Animal Farm is a British feature-length film of animation of John Halas and Joy Batchelor, left in 1954. It is an adaptation of the satirical novel of the same name, the Farm of the animals (1945) of George Orwell.

Synopsis

The animals of a farm are oppressed by a brutal and stupid farmer (the tsar Nicolas II), when an old pig, Sage the Old one - metaphor for Karl Marx or Lénine -, their fact of becoming aware of their alienation. They rebel then, drive out the farmer and create a levelling company, controlled by most malignant among them, the pigs. At their head, Snowball (Trotsky) and Napoleon (Stalin) new laws painted on the walls of the barn enact, in particular this revolutionary command: “All the animals are equal”. The first results are encouraging, with good harvests and a construction project of windmills to generate electricity.

But Napoleon évince soon Snowball and seizes the capacity. The pigs - only speaking animals - profit from a mode of favor and carry costumes, while the attempts at resistance are repressed at once. For example, in a memorable scene which does not fail to evoke the Stalinist purgings, the chickens are constrained to acknowledge their crimes, then carried out. The farm from now on is surrounded by barbed iron wire and a true dictatorship is set up. It is clear that the fomenters of the revolution betrayed their ideals: they are not distinguished any more of the tyrants whom they reversed. A new inscription appears on the wall: “All the animals are equal, but some are more equal than others”. The revolt thunders and gains the firm neighbors… This version attenuates the virulence of the novel, but remains to him rather faithful except for the epilog. At Orwell the exhausted and despaired animals attend impotent the feast of the pigs with their human associates, whereas here, helped by the animals of neighbouring farms, they revolt successfully against the pigs.

Comment

The Great Britain produced already cartoon films, mainly of the short films in educational matter, and the realizer of Hungarian origin John Halas had carried out itself a didactic feature-length film for the Navy, Handling Ships . However the Farm of the animals will make date in the History like the first British feature-length film of animation distributed in rooms. It is also the first serious cartoon, not intended for the children, whereas the whole of the period is marked by the success of the productions Disney, impressed optimism and of cheerfulness, such Cendrillon (1950), Alice with the country of the wonders (1951) or Peter Pan (1953).

Disappointed by Soviet Communism that it had defended a long time, George Orwell denounced the misdeeds of totalitarianism in a bitter fable. Less than two years after its death, the film adaptation of its novel was considered to Hollywood, and the agreement of its widow obtained. Influential the Howard Hunt indicates to produce it Louis De Rochemont, which had already launched the very popular television program, The March off Time . England is selected for budgetary reasons, undoubtedly also because of the Chasse for the witch carried out then in the mediums of the cinema in America gained by the Maccarthysme, even for personal reasons. The reputation of John Halas makes the remainder.

Recent research showed that it production of film had been given financings of the CIA at ends of propaganda. It would have in particular suggested an end different from that of the novel, which assimilated Communism and capitalism. But John Halas wished him also a more optimistic outcome, near to the children and general public. Vivien Hauled, the girl of the couple, thinks that his/her parents were unaware of it at the time of the facts. When thereafter they were informed of these rumors, his/her father would not have made great case of them, whereas his/her mother would have been affected.

The contract is signed in November 1951 and the production is completed in April 1954. the Farm of the animals leaves initially to New York on December 29th, 1954, then with London in January 1955. It is not projected with Paris - more exactly with Aubervilliers - before the beginning of the Années 1990, because too judged anticommunist, according to the dires of Vivien Halas.

The film, which implies nearly 80 people, consists of 750 scenes and 300.000 drawings, worked out starting from 1.800 basic drawings. The dark atmosphere of film is well returned by the dark nuances of the Technicolor, particularly for the decorations.

In the english language version all the animals are doubled by the same actor, Maurice Denham. The narrator is Gordon Heath. As for the French version, it profits from the participation of Jean-Claude Michel, appointed lapping machine of Clint Eastwood or Sean Connery.

The scenes of violence, explicit or not, for example the tragic death of the horse Hefty fellow or that of the cat, lead BBFC (British Board off Censors Film, become in the interval British Board off Film Classification), to prohibit film with less than 18 years, prohibition which will be raised only at the end of five years.

The film receives warm welcome on behalf of the critic and the public. The NewYork Times regards it as a chief of work. If the style of work can seem a little dated today, on the other hand its contents remain more current than ever.

Data sheet

• Title: the Farm of the animals
• original Title: Animal Farm
• Realization: John Hauled and Joy Batchelor
• Scénario: Joy Batchelor, John Hauled, Borden Mace, Joseph Bryan, Lothar Wolf, according to the novel of George Orwell
• Production: Louis De Rochemont for Hauled and Batchelor Cartoon Films; financing the CIA
• Music: Matyas Seiber
• Lasted: 73 minutes
• Format: color (Technicolor); 35 mm
• Coming out date: December 29th, 1954 with New York

Distribution (voice)

• Maurice Denham: the animals
• Gordon Heath: the narrator

Distinctions

• the film is nominated for BAFTA of the best film of animation in 1955, but Blinkity Blank of Norman McLaren precedes it.
• the British professional review Kinematograph Weekly indicates film like Meilleur cartoon in 1955 (December 15th, 1955).

See too

• List of the feature-length films of animation

Around film

In 1999, an American telefilm carried out by John Stephenson, Animal Farm , is pressed in its turn on the novel orwellien.

In 2004, the French title of Home one the Range , the Farm rebels , is authorized a wink, even if its contents are different.

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