Watership Down (1978)
Directed by: Martin Rosen.
Written by: Martin Rosen based on
the novel by Richard Adams.
Starring: John Hurt (Hazel),
Richard Briers (Fiver), Michael Graham Cox (Bigwig), John Bennett (Capt.
Holly), Ralph Richardson (Chief Rabbit), Simon Cadell (Blackberry), Terence
Rigby (Silver), Roy Kinnear (Pipkin), Richard O'Callaghan (Dandelion), Denholm
Elliott (Cowslip), Lynn Farleigh (Cat), Mary Maddox (Clover), Zero Mostel
(Kehaar), Harry Andrews (Gen. Woundwort), Hannah Gordon (Hyzenthlay), Nigel
Hawthorne (Capt. Campion), Clifton Jones (Blackavar), Derek Griffiths (Vervain),
Michael Hordern (Frith), Joss Ackland (Black Rabbit), Michelle Price (Lucy).
The
film version of Watership Down has scarred and haunted a few generations of
children now – children whose parents who showed them the movie not knowing
what it was really about, and thinking that it would be a cute movie about
animated, talking rabbits. Those parents (some of whom, apparently, still
complain to the British Ratings Board – which did, ridiculously, grant the film
a U Rating – for Universal) are idiots, as Richard Adams book has been a well-known
standard for decades, and while the film certainly excises, or reduces, some
parts it remains a suitably dark adaptation. Yet, for all the talk of
traumatized children that comes up when Watership Down is brought up, it must
be said – that while this movie is for everyone – that does, in fact, include
children. No, I’m not going to show this to more my four year old – but when
she’s 10 or 11, I certainly will. Watership Down is about, among other things,
death and its inevitability – the rabbits go from one place to the next, and most
of them remain one step ahead of death (some are taken, in some shockingly
sudden ways), but eventually they will not. They encounter a world that lacks
empathy, and doesn’t much care what happens to them – the humans in the movie
are not really cruel – they, like most of us, just don’t spend much time
thinking about the rabbits at all. As parents, we naturally want to protect our
children, and preserve their childhood innocence – but we cannot do it forever.
Yes, Watership Down will likely sear itself into your children’s memory – but that’s
not necessarily a bad thing.
The
film version trims a lot of Adams’ musings on the type of God that rabbits
would create for themselves – basically keeping it to a memorable beginning,
done in a different animation style than the rest of the film – more basic,
more primal – not unlike cave paintings, as it tells the story of how God is punishing
the rabbits by making them prey to all sorts of other animals – but also
blessed them with speed and smarts, to be able to hide from them. From there,
we go to the main story involving a group of rabbits led by Hazel (voiced, very
well, by John Hurt). The scared, shaky Fiver (Richard Briers) has had a terrifying
vision of the future – of fire and blood, but many in their group will not
listen to him. Hazel and others do, and end up fleeing their warren in search
of something safer – before Fiver’s vision comes to pass (to the surprise of no
one, that vision is man – expanding their own habitat at the expense of the
rabbits).
From
there, the rabbits move from one place to the next, always attempting to find
some safety and security, and never quite finding it. The film does an
excellent job at looking at the world around us from the point of view of the
rabbits – how the most mundane things in our world, are deadly in theirs. There
is a brief, but disturbing, section in which our heroes enter a warren with
there is lots of room and lots of food – but its few rabbit residents seem
nervous, scared and perhaps mentally unstable – they welcome the rabbits in,
but there is something wrong here that they all sense – and eventually we’ll
figure out what it is. The main conflict – that takes up the last half of the
film or so – has our group meet another group of rabbits – led by General
Woundwort (Harry Andrews) – a genuinely frightening animated villain – a large,
scarred rabbit whose paranoia has led him, and his minions, to control their
group with an Iron Fist – cracking down with physical brutality on the smallest
of infractions, and keeping everyone trapped inside their warrens for most of
the time. There are those on the inside who want out – and Hazel and company
want to help. What makes this part of the story work so well is that, while he
always remains a villain, by this point in the story you at least understand
where Woundwort is coming from. Death is everywhere for the rabbits – and in
his own way, he is trying hard to protect them.
In
some ways, writer/director Martin Rosen really does allow the film to take the
form of a classic animated film – including some comic relief, voiced this time
by Zero Mostel, as a seagull who befriends the rabbits late in the proceedings.
There are other signposts that show how a company like Disney could have
approached the material, and made it less dark and more kid-friendly. It’s to
Rosen’s credit that he never takes the film that direction.
The
animation itself is, for the most part, merely serviceable. I appreciate the
fact that Rosen and his animators didn’t want to make the characters look too
cartoony – which they don’t – and the fact that he didn’t want to make snarling
villains out of some of the scary creatures (the goofy looking dog for
instance, who is just as deadly despite that appearance). However, a few
sequences aside – the opening (which may have been directed by someone else),
Fiver’s vision, etc. – the animation doesn’t look particularly impressive – it’s
more workmanlike than anything else. The animation works – it doesn’t detract
from the story by any means, but I think there are some missed opportunities
here as well.
No,
Watership Down is not for young children. I don’t think there’s anything
inherently wrong with movies that scare children – being scared can be a wonderful
experience watching a movie, but I don’t think you want to traumatize your
children, and that is what Watership Down will do to kids who are old enough to
understand what is happening, but not old enough to process it. Yet, it is a
great movie for that always tough to find movies for crowd around 10-12 – where
they’re too old (or stubborn) for “kids’ stuff”, but not yet ready to deal with
more mature movies (now, we simply plunk them down in front of whatever
superhero movie has just come out – and if you’re a girl, tough luck, that’s
all you get too – but maybe, one day, they’ll allow a girl superhero).
Watership Down is a movie that can help children process and deal with death
and their feelings towards it. Watch it with your older children – and be
prepared to discuss it afterward. You’ll probably be surprised at just how much
the kids will understand.
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