(c) 1978 Nepenthe Productions

Watership Down is the story of the journey undertaken by the rabbits of the Sandleford Warren who decide to leave after a warning from a member of the group, Fiver.   He is the runt of the litter who has the ability to sense things that are about to happen, and warns his brother Hazel (who becomes the group's de-facto leader) that 'a terrible danger is coming'.   Although about rabbits, if you haven't already seen it this is one to watch first yourself before you show it to young children!   I don't think the film would have been passed for a general audience today.   It is easily a PG.

This was the first animated film that I personally know of that wasn't targetted exclusively at children, and the film loses nothing for it...   Cute Disney-esque films are fine for young children if you want to give them something 'safe' to watch as a babysitter, but the difference between this film and most animated films (especially most recent ones) is as a comicbook is compared to a classic novel.   Watership Down is a story of the struggle to survive, and death is a strong theme of the whole film.

The film begins with a kind of 'dream time' story of the beginning of creation in the rabbit's religion.   Their creator, Frith, creates the world and the stars (from his droppings, the book explains) and the animals that live in the world are all made the same, and at first happily eat grass together.   But the rabbits soon multiply and begin eating the grass everywhere.   Frith orders El-ahrairah, the Prince of Rabbits, to control his people, But El-ahrairah will not listen, arrogantly proclaiming his people to be the strongest in the world.   Frith is angered by this, and decides to give the other animals he has created a 'gift' that will forever forth make them different from each other, and in a few he creates the desire to hunt and kill El-ahrairah's people.   El-ahrairah looks on as his people are killed by the newly created hunters, and tries to hide.   He is still hiding when Frith arrives to give him his gift.   Frith asks the creature, who's head is buried in the ground if he has seen El-ahrairah, as he has a gift for him.   "No - I have not seen him" says El-ahrairah to Frith, who of course knows who he is speaking to.   "Come out, and I will bless you instead" says Frith.   "No - I cannot!   The fox and weasel are coming!   If you want to bless me you'll have to bless my - bottom!"   "Very well" says Frith "be it so!"   El-ahrairah then takes on the form of a rabbit, growing a shiny white tail and powerful back legs, and runs faster than any creature in the world.

El-ahrairah was frightened - He had never before seen the Black Rabbit of death

"All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a thousand enemies, and whenever they catch you they will kill you.   But first they must catch you, runner, digger, listener - prince with the swift warning...   Be cunning and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed."

The main part of the film begins with swaying grass on Watership Down

The film then opens with swaying grass at the top of Watership Down. I remember that part most of all from when I was 9... Coming from the cartoon-like sequence, this part looked real for quite a few seconds. The effect just isn't recreated on television, but it looked very realistic on the cinema screen!

The film then flies over the local area, going over the fields, and ending on a large signpost being put up by two men with southern-England accents. After the sign is finished and the men have left, two rabbits emerge from hiding - Hazel and his small brother Fiver. Fiver is still fearful, sensing something strange about the warren - something impending, but he can't quite define it. Soon however, while looking for food in the grass, Fiver comes upon a smouldering cigarette end left behind by the men - then looks up to see the sign, and realises that the sign is the link to the feelings he is having.

He tells his brother this and looks over at the field, the red sun setting in the distance.   We then see Fiver's vision.   The red sun empties onto the field, and the distant leafy tree branches become tall lifeless shadows.

"The field!   It's covered with blood!"

Fiver's brother takes him to see the Chief Rabbit to warn him about the danger, as Fiver is often right about such things, but the Chief Rabbit is comfortable where he is, and as long as his army, the Owsla, protects his rule, he isn't keen on the upheavel of completely relocating the warren, especially in May, the mating season.

Hazel, partly because of the warning, but mainly because of the lack of freedom there, decides to leave with Fiver, and a few others, and gradually becomes the leader of the group. The rabbits ensure they can't turn back when they injure Captain Holly in their fight to escape.   To injure an Owsla officer is a crime which would most likely cost them their lives if they ever returned.

The rabbits try to escape as their warren is gassed

Return is not a possibility however. As the rabbits leave we get to see the sign that triggered Fiver's fear, and it turns out to be a "Land sold for development" sign. Soon after the rabbits in the old warren are gassed, to make way for the land to be used, however Captain Holly survives to tell the story to Hazel and the others, after survivng an escape from a second warren on his way to find them, the warren of Efrafa. Efrafa is subject to the tyrannical and military rule of a one-eyed rabbit General Woundwort, and he isn't exactly sympathetic to anyone with any complaints!

The rabbits meet Keeha, an injured seagull, and decide to do him a good Tern ! :-)

The rabbits finally reach Watership Down, but they have lost their only doe, Violet on the journey, and must get more otherwise the warren will eventually become extinct. The rabbits first turn to Keeha (a seagull who they sheltered when he came to them injured) to look for another warren for them but he disappears for a long time and eventually the rabbits think he's deserted them, so they look elsewhere. The Watership Down rabbits find some pet rabbits at Nuthanger Farm,