Cinema Craze: Animal Farm (1954)
- Josh
- Mar 25
- 3 min read
Directed by John Halas & Joy Batchelor
Produced by John Halas & Joy Batchelor
Written by John Halas, Joy Batchelor, Borden Mace, Philip Stapp & Lothar Wolff
My Rating: 9.5/10
Animal Farm (1954) Trailer #1 | Gordon Heath, Maurice Denham, John Halas, Joy Batchelor
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.” George Orwell’s
Animal Farm has been a staple of literature since its publication in 1945, influencing generations of readers. An allegorical take on the Russian Revolution, it follows the mistreated animals of Manor Farm who stage a revolt against their neglectful owner, Farmer Jones, to make a better life on the farm themselves. But what starts as a hopeful new beginning gradually turns into chaos as the pigs decide to exploit the other animals for their own gain. And as the story progresses, the residents become just as, if not more, miserable than they were at the start of the story.
With the upcoming release of Andy Serkis’s version this May (whose trailer left me, for
lack of a better word, unimpressed), I felt it would be fitting to look back at the first adaptation of Orwell’s novella, released in 1954. Produced by the British animation studio Halas & Batchelor and partly funded by the CIA, of all places, the 73-minute film features narration by Gordon Heath with Maurice Denham providing the voices of all the animals. Initially a box office bomb, the film has gained attention over the years, being shown in schools and even making it into Steven Schnieder’s book 1001 Movies You Must Watch Before You Die. So, with its reputation, does the film hold up after 72 years?
As a standalone film, it invokes the classic Disney films of the time, albeit less cuddly
and more mature, as the constant oppression and threats of death loom over the animals. The dramatic score by composer Mátyás Seiber helps add to the strong atmosphere, and while the animation may not have been as polished as Disney’s, it is nonetheless pleasant to look at. The naturalistic color palette reflects the dreary and serious situations the residents of Manor Farm find themselves in, instead of coming off as dull to look at. The characters, as well as their designs, are memorable in how they each serve the story, and although they still operate in the world of hand-drawn animation, they give off a more restrained feel to their looks and movements. Had they acted more cartoony, it’s possible they would’ve pulled viewers away from the serious nature of the film.
Now, as an adaptation, however, this is where my gripe with the film lies. It sticks very
close to the source material with only a few small changes here and there… until the end. I won’t spoil it here for those who haven't read or seen Animal Farm, but those who are familiar with either one will know what I’m talking about. While it may provide catharsis to those looking for something positive, for Orwell fans, this addition ultimately goes against the story’s warning about surrendering your rights to authorities looking to exploit the lower classes for their gain. Given that the film was partly produced by the CIA, as mentioned before, it’s possible the agency implemented this change to make the film more anti-communist, since it was produced during the Cold War. So, the filmmakers themselves can’t be blamed for it. All in all, it’s a divisive element of an otherwise faithful retelling of Orwell’s novella.
With everything in mind, I still find 1954’s Animal Farm to be a very suitable
adaptation… for the most part. While its tacked-on happy ending does fundamentally undercut the story’s message, the preceding hour does an excellent job turning George Orwell’s novella into a film thanks to the crew’s efforts. Given all the animated films released during the 50s and the decades after, however, this one had the unfortunate luck of being lost in the shuffle.
Hopefully, more people, readers or non-readers, will give this movie a chance as time marches on. It’s simply fascinating as both a piece of old-school animation and an Orwellian story told through film. Although, as a final suggestion, I would recommend that you, the reader, if you choose to watch it on YouTube or Tubi, stop the film at around the 69-minute mark and head straight to the end credits from that point if you want to get a better sense of the source material’s nature. Even then, change or no change, I got a feeling it’ll still be miles better than whatever the new version is supposed to be when it comes out.