Watership Down is a tale of adventure and survival, beautifully told from the perspective of rabbits in search of a new life. In the beginning of the film, a young rabbit named Fiver (Richard Briers) gets a supernatural premonition that something very bad is about to happen to the warren he lives in. His brother Hazel (John Hurt) recognizes the need to leave the warren, so he assembles a team of rabbits, and together they all set out on a quest to find the perfect place to start over. Along the way they face numerous enemies, including: dogs, cats, rats, men, and even other rabbits. To reach their goal, the group must use every trick they can think of … and run really fast.

Watership Down was released in 1978, which results in a viewing experience not commonly seen any more. The visual style is perhaps the most striking example of this. The film is entirely hand painted, and in many scenes one can see the rough texture of the paper that the background was painted on. This effect adds more depth to the scenery, while also giving the feel of a book coming to life from the page to the screen. The score also does a fine job of setting the tone, and adds just the right amount of emotion to each moment.

Beyond the surface, this film is filled with symbolic themes and deeper meanings. The opening scene depicts a rabbit creation myth, and throughout the film the characters continually reference the myth and its implications. They may be animals, but religion still plays a role in the way they think and act. The theme of mankind’s destructive nature also makes subtle appearances, causing the audience to think about themselves from a different perspective.

Though it wears the guise of a children’s story, Watership Down is so much more than that. In just 93 minutes it exhibits politics, bravery, action, adventure, mystery, spirituality, and family. Its animation might not be perfect, but nevertheless this movie is worth the watch. If you’re looking for a film with an inspiring story, beautiful images, and touching characters, look no further.