WATERSHIP DOWN

UK, 1978, 92 minutes, Colour.
Voices: John Hurt, Richard Briers, Harry Andrews, Zero Mostel, Denholm Elliot, Ralph Richardson.
Narrated by Michael Hordern.
Directed by Martin Rosen.

Watership Down is one of the most satisfying animated features. It has strong plot lines to hold the attention of all ages, and comic naturalistic drawing to please children. But the fairy-tale/legend plot also has elements to delight the adult viewer: journeys, heroes, villains, struggles and endurance (and a comic broken-Englished bird, Kehaar , voiced by Zero Mostel) . An English cast supplies excellent character voices - John Hurt as the hero, Richard Briers as the insightful rabbit, Michael Hordern as narrator and Harry Andrews as a superbly evil General Woundwort.

Richard Adams' novel (an allegory of European World War II, he says) has achieved wide readership. The film version, written, produced and directed by Martin Rosen, attractively scored and drawn and delightfully acted, is one of the most satisfying animated films for a long time - and recommended for all audiences.

1. The popularity of the novel, its status as a modern classic? An allegory of World War II and 20th. century society? Audience expectations of a screen adaptation? of the quality of animation? How successfully did the film adapt the novel and present it visually? Musical score? Art Garfunkel's singing of 'Bright Eyes'?

2. The appeal of the film for children? The basic plot and its clarity, momentum, journey and quest? The directness of the animation, the dramatisation of the rabbits and the other animals, the landscapes? How clear were the basic issues of survival, conflict, harassment, hope, battles?

3. The saw appeal for adults? How satisfying were the styles and the content for bridging the gap between adults and children? Audience interest in the plot and its social and ecological overtones? The basic themes of myth and legend with the prologue? Their adaptation to 20th. century situations? The appeal of the animation? The clarity of the issues and their being dramatised in fable?

4. The quality of the animation? The stylised nature of the prologue? The naturalistic drawing of the animals and the landscapes? The background of the beauty of the English countryside? The quality of the photography and the drama? How appropriate was the humanising of the animals?

5. The choice of rabbits for the basic animals of the film? The dogs, the birds? The look of the rabbits? Their appearance in the prologue and the changing styles? The 20th. century rabbits? Their actions? How well humanised were they? The skill of the actors and actresses in dramatising, in their manner of speaking?

6. The importance of the musical score, the Bright Eyes song and its use? With themes of life and death?

7. The mythic aspects of the prologue and the tone that it set for the film: Creation, the place of the animals and their evolution, playful animals and destructive animals? Frith and his goodness, his place as a god, work of creation, play? The rabbits' myth for the glorification of the rabbits? Rebellion by a prince? Vengeance? The story of the rabbit's tall, hunting, swiftness, the fastest prince of the animals?

8. How did this provide a basis for the fable? The importance of the rabbits in their own eyes, their status? Hazel in the tradition of the Prince Rabbit? The destiny of the rabbits, the moving from how, the quest and its difficulties, the battles and courage and endurance, survival, the new home?

9. The basic appeal of these mythic elements - in fairy stories for children, in the legends for adults? The significance of creation, the god. destiny. the journey and quest, love and relationships, death?

10. The transition to the warren and its way of life? The rabbits out on the hill? Hazel and his influence and leadership? The smaller rabbits and their following of him? The intrusion of Fiver's experience and fears? The vision of blood? The dramatic impact of the vision and the intimations that they must leave? The importance of going to the Chief? Bigwig and his role as a functionary, getting them to the Chief? The satire on the Chief and his growing old in authority, his politeness, his self-centredness and preoccupation, his disregarding the warnings? The theme of destiny? The situating of the warren in the world that humans know - houses, cars, development? This background giving stress to the need for the rabbits to move?

11. The build-up to the journey itself? The perennial symbolism of the journey? The hostility in the group of rabbits going? The attempts to prevent them? The significance of the later flashbacks to show the destruction of the warren and the rightness of their decision to move? The length of the journey, its difficulties, weariness, the attacks of the dogs, the rats and the hawk, the building of the raft and escaping? Conventional dangers to be encountered on such a journey? The shrewdness of the rabbits in confronting the difficulties e.g. building the raft? The skill in planning?

12. The respite with the arrival at the house, the encounter with the cat and its danger and later menace, the dog, the humans? The return to the house to find the female rabbits and invite them to come? The wounding of the rabbits? The hostility of dogs and cats and humans? Cowslip and his also being a menace and threat on the journey? His insinuations, his being a hostile representative of succumbing to the humans?

13. Watership Down itself, the fulfilment of a goal, home? Its needs, the does, the difficulties in getting the does to make the colony? The clash with Woundwort and his company? The help of Keliaar?

14. The character of General Woundwort, the enemy warren, the flashbacks of evil and the allegory? The camp, the prison, the regimentation, the General? Bigwig and his strategy, espionage, leading the escape? The train and its devastation? The dogs?

15. The fight, the strategy, the holding pattern, the dogs, the blood and gore? The harsh realities of battle?

16. The character of Hazel , John Hurt's voice and acting ability? His leadership? Fiver and his continued visions? The emphasis of the other rabbits and their contribution: Blackberry and his initiative, Bigwig as stout-hearted and a good fighter, Dandelion and his swiftness, storytelling, Silver as slow and lethargic, Pipkin as small and enthusiastic. Captain Holly as the last addition to the band? The contrast with Cowslip? The does and their contribution?

17. The character of Kehaar, Zero Mostel's comic talent, his aid, missing the appointment, final rescue?

18. The final peace, Hazel growing old, his going into the mythic realm, the Black Rabbit coming and calling him to death, the mythical ending?

19. The value of this kind of fable and allegory? Intellectual content, emotional impact? The observations on such themes as: leadership, security, freedom, friendship, courage, dying, the rape of the earth, the purpose of life, relationship between humans and animals?