Watership Down

1978
PG
1h 32m

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

41K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

Play trailer3:27

Adult Animation Hand-Drawn Animation Adventure Animation Drama Thriller

Hoping to escape destruction by human developers and save their community, a colony of rabbits, led by Hazel and Fiver, seek out a safe place to set up a new warren.Hoping to escape destruction by human developers and save their community, a colony of rabbits, led by Hazel and Fiver, seek out a safe place to set up a new warren.Hoping to escape destruction by human developers and save their community, a colony of rabbits, led by Hazel and Fiver, seek out a safe place to set up a new warren.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.5/10

41K

YOUR RATING

POPULARITY

4,825

1,050

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 win & 4 nominations total

Hazel
(voice)

Richard Briers

Fiver
(voice)

Ralph Richardson

Chief Rabbit
(voice)

Michael Graham Cox

Bigwig
(voice)
(as Michael Graham-Cox)

John Bennett

Capt. Holly
(voice)

Simon Cadell

Blackberry
(voice)

Terence Rigby

Silver
(voice)

Roy Kinnear

Pipkin
(voice)

Richard O'Callaghan

Dandelion
(voice)

Denholm Elliott

Cowslip
(voice)

Lynn Farleigh

Cat
(voice)
(as Lyn Farleigh)

Mary Maddox

Clover
(voice)

Zero Mostel

Kehaar
(voice)

Harry Andrews

Gen. Woundwort
(voice)

Hannah Gordon

Hyzenthlay
(voice)

Nigel Hawthorne

Capt. Campion
(voice)
(as Nigel Hawthorn)

Clifton Jones

Blackavar
(voice)

Derek Griffiths

Vervain
(voice)
…

Directors
- Martin Rosen
- John Hubley
Writers
All cast & crew
Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
The British Board of Film Classification had received complaints about this movie for over four decades after its release, due to the board's decision to classify it U (suitable for all). The BBFC admitted in 2012 that it had "received complaints about the suitability of Watership Down at U almost every year since its classification". On August 4, 2022, the film was re-rated PG after 44 years.

Goofs
In Holly's flashback of his time in Efrafa - which occurs long before the other rabbits have even heard of Efrafa - Bigwig can be clearly seen talking with the Efrafan rabbits (this was taken from a scene later in the movie).

Quotes
[last lines]
Narrator: All the world will be your enemy, Prince of a Thousand enemies. And when they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you; digger, listener, runner, Prince with the swift warning. Be cunning, and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed.

Alternate versions
The BFI restoration (2024) includes 2 animation error fixes:
Bigwig no longer disappears then reappears on screen as the rabbits enter the shed near the cemetery.
Hyzenthlay no longer disappears when she begins hiding behind the electricity pylon before the others travel to the farm to get the dog
A lot of the animation is tidied up and the colours improved. For some reason when Cowslip tells the poem about the stream and the camera tilts up toward the ceiling, his head still disappears before it has a chance to completely go off screen.

Connections
Featured in Sneak Previews: Paradise Alley, Magic, Midnight Express, Watership Down, Comes a Horseman (1978)

Soundtracks
Bright Eyes
Composed by Mike Batt
Sung by Art Garfunkel
Arranged by Angela Morley (uncredited)

User reviews247

Featured review

9/10

A wonderful film for all ages

I saw this film initially when I was about six or seven years old and have seen it several times since. Of all the films I saw during my early childhood, none captivated me as much as Watership Down. I am now twenty eight years old and, despite the violence and sadness of the film, I have somehow turned out to be a fairly normal bloke rather than a murderer or manic depressive. Funny that.

It is a complete fallacy to suggest that we must shield our children from anything that hints of the injustices that may exist in the real world. In fact, seeing a film such as this may help them in dealing with issues in their own lives or perhaps teach them lessons in understanding and appreciation of the world around them. Watership Down had that effect on me.