Set in the world of a warren of rabbits, Watership Down follows a group of rabbits lead by Hazel, who leaves their Sandleford warren for new lands after Hazel's younger brother Fiver, a seer, receives dark visions about the warren's imminent demise. Along with a handfull of other Rabbits who believe Fiver's vision, the brothers set off to search for a new home, free of tyranny and human intervention. Facing pressure from the Owsla for leaving the Warren, the rabbits eventually escape, soon discovering the grim and dangerous nature of the world around them. Martin Rosen's Watership Down is a landmark animated feature, known for its geniune depicition of life and death that made it a film a little too mature for young audiences. Featuring an emtionally poignant and poetic narrative, Watership Down's grim tale feels only associated as a children's film due to its beatufiully flawed watercolor animation. While the character motions and animation itself may be considered a bit clunky by today's standards, Watership Down is a striking feature, as Rosen's beautiful use of color and framing elevate the film to a truly immersive experience. Watership Down is a very mature story with gravitas, and even though it is far too violent and heavy for children, its portrayal of the fragiility of life and the importance of sacrifice make it a film full of valuable lessons. The whole mythology of the world created in Watership Down is compelling, with an opening sequence that uses a different type of animation to explain the creation myth of these rabbits, one in which they are near the bottom of the food-chain, hunted by a host of different predators. The whole story feels epic, yet intimate, with my favorite sequences being centered around the "black rabbit', a mythical creature symbolic of the grim reaper. Watership Down is really a story about survival, perserverance, and the importance of freedom, using these cute, furry bunnies too tell a poetic story of life and death.
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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