Watership Down (1978)

Director:

Martin Rosen

Writers:

Richard Adams (novel)
Martin Rosen (written by)

Release Date:

1 November 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

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.

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Rabbit | Home | Seer | Runt | Vision

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

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)
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Capt. Campion (voice) (as Nigel Hawthorn)
Clifton Jones	...	Blackavar (voice)
Derek Griffiths	...	Vervain (voice)
Michael Hordern	...	Frith (voice)
Joss Ackland	...	Black Rabbit (voice)
Michelle Price	...	Lucy (voice)

Directed by
Martin Rosen

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Richard Adams		novel
Martin Rosen		written by

Produced by
Martin Rosen	....	producer

Original Music by
Angela Morley

Film Editing by
Terry Rawlings

Production Management
Dennis Gardiner	....	production manager

Sound Department
Ray Mervin	....	sound effects mixer
Bill Rowe	....	dubbing mixer

Visual Effects by
Philip Campbell	....	optical editor

Camera and Electrical Department
Moses Agyemang	....	camera operator
Ron Boston	....	camera operator
Alan Buchan	....	camera operator
Les Green	....	camera operator
Tony Haines	....	camera operator
Denis Hall	....	camera operator
Julian Holdaway	....	camera operator
Bob Mintern	....	camera operator
Christopher Morgan	....	camera operator
Barry Orsborn	....	camera operator
David Smith	....	camera operator
Chris Williams	....	camera operator

Animation Department
Margot Allen	....	trace and paint artist
Jose Amoros-Sanz	....	trace and paint artist (as Jose Sanz)
Lynne Anderson	....	trace and paint artist (as Lynn Anderson)
Alan Andrews	....	trace and paint artist
Luciana Arrighi	....	monster design
Ralph Ayres	....	animator
Rodolfo Azaro	....	background artist
Donna K. Baker	....	trace and paint supervisor (as Donna Baker)
Richard Bell	....	assistant background artist
Malcolm Bourne	....	assistant animator
Joan Bradshaw	....	trace and paint artist
Sue Branch	....	senior background artist
Maggie Brown	....	trace and paint artist
Errol Bryant	....	background artist
Alistair Byrt	....	assistant animator
Briony Catling	....	trace and paint artist
Chris Caunter	....	assistant animator
Vanessa Clegg	....	assistant background artist
Bobby Clennell	....	assistant animator
Steve Colwell	....	checking
Phil Duncan	....	animation supervisor (as Philip Duncan)
Phil Duncan	....	senior animator (as Philip Duncan)
Helga Egilson	....	trace and paint artist
Wendi Ellis	....	trace and paint artist
Chris Evans	....	animator
Bryan Foster	....	animator (as Brian Foster)
Miles Foster	....	checking
Bill Geach	....	animator
Tony Guy	....	animation director
Tony Guy	....	senior animator
Robyn Hamilton-Garrett	....	trace and paint artist
Gordon Harrison	....	layout artist
Maria Hemmleb	....	trace and paint artist
Ian Henderson	....	senior background artist
Sandy Houston	....	trace and paint artist
Spud Houston	....	animator
Arthur Humberstone	....	senior animator
George Jackson	....	senior animator
Doug Jensen	....	animator
Ray Kelly	....	assistant animator
Ann Kennedy	....	trace and paint artist
Ruth Kissane	....	animator
Bill Littlejohn	....	animator
Dave McFall	....	trace and paint artist (as David McFall)
Brian Melling	....	background artist
Elaine Mills	....	trace and paint artist
Rosemary Morgan	....	trace and paint artist
Dot Morse	....	trace and paint artist
Barrie Nelson	....	animator
John Perkins	....	animator
Ted Pettengell	....	layout artist
Josephine Poole	....	trace and paint artist
Edric Radage	....	animator (as Edric Raddage)
Priscilla Rhodes	....	trace and paint artist
Denis Ryan	....	background artist (as Dennis Ryan)
Alma Sachs	....	color coordinator
Olive Scott	....	trace and paint artist
Peter See	....	layout artist
Paul Shardlow	....	background artist
Alan Simpson	....	animator
Carol Slade	....	assistant animator
April Spencer	....	assistant animator
Dennis Sutton	....	trace and paint artist
Gary Sycamore	....	senior background artist
Marie Szmichowska	....	animator
Sheila Thompson	....	trace and paint artist
Barbara Todeschini	....	trace and paint artist
Marie Turner	....	checking
Peter Turner	....	trace and paint supervisor
Sarah Vincent	....	assistant animator
Roger Way	....	trace and paint artist
Karen Webb	....	trace and paint artist
Rosemary Welch	....	assistant animator
Colin White	....	animator
Steve Woods	....	assistant animator

Editorial Department
Les Healey	....	assistant editor
Roy Piper	....	assembly editor
William Webb	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Lawrence Ashmore	....	orchestrator
Mike Batt	....	music arranger
Mike Batt	....	musician: keyboards
Marcus Dods	....	conductor
Brian Lintern	....	music editor
Angela Morley	....	music arranger
Angela Morley	....	orchestrator
John Richards	....	music mixer
Chris Spedding	....	musician: guitars
Henry Spinetti	....	musician: drums
Malcolm Williamson	....	composer: incidental music

Other crew
Philip Alton	....	production coordinator
Marilyn Barham	....	production secretary
Ron Garrett	....	production accountant
Jo Gregory	....	production accountant
Linda Gregory	....	production accountant
Judy Hayward	....	production secretary

Production Companies

• Nepenthe Productions
• Watership Productions

Distributors

• AVCO Embassy Pictures (1978) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corp. (1978) (UK) (theatrical)
• Concorde Film (1978) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Suomi-Filmi (1980) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1983) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Guild Home Video (1987) (UK) (VHS)
• Finn Innovation Products (1995) (Finland) (VHS)
• Mainostelevisio (MTV3) (1997) (Finland) (TV)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2000) (Finland) (TV)
• Big Sky Video (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• Future Film (2005) (Finland) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2005) (UK) (DVD)
• Splendor Films (2012) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Umbrella Entertainment (2009) (Australia) (video) (VOD)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (DVD)
• Warner Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Thorn EMI Elstree Studios  sound re-recording

Also Known As:

Runtime:

101 min | Brazil:92 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-10 | Sweden:7 (cut) | UK:U | USA:PG | West Germany:6 | Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Netherlands:AL | Australia:PG | Iceland:L | Finland:K-8 (video rating) | Argentina:Atp

Company:

Nepenthe Productions

Trivia:

Martin Rosen's directorial debut.

Goofs:

Continuity: In a wide shot of Bigwig spotting Hyzenthlay and Blackavar in the distance, they appear as two rabbits with normal, erect ears. In the next shot, Blackavar's ears are shredded and drooping, as they should be.

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...

Movie Connections:

Featured in 100 Greatest Cartoons (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Bright Eyes

Would have been my favorite film if I had seen it when I was a kid

If I had had this video when I was 8 or 9, I think I would have watched it as much as or more than I watched any other video that I had at the time. It's quite an extraordinary film. I'm 21 now, and I found it very exciting and involving throughout. The only problem is that it always seems like the episodes in the film happen a bit too quick, making it pretty obvious that it was adapted from a much longer novel. Episodes that seem very important only last for three minutes or so. And they never did free the rabbits in the pen at the farmhouse. Still, it's a great movie. While not for the very young children (there is a bit of violence and gore), I think any kid 8 or above would really love this film. Learn that you don't have to just buy videos of recent films for children. Some of the older films are much better. 9/10.