Animal Farm (Animated) (Anniversary Edition) (DVD)

...his widely acclaimed book ' Animal Farm'.

We begin the narrative at Manor farm, owned by the cruel and drunk farmer Mr.Jones. Having instilled the notion of fear into his farm animals, exploited their every efforts to feed his drunken pursuits, the animals are made aware of their rights as equals and the right to own the products of their labour.

Old Major, the wise elderly pig, calls an assembly to rouse the animals ...
...Marx, Old Major educates each animal that they must spark a revolution against the oppressive nature of Mr.Jones (the Tsar of Russia).

After a collective song to mark the birth of their new found utopia, Old Major passes away, leaving the animals mourning the loss of an inspirational leader.

Keeping in mind that most adaptations i have watched, are not 100% true to the text, I felt that this animated version served to ... more

George Orwell's satirical allegory depicting the ultimate tale of utopia to dystopia of Communist Russia, is finely adapted in this animated version of his widely acclaimed book ' Animal Farm'.

We begin the narrative at Manor farm, owned by the cruel and drunk farmer Mr.Jones. Having instilled the notion of fear into his farm animals, exploited their every efforts to feed his drunken pursuits, the animals are made aware of their rights as equals and the right to own the products of their labour.

Old Major, the wise elderly pig, calls an assembly to rouse the animals from the shackles of exploitation. With many concepts highlighted in his speech, references that echo the works of Karl Marx, Old Major educates each animal that they must spark a revolution against the oppressive nature of Mr.Jones (the Tsar of Russia).

After a collective song to mark the birth of their new found utopia, Old Major passes away, leaving the animals mourning the loss of an inspirational leader.

Keeping in mind that most adaptations i have watched, are not 100% true to the text, I felt that this animated version served to strengthen the irony that is prevalent within Orwell's book.

The depictions of Snowball and especially Napoleon, who comes across as the menacing, cold and calculated pig that Orwell portrays him as, sets the very first historical occurence between Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky perfectly.

Snowball's excellent leadership qualities in the revolution against Mr.Jones, as well as his grand schemes for the progression of the newly named Animal Farm, is contemptuously debated by the Steel like demeanor of Napoleon (Stalin means steel in Russian).

The scene where Snowball is chased out of Animal Farm and subsequently disposed of, leaves Napoleon as the unopposed leader over the rest of the Animals.

The most powerful scene in the adaptation i found was the execution of the farm animals who dared to revolt and conspire against Napoleon.

Flanked with his vicious and obedient dogs, the animals are executed in a cruel manner where the blood of the animals washes upon the wall where the commandments for equality are written on.

As the cruelty and exploitation of the animals is no different now to the time they were under the cruelty of Mr.jones, the commandments are secretly altered by Napoleon's public liason Squealer.

The heartbreak of having to rebuild the windmill after the war with Mr.Pilkington's men(Nazi germany), is well portrayed when we see the emotional reaction by the animals.

The death of Boxer is another scene which I felt was very well imitated and that felt very true to the original text. The desperate but vain hope in breaking free from the Knackers vehicle, made me sympathise with Benjamin's braying in response to the loss of his best friend and comrade.

Unlike the end in the book, this adaptation takes on an alternative conclusion, which is resonant of a typical hollywood style movie.

In retrospect, this is a very well thought out and powerfully adapted version of one of the best books i've read. 

...less