Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #8166 in VHS
• Released on: 2003-03-03
• Rating: Universal, suitable for all
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Animated, HiFi Sound, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 70 minutes

Synopsis
An animated feature film, the very first full-length cartoon made in England, reflecting George Orwell's satirical piece about the perils of Russian communism. The story follows Farmer Jones and his abusive behaviour to his animals. The animals eventually revolt and take control of the farm. Includes a making of the programme narrated by Tony Robinson.

Customer Reviews

Animals Good DVD Bad
There's no getting away from the fact that this is a beautiful animated version of the novel - in rich 1950s animation. However the 1 star is for the DVD release which has not had a good transfer from VHS. Secondly, it DOESN'T include the Toon Time 30 minute behind the scenes that went out on the video version. This MISSING extra featured all the animator's earlier works, original sketches and intereviews with the makers, etc. A cheap semi-skimmed version of a classic. SHame.

Good ideas can turn out bad in the wrong hands
This is a very good film, but maybe not meant for children. It is a story about how the animals on a farm takes charge over the farm when the farmer dose not treat them as he should. All the ideas are in good intention at first untill one of the pigs(Napoleon) desides that he could proffit on all the others if he can get them to belive that it is all for the best of the farm.
All in all what was a very good idea turnes into a comunist "camp" where the pigs are the upper class and all the other animals are the working class.
This film shows in a diferent way how comuniem workes and how many fail to see it before it is to late.

The Film Dosn't Even Come Close To The Book
Animal farm is an adult fable showing the flaws of democracy using satire through farmyard animals however George Orwell's novel has been brought to life through film in the form of a cartoon therefore lowering the age it is aimed at overall appealing to both young children and adults.

A wicked drunkard called Mr Jones runs manor farm. One night, Old Major (the oldest and wisest animal on the farm) calls a meeting to tell the animals of the terrible conditions that they live in and how it could become a utopia if a rebellion were to be led. At the end of the meeting old major dies and the rebellion is led just two days later. Jones tries to take back the farm many times, but always fails. The pigs seem to represent the leaders of the Russian revolution. Boxer is portrayed as the ordinary working people and Farmer Jones as the tsars. The farms next to animal farm (represented as Russia) are pinch field and fox wood. Pinch field is representing Germany and fox wood represents England. This is so because Russia double-crossed England and Germany. The story has many twists and turns and even turns from a communism to a democracy and back again.

There are a lot of differences between the book and the film. The film has left a few main characters out like Mollie who was seen talking to a farmer from a neighbouring farm. Mollie is an important character because she represents the working people of Russia who could not get used to the new living conditions faced at them. I think this is a shame, as it does not put across the view of the ordinary people as well in the film. Also a lot of key events are missed out like the formation of the leadership of the pigs along with numerous others. The book leaves the ending open and the film tries to wrap it up but fails miserably. I would much preferred to have seen the rest of the film done properly then a bad ending to a bad film based on a BRILLIANT novel. The film does the book no justice and if I were you I would get your nose stuck in and read this classic novel instead of watch this boring, dull film which pulls the book down with it.