Eric Arthur Blair, who wrote under the pseudonym George Orwell (1903-1950), was undoubtedly one of literature's most insightful social and political commentators, and his unique brand of satire is most evident in his two famous novels, "Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949)" and "Animal Farm (1945)." Cinema adaptations of the former, including Michael Anderson's 1956 film and Michael Radford's 1984 film, have been relatively competent, though none have yet to charm devoted Orwellians; Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil (1985),' while not a direct adaptation, arguably came the closest. "Animal Farm" proved equally problematic to translate to the screen. In the guise of a deliberately-straightforward children's fable, Orwell wrote a sharp and knowing satire of totalitarianism, particularly Stalinism, and the final result is obviously unsuitable for children. Stylistically, animation was clearly the most suitable medium for a cinema retelling of the story, but how does one tackle such mature and complex issues using a technique that is generally dismissed as children's fare? 'Animal Farm (1954)' has all the answers.
Manor Farm, despite the onset of spring, is struggling; it's drunken owner, Mr. Jones, has left the farm unproductive and its livestock ill-treated. One night, the venerable elderly pig Old Major calls a meeting in the barn, and he stresses the importance of revolution if they are to survive and prosper. Old Major dies shortly thereafter, but his ideals remain, and the farm animals band together to hound the drunken Mr. Jones from his farm once and for all. The most intelligent animals are, of course, the pigs, and a brave and idealistic pig named Snowball takes charge of the situation, decreeing that, in their new democratic society, all animals shall be considered equal. However, the dark and greedy Napoleon has secretly trained his own army of attack dogs, and he eventually unleashes them on Snowball, who is presumably mauled to death in the surrounding scrub. Napoleon steps forward as leader and dictator, and the other animals come to realise that their situation is now far worse than it had ever been.
Even by this brief synopsis, it's evident that young children should approach this film with caution. Like Martin Rosen's 'Watership Down (1978),' another marvellous animated film with mature themes, the story is purposefully presented in its most simplistic form, as a basic animal cartoon, so that we may easily interpret its ideas and extrapolate them into our notions of human society and nature. 'Animal Farm' was the first widely-released feature-length animated film produced in the United Kingdom, and elements of Disney, like the humorous little duckling, are quite noticeable, while still maintaining the generally-dark tone of the material. As an adaptation of Orwell's original novel, the film is largely very loyal. Having first read "Animal Farm" last year, my recollection of narrative details is broad, and so I was able to enjoy the adaptation without getting anxious over the most minor details, as is often prone to happen. The optimistic ending, of course, is the one major deviation from Orwell, but I'm relatively unbothered by it. In fact, I couldn't help thinking: which animal will next rise up to become Stalin?
Manor Farm, despite the onset of spring, is struggling; it's drunken owner, Mr. Jones, has left the farm unproductive and its livestock ill-treated. One night, the venerable elderly pig Old Major calls a meeting in the barn, and he stresses the importance of revolution if they are to survive and prosper. Old Major dies shortly thereafter, but his ideals remain, and the farm animals band together to hound the drunken Mr. Jones from his farm once and for all. The most intelligent animals are, of course, the pigs, and a brave and idealistic pig named Snowball takes charge of the situation, decreeing that, in their new democratic society, all animals shall be considered equal. However, the dark and greedy Napoleon has secretly trained his own army of attack dogs, and he eventually unleashes them on Snowball, who is presumably mauled to death in the surrounding scrub. Napoleon steps forward as leader and dictator, and the other animals come to realise that their situation is now far worse than it had ever been.
Even by this brief synopsis, it's evident that young children should approach this film with caution. Like Martin Rosen's 'Watership Down (1978),' another marvellous animated film with mature themes, the story is purposefully presented in its most simplistic form, as a basic animal cartoon, so that we may easily interpret its ideas and extrapolate them into our notions of human society and nature. 'Animal Farm' was the first widely-released feature-length animated film produced in the United Kingdom, and elements of Disney, like the humorous little duckling, are quite noticeable, while still maintaining the generally-dark tone of the material. As an adaptation of Orwell's original novel, the film is largely very loyal. Having first read "Animal Farm" last year, my recollection of narrative details is broad, and so I was able to enjoy the adaptation without getting anxious over the most minor details, as is often prone to happen. The optimistic ending, of course, is the one major deviation from Orwell, but I'm relatively unbothered by it. In fact, I couldn't help thinking: which animal will next rise up to become Stalin?