Watership Down (1978)

A group of rabbits flee their doomed warren and face many dangers to find and protect their new home.

Director:

Martin Rosen

Writers:

Richard Adams (novel), Martin Rosen

Stars:

John Hurt, Richard Briers, Michael Graham Cox

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Hurt	...	Hazel (voice)
Richard Briers	...	Fiver (voice)
Michael Graham Cox	...	Bigwig (voice) (as Michael Graham-Cox)
John Bennett	...	Capt. Holly (voice)
Ralph Richardson	...	Chief Rabbit (voice)
Simon Cadell	...	Blackberry (voice)
Terence Rigby	...	Silver (voice)
Roy Kinnear	...	Pipkin (voice)
Richard O'Callaghan	...	Dandelion (voice)
Denholm Elliott	...	Cowslip (voice)
Lynn Farleigh	...	Cat (voice) (as Lyn Farleigh)
Mary Maddox	...	Clover (voice)
Zero Mostel	...	Kehaar (voice)
Harry Andrews	...	Gen. Woundwort (voice)
Hannah Gordon	...	Hyzenthlay (voice)

Storyline

Based upon Richard Adam's novel of the same title, this animated feature delves into the surprisingly violent world of a warren of rabbits as they seek to establish a new colony free of tyranny and human intervention. Frightening and bloody in some scenes. Not recommended for young children.

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Plot Keywords:

rabbit | home | seer | runt | vision | 

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Taglines:

All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and when they catch you, they will kill you... but first they must catch you.

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 November 1978 (USA)

Also Known As:

Brežuljak Voteršip

Box Office

Gross:

SEK 4,411,305 (Sweden)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Nepenthe Productions, Watership Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

101 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The backgrounds and locations - especially Efrafa and the nearby railway - are near-perfect matches to the diagrams and maps in Richard Adams's book.

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Goofs

At the beginning of the film, Fiver finds a smoking cigarette. This means that men have been in the area within the last ten minutes (at most.) Yet all the rabbits are happily outside their holes, and Hazel is happily munching grass only a few feet away. The smoke smell alone should have put everyone on high alert, in addition to any lingering "man smell".

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: Long ago, the great Frith made the world. He made all the stars and the world lived among the stars. Frith made all the animals and birds and, at first, made them all the same. Now, among the animals was El-Ahrairah, the Prince of Rabbits. He had many friends and they all ate grass together. But after a time, the rabbits wandered everywhere, multiplying and eating as they went. Then Frith said to El-Ahrairah, "Prince Rabbit, if you cannot control your people, I shall find ways to ...

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Connections

Referenced in I'm Alan Partridge: Never Say Alan Again (2002)

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Soundtracks

"Bright Eyes"
Composed by Mike Batt
Sung by Art Garfunkel

User Reviews

A Wonderfully Gripping Adventurous Tale Of Survival

'Watership Down' is a terrific adaptation of Richard Adams's novel. Like Orwell's 'Animal Farm', this isn't only a film for children but equally important for adults. The soundtrack is captivating and I loved the way Art Garfunkel's song was used. The characters are so richly written that the viewer immediately empathizes and identifies with them. They are brave, endearing, loyal and strong and this is all cleverly downplayed. Fiver and Hazel are the two heroes who are brilliantly voiced by Richard Briers and John Hurt. The overall voice acting is very well done.

Unlike most animated films, 'Watership Down' uses a lot of subtlety. Nothing is overdone. The music flows well, the pacing is smooth and the characters are real (rather than over the top). The animation is simplistic, created with watercolour and ink, giving it a gentle touch. It works effectively.

There story is cleverly layered and there's a lot of intriguing symbolism. The film never shies away from being brutally honest. It shows life the way it is: There's pain, there's death, there's suffering, there's determination and one needs to work hard to have the best of it, to survive. While many have complained that this is no movie for children, I think it depends more on the individual because this film is relevant for everyone. The violent scenes are a bit graphic and the sad scenes are moving but in the end it is uplifting.

There are very few novels that have been so fascinating on screen. 'Watership Down' is among them. It is a magnificently gripping adventurous tale. After 30 years it still remains a powerful story that strongly applies to today's world. I remember seeing it ages ago and then it was a must-have-on-DVD movie for me. I finally got the DVD and had the pleasure to watch revisit it today. A dazzling gem.