Directed by Martin Rosen in 1978, Watership Down follows a young 'seer' rabbit called Fiver who receives a frightening vision of his warren's imminent destruction. When he and his brother, Hazel, fail to convince their chief of the need to evacuate, they set out on their own with a small band of others who heeded the warning, and barely manage to elude the Warren's military caste. What follows is a perilous journey in which the band faces dangers of all varieties from all directions. While they eventually find a peaceful new home at Watership Down, they have new problems that will lead to a deadly conflict with the neighbouring warren called Efrafa, a police state led by the despotic General Woundwort.
The film was based on author Robert Adam's first novel, which he intended to be a children's book. However, the films release warranted many complaints as viewers felt that the violence portrayed was not suitable for a young audience. For what is in effect a childrens story following a band of rabbits, some of the scenes are quite sinister and graphic. This, coupled with the abstract nature of the film, makes me question whether it was ever intended for children. Many fans see the book as a political allegory attacking fascism, and this opinion is supported by a plot involving visits to two other warrens whose political philosophies are depicted as antagonistic and repugnant.
Forgetting the different possible interpretations of the story's events, this 1978 animated film is an amazing adaption of the novel. It has to be the most abstract film I have seen and for that reason I find it fascinating.
3 comments:
I used to watch this film when i was young and then saw some it recently and hadnt realised how ever so slightly gory it was. On my blog there are some illustrations by the guy who did the animations for watership down - Dave Webster.
I also remember watching this as a child and being facinated by it. It really stuck in my mind all those years, I'm not sure why maybe the brutality of it, maybe the style of it or maybe that it dealt with some difficult and dark issues. I think as a child it is important to be exposed to stories that are not always perfect or not always sweet and proper, we need a balance otherwise we grow up thinking that everything should be perfect when in fact we live in a very imperfect world.
I used to watch this film too, and have rewatched it recently.There are so many underlying themes in the storyline that, I think, make it just as interesting to watch now.
One other (slightly cynical) theory we came up with was that Fiver (the 'seer') has Myxomatosis and that is why he's a bit crazy!
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