Since its publication in 1972, richard adams novel watership down has become a staple of the fantasy genre, with adaptations for film, radio. Originally released on october 19 1978, the film was an immediate success and it became the sixth most popular film if 1979 at the british box office. Watership down is a 1978 british animated adventure drama film written, produced and directed by martin rosen and based on the hugely popular book of the. I bought it as a gift for my 11yo granddaughter and she read it within a week, loving every page. Here is some of the critical acclaim that has been placed upon the book. Watership down is a 1978 british animated adventure drama film written, produced and directed by martin rosen and based on the hugely popular book of the same name by richard adams. The watership down film picture book by richard adams. The watership down film picture book is not so much a mixture of the two, but really a book with substance enough to stand alone. Bbc watership down since its publication in 1972, richard adams novel watership down has become a staple of the fantasy genre, with adaptations for film, radio, television and, with a new. A summary of symbols in richard adamss watership down. Cowslips rabbits attack them thinking they are the rest of hazels party and an al.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Peter capaldi does an excellent job narrating the story, as well as creating individual voices and personalities for each character. Watership down official trailer hd netflix youtube. Set in southern england, around hampshire, the story features a small group of rabbits. The watership down film picture book by adams, richard. Watership down the story that traumatised children of the 1970s is back. Although the rabbit characters have a language and a culture, and they converse and interact just as humans do, these are not capandwaistcoat picture book bunnies, but fully realized characters whose conflicts and triumphs keep readers engrossed. She has seen the film and said the book is even better. Uncommonly good collectible and rare books from uncommonly good booksellers. In watership down, humans are very often the ultimate enemy of nature. Watership down book, film, and music the sheridan libraries. Graphics have come a long way in the forty years that have passed since the original film, so its easy to understand the temptation of an update. Netflixs watership down loses the complexity of novel.
In 1978, the film watership down became legendary for scaring the bejeezus out of children everywhere, drawn there by parents who either didnt read the book or thought it. A summary of motifs in richard adamss watership down. It would have taken a mighty piece of film making to make me forget that i hate rabbits, and yet watership down 1978 had me utterly engaged from the opening moments. The film featured the song bright eyes, sung by art garfunkel. Netflixs watership down proves it was a horror story all. The soundtrack is captivating and i loved the way art garfunkels song was used. The characters are so richly written that the viewer immediately empathizes and identifies with them. Mar 21, 2012 nearly 30 years since its initial release, watership down remains a compelling tale of courage, loyalty and thrilling adventure. In 1978, one of the greatest british animated films of the past 50 years was. In the book, tab is a male cat but portrayed as a female in the movie who taunts his prey. Jul 03, 2014 buy watership down a puffin book 01 by adams, richard, parkins, david isbn. Based once again on the 1972 book, the new version of course deploys all the uptodate wizardry of modern. Watership down, richard adams 9780241953235 boeken. He is only mentioned in the novel, but he appears in the watership down miniseries as the secondary antagonist.
Watership down original cover uk imagine this book hot off the presses as you check out the cover for the uk first edition. Watership down should be about death and destruction, not. Whilst on wide patrol, captain orchis found another warren and reported it to general woundwort, who destroyed it and brought back prisoners. Watership down audiobooks listen to the full series. If you find and correct errors in the text, please.
Watership down is a 1978 british adventure drama animated film writen, produced and directed by martin rosen and based on the book by richard adams. Parents need to know that watership down is the 1978 animated adaptation of the classic richard adams novel. Fiver foresees great danger to the rabbits home warren. A summary of chapters 1820 in richard adamss watership down. A warren of rabbits battles many threats on their daring journey to find a new home in this adaptation of the classic novel by richard adams. Lockleys remarkable book, the private life of the rabbit. The handdrawn animation of the original 1978 film was vivid and colorful, the music bright eyes, keehars theme was haunting, and the rabbits were easy to distinguish with clear visual trademarks. Comparison there are several differences between the book, film,and tv series, lets find out what they are. Rosens adaptation was praised for cutting through adams book. It was finached by a constortium of british financial institutions. Best watership down adaptation to date this audio adaptation of watership down is by far the finest adaptation of any kind to date for this book. It was financed by a consortium of british financial institutions and was distributed by cinema international corporation in the united kingdom. Do tell me how i can help you, said the chief rabbit.
A stirring epic of courage and survival against the odds, watership down has become a beloved classic for all ages. Watership down is a 1978 british animated adventuredrama film, written, produced and directed by martin rosen and based on the 1972 novel by richard adams. I was not much older when i discovered the tiein picture book at home. I have often sought it out on audible, but it was only there in foreign languages. Michelle price voices lucy in the watership down film. I can understand why people thought remaking or readapting watership down would be a good idea. Both an exciting adventure story and an involving allegory about freedom, ethics, and human nature, it has delighted generations with its unique and charming world, winning many awards and being adapted to film, television, and. Anyone who wishes to know more about the migrations of yearlings, about pressing chin glands. Watership down is quite simply my favourite animated film of all time. It was a coproduction of alltime entertainment of the united kingdom and decode entertainment of canada, and produced by martin rosen, the director of the 1978 feature film.
Tab is the vicious cat of nuthanger farm who appears in the book, movie and miniseries. Woundwort is not given a backstory hawkbit,buckthorn,speedwell,bluebell,acorn,silverweed and others dont appear in the film. Although richard adams words appear in the watership down film picture book, they cannot even come close to the enchanting descriptions in his original novel. Later, she and a doctor who comes to visit lucys sickly mother drive over near the watership down warren and leave hazel to find his way home. Watership down is a survival and adventure novel by english author richard adams, published by rex collings ltd of london in 1972. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Find the watership down film picture book by adams, richard at biblio. It was a novel by an unknown english author, richard adams. Netflixs watership down avoids the risks that made the book and. I even took my son and daughter many years ago to visit the actual watership down in hampshire.
The bullet is removed from the wound, and the rabbit requires time to heal. The original watership down film, made in the 1970s, is often remembered for its scenes of rabbits in peril. Apr 28, 2016 i t was the film that traumatised a generation of children, with its muchloved rabbit characters slain on screen in graphic and memorable scenes but the story of watership down is to be remade. In the watership down animated film, the black rabbit is voiced by joss ackland and is the same as the book. Honestly, the stuff we got through the post from fans about what they think the book is about, said rosamond. A worldwide bestseller for more than forty years, watership down is the compelling tale of a band of wild rabbits struggling to hold onto their place in the worlda classic yarn of discovery and struggle the new york times.
I must confess, i saw the film before i saw this, and i like both. Bbc remake watership down with less violence to avoid. The story tells of a band of rabbits that journey across the wilderness to find a new home when their old home is in danger. Unlike many animated features, the film faithfully emulated the dark and violent sophistication of the book.
He can tell when things are going to happen and he can sense whether they will be good or bad. I remember when watership down was first published in 1972. Unique in the annals of animated films, watership down is a serious, even grim tale that many will find relentless and depressing and others will find poetic and moving. All this time we thought rabbits were just cute, floppyeared carroteaters with a penchant for hopping. The vocal talent, animation style both in the main story and in the mythical opening, soundtrack and script all work wonderfully, shortening the material of the book but not losing all of its themes. The title summarizes the problem with this retelling of richard adams beloved classic. With its naturalistic handdrawn animation, dreamily expressionistic touches, gorgeously bucolic background design, and elegant voice work from such superb english actors as john hurt, ralph richardson, richard briers, and denholm elliott, watership down is an emotionally arresting, darktoned allegory about freedom amid political turmoil. Watership down original cover us of course if you lived in america at the time, this is the version you would have had. Watership down tv miniseries 2018 watership down tv. Mar 01, 2012 buy watership down by adams, richard isbn. Waterschapsheuvel, boek van richard adams uit 1972. A description of tropes appearing in watership down. Imagine, then, my utter delight when i searched one day and discovered it, unabridged, in english. Dec 23, 2018 since its publication in 1972, richard adams novel watership down has become a staple of the fantasy genre, with adaptations for film, radio, television and, with a new miniseries produced by.
Dec 11, 2018 watership down should be about death and destruction, not fluffy rabbits. However, if it were not for this tv show, i would probably never have been eager to read, and love, the book. Youll forgive me for launching into a tirade about a troublesome australian pest, but im just trying to convey my general abhorrence towards the species. But as richard adamss watership down teaches us, rabbits are actually violent, adventurous creatures, with a complex culture and mythology. Watership down is a 1972 novel written by british author richard adams. Towards the end of the story, she finds one of the farm cats, tab, pinning hazel down and decides to save him and bring him to her home. Watership down was written for adults, but adolescents often find it more irresistible than their elders do. Hazel the young leader of the rabbits, and fivers brother. The movie doesnt sugarcoat deeper themes such as the life and death struggle in nature, the struggle between freedom and totalitarianism, and the negative impact humans can have on the environment.
In 1978 martin rosen wrote and directed an animated film adaptation of watership down. In the book he makes it to cowslips warren a few days after the main group with bluebell and toadflax. Dec 15, 2018 is watership down really just a story about rabbits. I would recommend watership down to any who enjoy reading good literature. One thing ill add is about the storyline of captain holly.
Mar 31, 2017 its like lord of the ringsbut with bunnies. In short, this version of watership down, in line with both the book and its animated predecessor adaptation. The voice cast included john hurt, richard briers, harry andrews, simon cadell, nigel hawthorne, and roy kinnear. Although hazel is young and not very big, he possesses many traits that make him a good leader. He thinks quickly and imaginatively, frequently putting himself at risk in order to protect the other rabbit. A doe from sandleford named violet is killed on the way to watership down,no one died getting to watership down and there were no does with them in the book. Richard adamss watership down is a timeless classic. Using the actual art from the film, with linking text by author richard adams, this is as close a recreation of the film in book form as you could hope to find. Watership down is an odd book and i can see why publishers were so hesitant to touch it. In the watership down tv series, the black rabbit is voiced by stephen mangan and is portrayed as more magical while having a warren called darkhaven. The watership down film picture book is my new favorite ebay find. This book is so well known i feel that there is no need to praise it further. How different is the movie watership down from the book.
Like orwells animal farm, this isnt only a film for children but equally important for adults. A 1978 animated film directed by martin rosen, adapted from the 1972 novel of the same name by richard. The original book s author richard adams came up with the story to keep his daughters happy on a long car journey. On one level it is quite a long book, written in fairly adult language which deals with serious issues like life and death, making it seem unsuitable for children. Finally, a book that tells us the honesttogoodness truth about rabbits. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of watership down and what it means.
Movie a doe from sandleford named violet is killed on the way to watership down,no one died getting to watership down and there were no does with them in the book. Richard adams sums up differences between film and novel in the preface. How watership downs richard adams wrote a kids picture book. Hazel is the protagonist of watership down, and he is the leader of the band of rabbits who leave their home to found a new warren. Watership down is the tale of a group of rabbits in search of a home. He is only mentioned in the novel, but he appears in the watership down miniseries as the secondary antagonist book edit. Trivia the series uses many words from the lapine language invented by richard adams for the book on which the series is based. Watership down is a terrific adaptation of richard adamss novel. Once they reach their new home, they try to build it up and eventually fight off an invading army of enemy rabbits. There is a bloody bullet hole in the leg that was shot. Watership down 1978 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. It was released on october 19, 1978 and was an immediate success, becoming the sixth most popular film of 1979 at the british box office. Most people have either read the book already, possibly as part of their english literature syllabus, or seen the film.
The film has its moments of beauty and is refreshingly dark. Watership down is een britse animatiefilm uit 1978, geregisseerd door martin rosen en john hubley. All of a sudden the book watership down was absolutely everywhere and people were reading it on buses, trains, park benches all over the place. For the rest of the film there is a scar where he was shot. Watership down is a britishcanadian animated fantasy childrens television series, adapted from the novel of the same name by richard adams. With linking text hardcover 1978 by richard adams author. A pleasingly grizzled harrison ford plays thornton in the latest film remake of londons enduring classic. However, executive producer rory aitken told the telegraph that the 2018 miniseries is more childfriendly, and intended to be viewing for all the family. Never too hasty with his judgments, he always risks his own life rather than those of the other rabbits. Watership down has a creative ending, and intense climax, but is just so utterly confusing for a film with such a simple overall story. Is watership down really just a story about rabbits.
Many people do not like the kiddified feel, but they do not realise the fact that this was created to introduce children of all ages to the amazing world of watership. Watership down trailer theres a trippy quality to rosens animation that made the scenes of death and poisoning all the more nightmarish, and the censors were later criticised for giving it a. Watership down movie poster imagine this hanging out the wall of your local theater. Watership down has been one of my favorite books since my childhood.
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