February’s Round-up
-
1984 - George Orwell
1984 is absolutely brilliant but also deeply unsettling. Orwell’s vision of surveillance, thought control, and authoritarianism feels disturbingly relevant, and the way he builds tension through Winston’s slow, inevitable downfall is haunting. It raises a question: how much of Winston is inside all of us today? It’s not a book I’d ever call enjoyable, just as I’d never call Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony enjoyable, but, similar to the symphony, it is a work of art that lingers, like a warning you can’t shake off.
-
Conclave - Edward Berger
I found the tension gripping and the political drama fascinating without feeling overdone. Ralph Fiennes and Isabella Rossellini conveyed true depth through simple micro-expressions, using the subtlest shifts in their eyes to evoke powerful emotions in place of overt dramatization. That alone, from them both, deserves an Oscar. Fiennes’ monologue on the intersection of doubt and faith resonated deeply with me, and I carry the insights now into my own life, even though I’m not religious.
-
“Why aren’t we in the streets?” by Susan B. Glasser
This paints a chilling picture of democratic erosion and unchecked power. The combination of foreign policy shifts, mass firings, and media suppression suggests an alarming level of authoritarianism. Yet, the public’s quiet response is just as concerning. The contrast between strong European activism amid their own political upheavals and the lack thereof from Americans demonstrates how we all may be desensitized to political chaos. To me, this signals a dangerous normalization of extreme and unfiltered governance.