Watership Down
by Martin Rosen
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: John Bennett, John Hurt, Michael Graham Cox, Ralph Richardson, Richard BriersDirector: Martin Rosen
Brand: Warner Brothers
Producer: Martin Rosen
Writer: Martin Rosen
Editor: Terry Rawlings
Writer: Richard Adams
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Animated, Color, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 101 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-03-26
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Warner Home Video
Product features:
- Watership Down
- STORY
- CLASSIC STORY
- CHILDREN
- BEST FOR CHILDREN
Movie Reviews of Watership Down
Movie Review: Most wonderful animated tale on film
Summary: 5 Stars
I am delighted with the September 2003 release on DVD of the beloved animated feature film Watership Down as a 25th Anniversary special edition. Owning a copy of this movie, which is to me uniquely special, indicated the central role DVD technology has assumed in preserving people's favourite movies for home viewing in a more lasting form than ever before. Only now have I begun to collect movies after many years of avoiding them owing to a concern over the utility, and durability of the decay-prone videotape system. This film, one of the very first I have purchased, has some extras added, the most useful of which is an extensive commentary from director Martin Rosen that covers most aspects of the film's generation and adaptation from Richard Adams's award-winning book. But the film itself is a true classic. I saw it at the cinema in early 1979 aged nine, soon after reading the book (which was a 9th birthday present for me).It made a very strong impression on me, and I found it a beautifully-realised tale that incorporated a mythic prologue that explained the basic workings of rabbit society, a dangerous quest, a very well-defined central cast of rabbit characters- the noble Hazel, the courageous Bigwig, the prophetic Fiver, and the oppressive General Woundwort. There is fear and danger in the rabbits' adventure but also heroism, ingenuity and loyalty, not to mention altruism when the kindly if cantankerous seabird Kehaar (voiced by Zero Mostel) is given shelter by the rabbits and later acts as a scout, helping them hatch a plan to stave off invasion by a ruthless tribe of neighbouring rabbits they come into conflict with. The English countryside is delightfully, and accurately portrayed, and the idea of animated animals enacting a tale that has at its heart the battle to survive in the face of human expansion and ecological destruction works well. The film cannot, in 88 minutes, give too much detail of the several alternative styles of societal organisation (described more fully in the book)that the rabbits encounter on their journey, but nothing crucial to the story is omitted. The other wonderful feature of Watership Down is the original song Bright Eyes, performed by Art Garfunkel. This hauntingly beautiful tune appears in an edited dream sequence in the middle of the film that represents Hazel's rescue after being dangerously hurt. It is my all-time favourite song. This movie is most suited to older children (8-9+)and adults, and will continue to be enjoyed for generations to come.
Summary of Watership Down
It is rich storytelling, populated with very real individuals inhabiting a very real world. A band of rabbits illegally leave their warren after a prophecy of doom from a runt named Fiver (Richard Briers).Much like Richard Adams's wonderful novel, this animated tale of wandering rabbits is not meant for small children. It is, however, rich storytelling, populated with very real individuals inhabiting a very real world. The animation is problematic, sometimes appearing out of proportion or just subpar; but it seems to stem from an attempt at realism, something distinguishing the film's characters from previous, cutesy, animated animals. A band of rabbits illegally leave their warren after a prophecy of doom from a runt named Fiver (Richard Briers). In search of a place safe from humans and predators, they face all kinds of dangers, including a warren that has made a sick bargain with humankind, and a warren that is basically a fascist state. Allegories aside, Down is engaging and satisfying, and pulls off the same amazing trick that the novel did--you'll forget that this is a story about rabbits. --Keith Simanton
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