Customer Reviews

Animal Farm [VHS]

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4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

His legacy to us; Animal Farm, 1984, Down and Out in London and Paris, Keep the Aspidistra Flying; and so many other good stories is an incredible treasure trove. Here's hoping that those who watch this cartoon take a few hours, and read these books. Surprisingly easy reading too; George Orwell always felt that to say something clearly was most important. His ideas tend to stick with you. This movie version of Animal Farm is true to the book with the exception of the ending. The live action 1999 movie was not as good as this version and also suffers from a misleading ending. With the movie 1984 the book is better than either movie versions. After reading Down and Out, you'll never look at a restaurant the same way; and Aspidistra is about selling books - and living free; sort of like the modern drop out from society who still will work an undemanding job that leaves his soul free. Down and Out is similar in this sense. In fact all of these titles have living free as a central core theme. Even when the animal society fails the attempt was noble, and the revolution was inspired by freedom. Even when 1984's Winston sits arrested in a totalitarian world, he has never the less lived his life seeking freedom, and you get the idea others like him exist there in that world. This DVD is an incredible restoration with listenable sound. Enjoy! God bless you Mr. Orwell!

Okay folks, if you read Orwell's original, you might be disappointed in the differences in this film, but so what? What movie ever faithfully follows a book 100%?

With that said, enjoy the film for what it is. It's a really deep and thought-provoking film about how the exploited often becomes the exploiter. In this case, a group of animals overthrow and evil farmer and create a new society called "Animalism" which stresses cooperation among non-humans. The Pigs wind up as the rurlers of this Brave New World and a pig maned Napoleon slowly and subtly beomes their dicator. Even those who are unaware that the story is based on Stalinist Russia will be moved by what happens to Boxer the horse (this scene is pretty faithful to Orwell's original) and be repelled by the corruption of Napoleon the Pig (aka Joseph Stalin).

Made by a British company in 1955, this was probably the first adult-oriented cartoon feature. CERTAINLY not for the kiddies, as they may find it overtly grim and depressing. Nor is it a "date flick" or film you would invite your buddies over for beer and pizza (unless you want some intellectual discussion afterwards). It's a real thinking person's film and I would recommend it for high school and college history classes as a means of sparking discussion on how revolutionary movements often become reactionary.. It's amazing in modern times how this story closely mirrors what happens in a lot of so-called third-world countries today.

ANIMATED BUT STILL A HARD HITTING PROPHETIC PARABLE ABOUT THE HUMAN CONDITION ---

IN A NUTSHELL:

I have just enjoyed "Animal Farm", the animated feature, for the first time and I was truly impressed. Its stark animated realism, augmented by its dispassionate style of narration, gave the film a sense of inevitability which added to its weight as a 20th century parable, created from the famous work by George Orwell.

WHERE THE FILM GOES: "ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL, BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS!"

As most people point out, it is a slightly simplified and more upbeat [in the finale] rendering of Orwell's original literary work, but it is still rather hard-hitting and prophetic. Nevertheless, the personifications of farm animals turned into historic figures like Napoleon the Pig are startling depictions, and mirrored much of what happened in the 20th century, concluding with the fall of the Iron Curtain in 1989.

LESSON: ABSOLUTE POWER CORRUPTS ABSOLUTELY?!

Neatly depicted are the "Commandmants" which, as the ruling pigs evolve and change hands, begin to be broken by simply revising them to suit the needs of the MORE EQUAL ANIMALS. Ultimately, the reasons for the original revolution -- a desperate need to end the horrible conditions that were brought about by the exploitation of the many by the few -- repeated in the stunning finale. The results are rather predictable, but maybe they weren't when Orwell wrote the book. In any event, it seems to be a parable which needs to be brought frequently to our attention as humans, not just to the animals that are more or less equal to their neighbors in the barnyard.

ABOUT THE DVD:

I have the DVD pictured and described on this site. It is a remastered, 73 minute, color, animated feature produced by "Digiview" which looks and sounds quite exceptonal for a 51-year-old film. These films, which often sell for a little as $1. new and remastered on DVD, are excellent values that belie their true worth.

Based on the novel by George Orwell, this animated film is for adults and means just as much now as it did when released in the mid 1950's.

Manor Farm is run by the often drunk Farmer Jones. The neglected farm animals revolt, thanks to the inspiring words of an old hog, who dies and becomes a sudden martyr. The remaining animals adopt some simple rules, and get along swimmingly.

Eventually, the animal utopia begins to crumble. The remaining pigs, led by the tyrannical Napoleon, begin taking advantage of the others' hard work. They dispatch enemies as needed, but still have enough power to rally the troops to fight off a violent invasion by Jones and his drinking buddies. As the pigs begin trading with a shady businessman from the outside world, the animals finally come to their senses and do what they should have done long ago.

Finally, an animated film for adults that actually challenges the viewer to think. No Disney-like cute factor, no songs by aging white British rockers, this is a fascinating film. Orwell's book was written as a lambast against communism, fascism, and dictatorships in general, yet many of the pigs' selfish actions could be applied to modern government today.

As a country, we get upset at every mention of pork barrel (ironic) spending, yet we send our representatives back year after year because it is always some other state or district's politician who is causing the trouble. "Animal Farm" illustrates in simple, yet not dumbed down terms, the way power corrupts, especially by those whose motives seem so sincere to begin with.

If anything, this film should empower you. This should not lead you to violent revolt against your congressperson, but it should force you to ask questions about where that income and sales tax goes. "Animal Farm" is important, entertaining, and thought provoking. I would match it up against anything Disney has released in the past fifty years. Yes, their audience goals are different, but as adults, it is nice to have something besides anime aimed at our heads. Great film.

Unrated- Physical violence, gun violence, mild gore

Any child with a sensitivity to animals would find the violence in this 1955 groundbreaking British animated feature very disturbing; many of the farm animals suffer terrible cruelty at the hands of both Farmer Jones and the pigs that succeed him, so parents should use care and discernment since sometimes this film is represented as a "cartoon".
The script is based on George Orwell's "Animal Farm" and retains much of its brilliance, and is narrated by Gordon Heath, with character actor Maurice Denham speaking all the animal parts.

Orwell wrote "Animal Farm" with the Stalinist Soviet Union in mind, but the tale could apply to any totalitarian regime, many which start with the socialistic "one for all-all for one" idealism and propaganda. The animation is fairly simple compared to what one is used to today, but the images are powerful, and very moving. The plight of Boxer the horse and his devoted friend Benjamin the donkey is wrenching, and beautifully drawn.
The sound effects are also excellent, as well as the score by Matyas Siber, which has some songs that imitate the Soviet military style, with one of them cleverly vocalized by animal sounds.

This film is now in public domain, and there are some DVDs issued at a rock bottom price, which don't include the extras; I have one that has a fairly good transfer, with an adequate (considering the price) color reproduction of its Technicolor hues.
Directed by Jay Batchelder and John Halas, this one is a classic, but too dark and upsetting for young children. Total running time is 73 minutes.

This adaptation of George Orwell's brilliant satire has lost all the meaning. If you've read the book, don't see the movie. If you haven't read the book, still don't see the movie.

Dark, disturbing, and very European, _Animal Farm_ marked an auspicious feature debut from Britain's Halas and Batchelor animation studio. The film was produced by "March of Time" newsreel mogul Louis de Rochemont, and partly financed by the CIA (though by all accounts the CIA had no editorial control over the finished product).

In adapting George Orwell's anti-Stalinist beast fable for the screen, Halas and Batchelor dropped several minor characters, jettisoned most of the humor, and created a new finale -- which, though slightly more optimistic than the novel, hardly qualifies as a happy ending. Orwell purists have never forgiven them, even though this version of _Animal Farm_ succeeds admirably on its own terms.

Avoid cheap public-domain copies: Home Vision Entertainment's edition is the one to buy, with an in-depth television documentary, a thoughtful if overenthusiastic commentary from Brian Sibley, excellent liner notes, and a first-rate full-frame transfer.

Despite a few Disneyesque moments, _Animal Farm_ is not suitable for children.

What you see in this animated film is animals, but not necessarily friendly to humans. Or, they could be even sometimes very cruel to fellow creatures. But of course they should be, because this is an animated film version of George "1984" Orwell's biting satire of Stalinism. On the backcover you can see that this one "May NOT Suitable for Kids." I would say, "never." If you still insist, buy 1999 version of the same title, adapted with images friendlier to kids. This older one may scare many of children, who expect every animal should live in peace.

Possibly, however, Wednesday of the Addams Family, who heartily disliked Disney productions, would love this film. Certainly this film has the same unusual kind of humor and wit as that family has. The story of "Animal Farm" concerns the rise and fall of the titular "Animal Farm" (formerly "Manor Farm") where poor animals were once tormented by tyranny of Mr. Jones, but no longer. Under the guidance of Old Major, the Great Pig, they made a revolution against humans, and succeeded. So, the liberated animals start their own life, with a pig Napoleon as their leader, but alas! they are not as wise as they thought.

As you can judge from the short running time that barely exceeds 70 minutes, this 1954 adaptation of George Orwell political satire leaves a lot of its original book behind, intent on drawing out its essential spirit. Complaining viewers would find the change of the ending very lamentable, but the deed is done, and half a century ago, so let's take it as a kind of testimony of the time it was made when the Cold War is a very realistic thing.

The most recommendable thing about the film would be its techinical aspects. The film is made with traditional skills of animation, and considering the time it was created, the images still retain its original power. Though it often reminds us of Disney's achievement (such as "Fantasia" or "Pinochio"), and probably owes much to this master of animation films, "Animal Farm" manages to impress us considerably, with its detailed descriptions of animals' movements. The sly humor here and there is effective, and most of all, the film doesn't pull its punch when the story requires it to show the deaths of animals (though this part is exactly the reason this film may not be suitable for children).

The character designs are not inviting, with their faces that are far from cute and pretty, but this version of "Animal Farm" deserves our attention, not only for readers of George Orwell, but also for those who are interested in the animation history.

In this film we get to see the characters in the story come alive, but don't have the same feeling that the book has. Benjamin the donkey never answers questions with "Donkeys live along time" which is one thing I loved in the story. The ending has changed and many things were left out that were important. Still, this version is wonderful. It's images are memorable such as Mr. Jones at the beginning when he comes home drunk. Watching that part with the lights out gives great atmoshpere. The main story is there and the art direction, music and voice acting is done well. Not refering to the cymbolism of the failure of Communism in Russia does hurt this movie some, but it is really great. I was suprised at how old the movie was because of the quality of the animation. Also, Moses the Raven is in the story, but he isn't Mr. Jones helper. He just observes things on the farm. He sees the beginning and the end of what the animals have named animalism. This movie is wonderful and well made. It may be a cartoon but it is only a cartoon because of the limited technology they weren't allowed the freedoms we do have like CGI and superb puppetering. This movie is not for the kids.

ENGLISH
FULLFRAME
73 MINUTES
COLOR
INTERACTIVE MENUS
SCENE SELECTION
PREVIEWS.

ANIMAL FARM, BRITAIN'S FIRST ANIMATED FEATURE, IS BASED ON GEORGE ORWELL'S CLASSIC NOVEL, WHICH HAS BEEN ON SCHOOL READING LISTS SINCE ITS CREATION. IT IS SET ON A FARM IN ENGLAND AND DEPICTS A REVOLUTION BY THE RESIDENT ANIMALS VS. FARMER JONES. THE USE OF THE ANIMALS TO REPRESENT THE DIFFERENT SOCIAL CLASSES IS MASTERFUL.

THIS PICTURESQUE ANIMATION FEATURE IS A SATIRE BASED ON THE SOVIET UNION OF OLD, OFFERING HUMOR AND IRONY MEANT FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND ADULTS. IT WAS PROPHETIC IN DETAILING THE EVENTS THAT WOULD OCCUR IN EASTERN EUROPE STARTING IN 1989.
DIRECTED BY JAY BATCHELOR AND JOHN HALAS.

RAVE REVIEWS FOR GORDON HEATH (NARRATOR) AND MAURICE DENHAM (VOICE OF ALL THE ANIMALS) FOR A FINE JOB BRINGING THIS CLASSIC TO THE WORLD OF ANIMATION.