Review of Animal Farm (1954) by Ross B — 04 Apr 2011

Yes it's an animated film, but ANIMAL FARM is ABOLUTELY NOT FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. It is an extremely dark, brutal satire (based on the book of the same title by George Orwell) serving as a cautionary tale about the dangers of power and corruption.

There are also some very strong socialist undertones, particularly in the portrayal of the animals--notably the pigs, who naturally turn out to be much greedier and far more controlling than the nasty farmer who once dominated them.

In fact, history buffs could very well make obvious connections to real life political figures through the characters, too. The film is mostly told through voiceovers reciting Orwell's text with only the occasional bits of dialogue (mainly the pigs), but it's all the more effective for it.

Aesthetically, the animation may show its limits--but keep in mind that this is a film from 1954, and even then, it is more than compensated for by the use of dramatic shadows and approprately dreary colors.

It should be known, however, that the end of the film departs from the book slightly by tacking on a scene in which the animals strike back against Napoleon... although if you found the original resolution depressing, then this may cause you to stand up and cheer.

Even with that, however, ANIMAL FARM still manages to be considerably heavy material for an animated feature. Not a movie for everyone, but well made and interesting nonetheless, it gets a solid recommendation from me.