| rdfs:comment | - Watership down opens with a narrated prologue establishing the Lapine culture and mythology, describing the creation of the world and its animals by the sun god "Lord frith," including the rabbits' leader, Prince "EL-ahrairah." All the animals are friendly, and eat grass, but with the rabbits soon multiply and overwhelm the other animals. When Frith warns El-ahairah to control his people, the prince scoffs at his warning; in retaliation, Frith gives each animal a gift, turning them into predators that hunt down and kill the rabbits. However, Frith also gifts the rabbits, with speed and cunning; all creatures seek to kill El-ahriariah and his descendants, but the rabbits may survive by their wits and their quickness.
- Watership Down is a 1978 British animated film written, produced and directed by Martin Rosen and based on the book by Richard Adams. It was financed by a consortium of British financial institutions. Originally released October 19 1978, the film was an immediate success and it became the sixth most popular movie of 1979 at the British box office. The film is rated PG (U in the UK) for strong animal violence/gory images and some mild language – all involving animals. This has caused many controversy, with some reviewers stating it must be an adults' film or must be rated R.
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| abstract | - Watership Down is a 1978 British animated film written, produced and directed by Martin Rosen and based on the book by Richard Adams. It was financed by a consortium of British financial institutions. Originally released October 19 1978, the film was an immediate success and it became the sixth most popular movie of 1979 at the British box office. The film is rated PG (U in the UK) for strong animal violence/gory images and some mild language – all involving animals. This has caused many controversy, with some reviewers stating it must be an adults' film or must be rated R. It features the voices of John Hurt, Richard Briers, Harry Andrews, Simon Cadell, Nigel Hawthorne, and Roy Kinnear, among others, and was the last film work of Zero Mostel, as the voice of Kehaar the gull. The musical score was by Angela Morley and Malcolm Williamson. Art Garfunkel's hit single "Bright Eyes", which was written by songwriter Mike Batt, briefly features.
- Watership down opens with a narrated prologue establishing the Lapine culture and mythology, describing the creation of the world and its animals by the sun god "Lord frith," including the rabbits' leader, Prince "EL-ahrairah." All the animals are friendly, and eat grass, but with the rabbits soon multiply and overwhelm the other animals. When Frith warns El-ahairah to control his people, the prince scoffs at his warning; in retaliation, Frith gives each animal a gift, turning them into predators that hunt down and kill the rabbits. However, Frith also gifts the rabbits, with speed and cunning; all creatures seek to kill El-ahriariah and his descendants, but the rabbits may survive by their wits and their quickness. The film then switches from a sylized narrative to realistic animation, set in the English countryside of sandleford. Fiver, a young runt rabbit with prophetic abilities, forsees the end of his peaceful rabbit warren and asks others to leave with him. Fiver and his older brother Hazel attempt to persaude their Chief rabbit to have the warren evacuated and moved elsewhere, but they were dismissed, and attempt to recruit individuals instead. the group meets the resistance from the warren's police force, or Owsla, but eight manage to escape: Fiver, Hazel, the burly ex-Owsla officer Bigwig, the cunning Blackberry, The smallest rabbit Pipkin, storyteller and runner Dandelion, the elder Silver, and the only female, Violet. They travel stealthily theough the woods, close to many predators, but they make it to a covered bean field to rest the night; however, in the morning, as ahe attempts to feed nearby, Violet is killed by a hawk. After crossing a river(using a floating piece of driftwood), evading a huntibg dog, and escaping a rat-infested cemetary, the hungey band meets a rabbit named Cowslip, who invites them for much-needed food to his warren of strange but friendly rabbits. The group is content and greatful for shelter, but Fiver senses something terribly wrong and leaves in a fit As Bigwig follows him, taunting his bizarre behavior, he is caught in a snare; Fiver attempts to get help from Cowslip and his warren, but he is dismissed. As the rabbits frantically dig to free Bigwig he collapses. As the rabbits mourn him, Fiver admonishes them: The warren is fed by a farmer who occasionally snares rabbits in return for his food and care from predators. After his revelation, Bigwig miraculously awakes; on Fiver's advice, the band moves on with new respect for the seer's wisdom. The rabbits discover Nuthanger farm, which contains a hutch of female rabbits. Hazel realizes that females will be needed to begin a new warren, but the rabbits are forced to leave by the appearence of the farm's cat and dog. Hazel promises to return, and the rabbits set off again. they are unexpectedly found by the Sandleford's Owsla captin, Holly, who is injured and at the point of death. He recounts the destructon of the Sandleford warren that Fiver foresaw, and collapses after mentioning a warren called Efrafa. After he recovers, Fiver soon leads the group to a high hill he envisioned, Watership down, where rabbits discover empty burrows suitable to live in. They settle in, developing their own warren, with Hazel informally reconized as Chief rabbit. List of Characters: Hazel: The main protagonist in the film. He is initially the only rabbit who trusts his brother Fiver. Hazel, now an aged rabbit, is invited by El-ahrairah to join his Owsla (a special group of clever rabbits dedicated to protecting their Chief Rabbit and his warren), to which Hazel accepts. Fiver: Hazel's younger brother; his Lapine name is Hrairoo, which means "Little-thousand". He is a seer, and his visions of the destruction of the Sandleford warren compel him to leave, along with his brother Hazel and several other rabbits. His visions guide his considerable wisdom, such as when he realizes the true danger of the snared warren, which wins him the respect of his fellows who come to accept his counsel without question. Later, when Hazel is wounded by a gunshot in a raid on a human farm's rabbit hutch, Fiver has a vision that enables him to save his brother. Bigwig: His name in Lapine is Thlayli, which means "Fur-head" and refers to the shock of fur on the top of his head. Formerly an officer in the Sandleford Owsla, the largest and best fighter of the Sandleford survivors. He is often blunt and impatient for dangerous action and fighting. He quickly befriends Kehaar. Hazel often selects him for the most dangerous missions, such as the infiltration of Efrafa and guarding the run against General Woundwort, a stand that nearly kills him. Later, he becomes captain of the Watership warren's "free-and-easy" Owsla. General Woundwort: The Chief Rabbit of Efrafa serves as the main antagonist in the film. He is a hard and brutally efficient rabbit who was orphaned at a young age. He engineered and founded the Efrafa warren specifically to minimize notice from humans. He is described as the largest rabbit anyone has ever seen, and thought by Holly to be the one rabbit that is more than a match for Bigwig. Woundwort is blind in his left eye. A brutal and tyrannical leader who sees himself as the one doing everything for the best of his warren, Woundwort strives to destroy Hazel and his 'outsiders' because of the hope for free life they represent for his own subjects. After being tricked by Bigwig and Hazel into losing ten does and Blackavar, Woundwort attacks the Watership Down warren with his Owsla and Owslafa. He fights savagely against Bigwig but cannot kill him; after retreating once he realizes that he is afraid to attack Bigwig again. He is thought to have been killed fighting the Nuthanger Farm dog, but he lives on in rabbit legend as a bogeyman and cousin to the Black Rabbit of Inlè.
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