Watership Down (film)
| Watership Down | |
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U.S. theatrical release poster
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| Directed by |
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| Produced by | Martin Rosen |
| Screenplay by | Martin Rosen |
| Based on |
Watership Down by Richard Adams |
| Starring | |
| Narrated by | Michael Hordern |
| Music by | |
| Edited by | Terry Rawlings |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | CIC |
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Release date
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Running time
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102 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $4.8 million |
| Box office | $3.7 million (US) |
Watership Down is a 1978 British animated adventure-thriller drama film written, produced, and directed by Martin Rosen. It is based on Richard Adams' novel of the same name and financed by a consortium of British financial institutions.
Originally released on 19 October 1978, the film was an immediate success and it became the sixth most popular film of 1979 at the British box office. It was the first animated feature film to be presented in Dolby surround sound.
It features the voices of John Hurt, Richard Briers, Harry Andrews, Simon Cadell, Nigel Hawthorne, and Roy Kinnear, among others, and was the last film work of Zero Mostel, as the voice of Kehaar the gull. The musical score was by Angela Morley and Malcolm Williamson. Art Garfunkel's hit single "Bright Eyes", which was written by songwriter Mike Batt, briefly features.
According to Adams' Lapine language, culture and mythology, the world was created by the god Frith, who represents the Sun. All animals lived harmoniously, but the rabbits eventually multiplied, and their appetite led to a food shortage. At the prayers of the desperate animals, Frith warned the rabbit prince El-ahrairah to control his people, but was scoffed at. In retaliation, Frith gave special gifts to every animal, but some animals he made predators to prey upon the rabbits. Satisfied that El-ahrairah (now also known as "Prince with a Thousand Enemies") had learned his lesson, Frith also gave the rabbits speed and cunning; while many would seek to kill them, the rabbits could survive by their wits and quickness.
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