273. Animal Farm (1954)

Directed By Joy Bachelor and John Halas

Synopsis

Retelling of the process leading from the October Revolution to the rise of Stalinism through a tale with animals on a farm. It differs from the Orwell book in that it ends with a counter-revolution.

Review

When you watch a violent political film you do not expect it to be in animation with a cast composed mainly of animals, but that is exactly what happens here, and fortunately for all of us none of the political content of the book is really toned down.

Interestingly the film is anything but anti-socialist or anti-communist propaganda, the Major who represents Marx and dies before the revolution is always a sympathetic character and he is right. The situation of the farm under the farmer (Tsar Nicholas) is indeed unbearable and the revolution is portrayed as necessary. Only it ends up being co-opted by pigs just as bad as the farmer.

The animation is good but not do Disney standards, the music is pretty great however and the simple fact that it is the first Western adult animation film make it an historical mark. Don't watch it with your kids, watch it yourself.

Final Grade

8/10

Trivia

From Wikipedia:

When first released, the British Board of Film Classification gave this film a rating certificate of "X" (the same category is now "18") prohibiting anyone under 18 from seeing the film, presumably due to its implied violence and political themes. The film has since been re-classified as "U" (Universal), suitable for all audiences.

The whole thing is on youtube, here's part 1: