Watership Down

Based on Richard Adams’ 1972 adventure novel, this animated feature from 1978 is as timeless as the book and continues to delight young and old. Following an apocalyptic vision, a rabbit seer and his brother, together with six other rabbits, have no other option than to escape when the Chief Rabbit refuses to order an evacuation for all the rabbits in danger of their warren being destroyed. With its acclaimed voice cast and enchanting animation, this Limited Edition UHD and Blu-ray release of WATERSHIP DOWN makes for the perfect Christmas gift.

In a prologue scene, we learn how the world was created by the god Frith and how he, after ordering the rabbit prince to control the ever increasing numbers of rabbits led to a food shortage, was forced to retaliate after the prince ignored his request. As a result, Frith bestowed every animal with special gifts by turning some into predators and others into prey. The rabbits fell into the latter category and although Frith, not entirely heartless, bestowed them with two special gifts, namely speed and cunning. The style of animation for this prologue sequence differs considerably from the main story, which follows next and is set in the present, that is to say it’s set in 1972.

A colony of rabbits live comfortably and undisturbed in a warren near Sandlefort in West Berkshire until one day, rabbit seer Fiver (voiced by Richard Briers) and his older brother Hazel (John Hurt) spot a signboard while jumping about meadows and fields. Of course, rabbits can’t read and thus they are unable to decipher that the signboard informs of a residential development planned for the near future. Instead, Fiver has an apocalyptic vision in which the fields, including the rabbits’ warren, are drowned in blood. Sensing imminent danger to their very existence, both Fiver and Hazel ask the Chief Rabbit (Ralph Richardson) to order an immediate evacuation, only for their request to be refused. Worse still, Chief Rabbit orders Captain Holly (John Bennett), who is the head of the police force, to interfere and prevent the rabbits from leaving. Remember that back in those days of yore, God Frith equipped rabbits with the gifts of speed and cunning? Well, together with six other rabbits, namely Bigwig (Michael Graham Cox), Pipkin (Roy Kinnear), Blackberry (Simon Cadell), Silver (Terence Rigby), Dandelion (Richard O’Callaghan) and Violet. Thus begins the group’s treacherous journey in search for a safer land…

During their journey, Violet, the only female rabbit in the group, finds a brutal end when a vicious hawk attacks. Another, potential scenario which spells danger is an encounter with a rabbit called Cowslip (Denholm Elliott) who invites them to his warren where a farmer leaves vegetables for them - but all is not as it seems… They then discover Nuthanger Farm, with female rabbits (does) caged in a barn – but an attempt to free them fails. Another encounter with vicious rabbits called ‘Efrafans’ places our mammals in mortal danger while crossing their path with Captain Holly, who confesses that since the rabbits fled their old warren in Sandleford, it has all been destroyed by human hand due to the residential development project and Fiver realises that his initial vision proved right. Fiver eventually finds Watership Down hill near Hampshire where he and his group settle, with Hazle appointed as their chief. They also befriend an injured seagull named Kehaar (Zero Mostel).

Peace, however, is far away as Kehaar and our brave rabbits hatch yet another plan to free the does from Nuthanger Farm during which Hazel is shot in the leg and the plan fails yet again. Fiver has another vision of a mythical Black Rabbit (Joss Ackland), who leads him to his injured brother (cue for the Art Garfunkel hit ‘Bright Eyes’). Things start getting nastier still when it emerges that the overcrowded Efrafan warren is under totalitarian rule thanks to their chief, General Woundwort (Harry Andrews). Then the Etrafan trackers discover Watership Down…

The story is almost a parable thanks to its timeless topic of man versus nature and the destruction of land at the hands of property developers and greedy corporations, annihilating natural environments for wildlife. There are some weepy moments but the overall message is one of courage and defiance, which will always have the upper hand (you could have fooled me…).

Bonus Material includes new and vintage audio commentaries and other information relating to Watership Down, as well as a double-sided poster, a set of four postcards and an 80-page book. ‘Treasures from the Archive’ offers four films (made between 1942-1969) out of which two are animated, the others are factual however and a word of warning to all you rabbit lovers out there: the factual films contain upsetting scenes of rabbit culling and cute little bunnies either shot or gassed to curb rabbit overpopulation.