Review of Watership Down (1978) by Richard-Yves S — 31 Jan 2008
Maybe I'm just odd that way, but when I saw this as a wee nipper it didn't freak me out at all. But then, I grew up on a diet of National Geographic specials featuring blood-spattered crocs, lions and wolves gettin' jiggy wit' herbivore pancreases.
The whole circle of life thingy.... Anyhoo. This is precisely why Disney sux. No ambition, just corndog and Coke (thanks, Emily). Richard Adams pulls no punches--though this may not be a traditional kids' movie, note that the story was actually devised to entertain the author's kids during long car rides.
That Adams had been a prisoner of war and subject to torture probably stripped him of any excess sentimentality, and so we find ourselves presented with a logical evolution of the British 'animal story' (Beatrix Potter, Kenneth Grahame et al.
) to reflect a tougher era of social disillusion and environmental degradation. In sum, by all means DO get your kids to see it, provided you think they can handle it. They probably won't be as disturbed as you think, and at any rate it'll provide fodder for discussion.
This review of Watership Down (1978) was written by Richard-Yves S on 31 Jan 2008.
Watership Down has generally received very positive reviews.
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