Search - Watership Down on DVD

Samuel K. (Solvanda)
Reviewed on 11/25/2018...

1978 film based on the 1972 novel by Richard Adams, which he'd related to his daughters and they in turn insisted he write. Based on universal archetypes and the epic motifs of Homer and Virgil, Watership Down mirrors the timeless struggles between tyranny and freedom, reason and blind emotion, the individual and the corporate state. One might argue this isn't really suitable subject matter for children, but then again. There is one surreal, visually stunning sequence where a rabbit's warren gets gassed, which might very well traumatize.

There is some dialogue which is quite faint and difficult to hear in the film, so I would suggest subtitles. Have been reading great things about the Criterion Blu-ray version, but have not seen it yet.

This movie spawned the #1 hit single "Bright Eyes" by Art Garfunkel, which is essentially a song about death. The song (sung by someone else) is also used in the soundtrack of the later 39 episode series which ran from 1999 thru 2001. Sadly, only bits and pieces of this series are available in the U.S. A fourteen disc Region 2 set can be purchased across the pond, which has all 3 seasons. Features the voices of Kate Ashfield, Richard Briers, Dawn French, Jane Horrocks, Ian Shaw, Stephen Fry, Kiefer Sutherland, and the late Rik Mayall and John Hurt. The series is a bit more child friendly, at least until season 3 arrives. Still, this is one of the darkest, spooky, and tense children's shows around.