ANIMAL FARM (1954)

Country: U.K.

Genre(s): Animated / Fantasy

Director: Joy Batchelor / John Halas

Cast: Maurice Denham / Gordon Heath

Plot

In this adaptation of the famous George Orwell novel, farm animals overthrow their human master to run the farm themselves.  The lawful society they set up for themselves, based on equality, soon falls prey to corruption.

What I Liked

I’m giving a *spoiler alert!* here not because I give away specific spoilers here, but because some of what I write below can be inferred to give away many important aspects of the drama.

I read the novel “Animal Farm” back in middle school (so we’re talking over 20 years ago), and while I remember a few details and the main gist, I cannot recall the novel well enough to judge this film’s accuracy to the text.  From research, I gather that it is mostly faithful, except for the conclusion.  Like the source material, the movie is a not-so-subtle allegory for the Soviet Revolution and the subsequent betrayal of the Communist ideals for which the Revolution had supposedly been fought.  There are obvious stand-ins for Czar Nicholas (the human Jones), Lenin (the pig Snowball), and Stalin (the pig Napoleon), while the rest of the people and animals are analogous to specific portions of the populace at large.  However, one of the great things about both the novel and the film are that in truth the story is applicable to the history of most any government or civilization.  Read the stories of most of the human societies of the present or past, big or small, and you’ll likely find that they formed out of a combination of both necessity and idealism, rejecting the dangers and abuses of the past; that rejection is followed by a period of chaos, which, for successful nations is eventually replaced by the establishment of order through consensus, law, and cooperation.  However, someone among the new leadership always finds a way to corrupt the system to suit their own needs, leading to yet more abuse or chaos.  “Animal Farm” follows this common theme, following the details of the U.S.S.R. specifically, but I think most who watch it will conclude that the same basic themes could be applied to the U.S.A.

Interestingly, the audio includes only two human voices, those of narrator Gordon Heath and Maurice Denham, who takes care of every other voice, human or animal, in the story.  It is a credit to Denham that his being solely responsible for the voices of pigs, ducks, donkeys, and the rest goes unnoticed if you aren’t already aware of it prior to watching.  One would easily believe different actors are sharing the load.  The soundtrack is also peppered with some authentic records of real farm animals, but Denham handles a hefty responsibility very successfully.

What I Didn’t Like

This was the first privately-produced, full-length animated feature made in the U.K., which means it can’t help but be compared with its contemporaries from the U.S. powerhouse in animated features, Disney.  In terms of animation, there is really no comparison warranted, Disney films of even the 1930s are far superior to even the best visuals from “Animal Farm,” made a full two decades earlier.  But truthfully, the comparison isn’t fair.  First of all, the makers of the British film didn’t have the American company’s budget.  Second, the animators of “Animal Farm” still manage to add some eye-catching moments of both style and action, never once failing to entertain the eye.  Third, “Animal Farm” covers ground thematically on which Disney would never consider treading.  Unlike “Snow White” or “Pinocchio,” this is a film which only adults can truly appreciate, even if it is wrapped in a fairy tale’s trappings and was marketed toward children on initial release.

Most Memorable Scene

For the most visual and emotional impact, the scene that strikes the hardest is the tragic death of Boxer, the powerful and industrious horse who becomes a symbol of everything that is good about community, institutionalized or not.  The scene of his death features some of the most thrilling animation of the film, but also represents the complete loss of the ideals for which the Revolution had been fought.  In fact, 20 years later, Boxer’s fate was the only specific event of the novel which I could still remember well.  Twenty years from now, even if I never watch this movie again, I’m sure this will also be the part of the film I recall the most vividly. 

My Rating: 4 out of 5