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Rating: 4 out of 5
I have heard tales of Watership Down. It was a film unlike any other animated film. From the cover, you might expect it to be a cute little film about rabbits. How rabbits live peacefully with some drama, but overall, you would think it was a kid’s movie. Well, this film is no kid’s movie. Hell, it might not even be an adult movie because this film has some real themes that are far beyond what a kid would think.
Watership Down is based on a novel by Richard Adams, published in 1972. In 1978, the film was written, produced, and directed by Martin Rosen. I didn’t read the book, so this review will be strictly on the film. Rosen’s film begins with a cute little film that serves as a tale of the animals. According to Lapine language mythology, the omniscient god Frith created the world. All the animals in this world were similar and lived as grass-eaters. The rabbits multiplied so rapidly that their appetite caused a significant food shortage. The rabbit prince, El-Ahrairah, was ordered by Frith to control his people, but the prince laughed at the request. Why do you go against a god? Well, Frith decided to give a special gift to every animal, where some became predators while others became prey. Some of the predators hunted rabbits. El-Ahrairah, asking for forgiveness, decided that the best way for his people to survive was to live underground. Frith, seeing that El-Ahrairah learned his lesson, gave the rabbits the gift of speed and cunning.
The story begins in the present with a warren near Sandleford. Fiver, a young rabbit seer, has a vision of apocalyptic proportions where his older brother, Hazel, and he come upon a signboard. The signboard states that a residential development is coming. The two beg their chief rabbit to evacuate the area, but the chief dismisses them and has Captain Holly, the head of the warrens police force, called the Owsla, attempt to stop them from trying to bounce. Hazel and Fiver manage to escape with six other rabbits named Bigwig, Blackberry, Pipkin, Dandelion, Silver, and Violet.
Cool, you think that from here on, it will be an arduous journey, but damn, I wasn’t expecting what was about to happen next. As the group journeys through the woods, they avoid several situations, but things get real when Violet journeys into an open field and is killed by a hawk. Shit keeps getting real when the group meets a rabbit named Cowslip, who invites the group into his warren and states that they have plenty of food. When Fiver senses something is up and decides to investigate, Bigwig follows and berates him, only to be caught in a snare and almost choked to death. Fiver also learns that the farmer is protecting Cowslip group to capture other rabbits for his own meals. Trifling to the end. Other parts make you feel like these rabbits won’t make it, but I want to speak on the messed-up section.
Fiver has another vision of a place called Watership Down, which is like a utopia for them, and that Hazel will become the new leader. The group comes upon a warren of rabbits led by General Woundwort. Woundwort’s warren is a dangerous totalitarian state, and he leads it with an iron fist with his militaristic Efrafa, aka his police force. The battle between Woundwort’s group and Fiver/Hazel is intense. Fiver/Hazel wants to save some female rabbits and avoid a particular farm. This battle isn’t for the faint of heart. There is blood, scenes of rabbits getting ripped apart, and all hell breaking loose. Shit is wild to watch.
The story has several key themes worth paying attention to. First is freedom vs. tyranny. Everywhere Havel and Fiver’s group goes, they face the challenge of escaping an oppressive regime. Cowslip regime was one of survival and fear that the farmer will not eat them. The main one was with General Woundwort’s militaristic Efrafa, where freedom is nothing more than a dream and is sold as comfort. Another theme is the impact of human society on nature. This is another example of how humans mess everything up and threaten nature. We pollute the lands, destroy the forests and habitats, and are the ultimate predators of rabbits and everything else.
The animation is a little dated, but even as an old film, it still hits hard. The old-school drawing style and feel show what was popular at the time. The landscape’s background was nice to look at, but the animation’s real standout was how each rabbit was drawn. Some have beady black eyes, while others have surprised human-like features. General Woundwort is drawn as a fat, malicious rabbit with a blind eye, but he looks fearsome as a rabbit. The way the battles were drawn was a chef’s kiss, showing blood and guts and not holding back.
Watership Down is an anime that is not for little kids. It is not a cute little rabbit movie, but rather a film with adult themes. This should be watched in middle school or even high school, as the themes are thought-provoking and offer lessons. The animation is dated but still good. Watch this film as an adult, not as a little kid. This is a new way of looking at rabbits.
