Watership Down - 2018

"Goggles Pizzano" (gogglespizzano) 12/30/2018 at 16:45 • Filed to: watership down

2

6

Over the weekend I watched the Netflix/BBC remake of Watership Down. Short review: I liked it, with just a few gripes.

Disclaimer: For those who haven’t seen the original, shame on you, and be warned there will be spoilers for this 40 year old classic inside.

Disclaimer: I haven’t read the book. Shame on me.

My first complaint is with the opening scene. Both movies open with a different animation style than the rest of the film. This sets the stage and tells the tale of Frith.

Rabbit lore has it that in the beginning Frith made everything. Rabbits ran amok and “wandered” everywhere. Frith asked El-ahrairah The Rabbit Prince to control his people and to that El-ahrairah mocked Frith. As punishment Frith bestowed upon every predatory animal a gift with the distinct purpose of making it easier for them to catch and eat rabbits. He then gave El-ahrairah some gifts:

“And El-ahrairah’s tail grew shining white, and it flashed like a star. And his back legs grew long and powerful.”

I’ve always taken this to mean he was given a white tail to attract them and speed to outrun them. A twisted torturous curse. You can watch the beautiful opening sequence over at !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

In the new version the line’s written:

“Grow a tail to confuse those chasing you and legs to outrun them.”

This fundamental change is very unfortunate. Not cool.

Although it was a nice touch that they added,

“Grow ears to hear any of your thousand enemies from miles away.”

My second issue is with another scene that had a big impact on a younger me. In it Fiver warns his brother Hazel of the terrible things he’s seen in visions. The music here lends a sadness and as the blood pours down the hillside a tuba turns it to terror and dread.

The new version just didn’t do it. Everything was there except good music.

Speaking of music, in general it was boring and brought nothing. And there was no Art Garfunkel, not even over the closing credits...

Which brings me to my last complaint (I promise). Again it’s the opening sequence, but it also ties with the end. The Black Rabbit of Death is mentioned and shown in the opening sequence of the original. In my opinion it needs to be in that first scene. It gives the end that much more weight and ties everything together. It’s one of two bookends. It’s powerful.

No mention of it in the new opening sequence. Shitty.

Other than that, pretty good.

The video below speaks on how the new version compares with the book as well as the original movie. I share his opinion on the animation, good enough, I guess.

Oh, and ah...one more thing,

Y U NO PUT ORIGINAL ON NETFLIX!?

Wobbles the Mind > Goggles Pizzano 12/30/2018 at 17:31

1

Watership Down is my all tine favorite book! Firth loved all the animals, it just happens that rabbits were dicks and took advantage so other animals were given tge ability to punish and benefit from rabbits becoming careless. However, Frith also made sure that rabbits hhad every tool they needed in order to be impossible to catch as long as they were careful.

White tails function a lot like the flames on the old batmobile. Flashy, but while you’re chasing it down you will focus on the bright point instead of the overall path and the object itself. This means that whenever that bright spot disappears, the pursuer’s eyes need to not only readjust for the camouflage but also figure out where they are in context of the landscape. The confuse line is a good addition since Frith isn’t evil or t orturing the rabbits. The rabbits only have themselves to blame for being caught.

Honeybunchesofgoats > Goggles Pizzano 12/30/2018 at 17:34

4

I won’t see it, because Watership Down. However, if this version doesn’t traumatize children for life, I object, because Watership Down. 

Goggles Pizzano > Wobbles the Mind 12/30/2018 at 17:39

0

Flashy, but while you’re chasing it down you will focus on the bright point instead of the overall path and the object itself.

In the r eal world, yes. H ow was this written in the book ? Was the quote like the ‘ 78 version or the ‘18 version?

Goggles Pizzano > Honeybunchesofgoats 12/30/2018 at 17:50

1

To traumatize in the same manner today would necessitate Tarantino levels of blood and special effects while carrying a PG rating. Didn’t happen.

Nick Has an Exocet > Goggles Pizzano 12/30/2018 at 17:56

1

I think I wiggled into a generation that this missed. Isn't this just an animated PETA film?

Wobbles the Mind > Goggles Pizzano 12/30/2018 at 18:04

1

I believe the original tail quote is word-for-word in the book, b ut it is implied to be a great gift along with the legs. The new one adding in the ears is odd though since the joke is that El-ahrairah was trying to dig himself into a hole in order to hide from Frith but Frith caught him with his backside still sticking out of the hole he was digging. El-ahrairah pretended to be some other rabbit that was too busy digging to come out for a blessing and told Frith that he could essentially   bless his ass . Frith did.