I must be a horrible person, because I kept laughing when I watched this video. However I was laughing more at the fact that a children's movie (or what would be considered a children's movie when it came out because animation was still very much designated for children -- less so today) is so completely violent. I had forgotten how much fighting there was, and not just fighting -- violent bloody attacks and murders -- and it seems absolutely absurd today that a film of this nature would be shown to children. And also that rabbit going to attack the dog was pretty fucking funny. I mean, honestly, what is he thinking? Kids shows will still have fighting in them, but not that much blood. I think it's the blood that makes Watership Down so grotesque, because it's a really weird juxtaposition to have a relatively unrealistic visual representation of the rabbits (they're obviously not real rabbits, which is partly what probably justified the showing of this to children -- most people can tell it's not real) with the realistic consequences and results of a fight. The rabbits scratch one another, and there is blood. Not to mention a lot of their facial expressions, regardless of realism or not, are horribly demented.
I really had to laugh when those two rabbits were hit by a train though. I thought "Train tracks...someone's going to get--YEP! Rabbits are train-track pancake!" Because why WOULDN'T the filmmakers have rabbits get hit by a train, they've done everything else, including put them through trippy LSD-induced soul merging sequences. Or something. I still don't get that shit.
I remember the movie being scary, but I didn't realize just how VIOLENT it was. My initial reaction was shock, because I honestly didn't remember all the blood and gore, maybe I blocked it out. The book depicts the harsh reality of nature and how vulnerable rabbits are, they have so many obstacles to overcome. It's really a metaphor for human society as well (at least that's what I took from it).
The animated movie was absurd and missed the point of the novel. It's horrible that this is considered a children's movie...it was the 80's though.
Kids shows will still have fighting in them, but not that much blood. I think it's the blood that makes Watership Down so grotesque, because it's a really weird juxtaposition to have a relatively unrealistic visual representation of the rabbits (they're obviously not real rabbits, which is partly what probably justified the showing of this to children -- most people can tell it's not real) with the realistic consequences and results of a fight. The rabbits scratch one another, and there is blood. Not to mention a lot of their facial expressions, regardless of realism or not, are horribly demented.
I really had to laugh when those two rabbits were hit by a train though. I thought "Train tracks...someone's going to get--YEP! Rabbits are train-track pancake!" Because why WOULDN'T the filmmakers have rabbits get hit by a train, they've done everything else, including put them through trippy LSD-induced soul merging sequences. Or something. I still don't get that shit.
But hey, look at my icon.
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The animated movie was absurd and missed the point of the novel. It's horrible that this is considered a children's movie...it was the 80's though.
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