Animal Farm – 60th Anniversary DVD review
We don’t really celebrate our animated feature film heritage as much as we should here in the UK. Of course, over in the states they have an unbroken chain of features in the mainstream consisting mainly of Disney films from the 30’s right the way to the day you’re reading this. Whilst it may seem like an American institution America wasn’t the first country to create the animated feature film, features in animation are only a few years younger than the animated form itself but it is the shadow cast by stateside animated features – particularly the Disney features of the time that had a huge effect on the film under review here.
“Four Legs Good, Two Legs bad”
Animal Farm by Halas and Batchelor was the UK’s first commercially released feature film. The film is based on the book of the same name by George Orwell with a rather grim narrative that explored socialism and class struggle using a farm as a metaphor for communist Russia. With little flourishes of Disneyesque charm and cutesy comedy you can see why the films initial release was met with confusion from audiences expecting the whole thing to be kiddie fodder and instead getting as film that had a powerful socially aware message. At the time Disney were releasing films such as Lady and the Tramp, in Animal Farm the meatball passed between the enamoured, titular characters around the back of Tony’s restaurant would’ve been shared equally amongst the entire farm. The films dark tones may have opened the doors for future features with a much darker edge such as Watership Down and the Plague Dogs years later but overall the film serves up both an entertaining and an educational narrative which is a breed of its own and worthy of anybody’s time.
Benjamin, the films allegory for the worker
Luckily in its 60th year the film has been re-released on DVD and Blu-Ray. Thankfully whilst most home media tend to skimp on extras, this particular release is full of them, thanks to the efforts of Vivien Halas, daughter of producer John Halas and the films director Joy Batchelor. Preserved in this time capsule of a DVD extras are some real gems related to the film. Here are some of the specs for the release.
The Film
The film has been restored which offers the greatest difference between this release and the 2010 release of the film. As well as the film itself there is fascinating insight from film historian Brian Sibley who has recorded an audio commentary for the whole film..
Extras
The power hungry Napoleon
Down on Animal Farm
Presented by Blackadder’s Tony Robinson this Stay Tooned special is half an hour long and charts the history of the film and Halas and Batchelor. It is rather in depth considering it was made for a Children’s TV audience with interviews from Bob Godfrey whilst voice actor Maurice Denham talks us through performance, animator Harold Whitaker elucidates on the art of animation are all tied together by Robinsons presenting style which keeps it from being patronising which most kids TV have a tendency to fall into. This documentary stands as a good intro to the studio and the film.
Clapperboard Extract
A fascinating interview with John Halas centred around the film. At 13 minutes long he gives his perspective of the film. It is interesting to hear how an irate Winston Churchill contacted the production after release about his caricature in the film. Halas also talks about the key points of the film, including why the ending was added.
Storyboards to Feature comparison
Unusually these storyboards are in full colour and simplistic in design resembling what we would see today as a colour script. Nonetheless comparing them to the final film is compelling enough.
Poster Gallery
Hi-res scans of the films promotional material filmed, giving us a glimpse at the archive.
Character Sketches
Another peep into the archive, with character model sheets, sketches and action poses of the cast all laid out for the film.
Gallery
3 and a half minutes of photographs from production. Picture of the smiling faces of production staff and people hard at work sit alongside further images of artwork, layout, colour scripts, film stills and posters.
The film also has subtitles and scene selections.
Snowball, Orwells version of Trotsky
Whilst the UK has an incredible variety of animated feature films in its history the UKs feature film heritage starts with Animal Farm which lasts as a testament to the talent of the day and as inspiration for the talent of the future.
Animal Farm is released on Blu-ray / DVD / iTunes on the 27th October 2014
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