Only a few.

Anyway, tonight's special for me.

I've got a part in The Family.

- What? - Our campaign against the enemies of the public peace...

is gaining momentum.

Today's figures for operations in the urban area alone...

account for the elimination of the total...

of 2,750 pounds of conventional editions.

Eight hundred and thirty-six pounds of first editions...

and 17 pounds of manuscripts were also destroyed.

Twenty-three antisocial elements were detained, pending re-education.

Did you see that? Cousin Claudette's got a bouffant tonight.

- Who? - Cousin Claudette.

- Who is Cousin Claudette? - The cousin announcer. The one you don't like.

I don't like any of them.

Why don't you get the kitchen family fixed, Montag? You are awful, really.

Oh hurry, hurry! I'll be on in a minute.

Quickly! Quickly!

I don't understand. How could you be in a play?

They've written a play, you see, with one part missing. That's me.

When the people look at me, then I have to speak.

They ask me a question, and I have to say what I think.

- The play, it's beginning. - And now, for cousins everywhere...

Our Family Theatre.

"Come Play With Us."

Naturally, in what you are about to see...

any similarity with the truth or with real life will be purely coincidental.

Do bear that in mind.

So, will you come play with us?

You will? Good! I thought you would.

Come in, cousins. Be one of The Family.

See here, Charles, do you realize what a dilemma this is?

It's terribly difficult. I don't see any way out of it.

Come, come, come, Bernard. Of course there's a way out.

Now, there are 13 of us so far, right?

You want to invite Edward as well, which makes 14.

But if somebody's ill, Charles then we should be back to 13 again.

- Precisely. Then we must invite more people. - That's an idea.

What about Lottie and James? That'll make 16.

Then if somebody's ill, at least we won't be 13, will we?

But then there's the problem of the rooms, Charles.

Lottie has two children, Charles. Two little boys: Freddie and little John.

I don't see any problem there at all.

We can put the two children in... Well, in Helen's room, for instance.

What do you think, Linda?

- Go ahead. They're waiting for you. - I think that...

You see? Linda agrees with me.

Lottie's children must go in with Helen's children. Linda's absolutely right.