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Watership Down: Difference between revisions
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[[File:watership_down.jpg|frame]]
[[caption-width-right:300:[http://www.somethingawful.com/d/photoshop-phriday/movies-dumbed-down.php?page=9 I Just Wanted A Movie About Bunnies]<ref>This poster [[Nightmare Fuel|should give you an idea on how dark the movie really is]]. [[Genre Blind|Too bad that it is not enough to stop]] [[Animation Age Ghetto]], [[Captain Obvious|and as a result]], [[What Do You Mean
{{quote|''Thlayli (Bigwig) had made his way up the run and was crouching immediately below. Blood had matted the great thatch of fur on his head, and one ear, half severed, hung down beside his face. His breathing was slow and heavy.''|Chapter 47 ("The Sky Suspended")}}
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Their journey is long - for a rabbit (about five miles). And it is punctuated by times of rest, during which they regale each other with tales of their [[Folk Hero]], the first rabbit: El-ahrairah, the Prince With a Thousand Enemies. El-ahrairah is a [[The Trickster|Trickster hero]] (meet us halfway between [[Beowulf (Literature)|Beowulf]] and [[Bugs Bunny]] and you've got the idea), and the legends we hear deal with everything from the rabbit's creation myth to El-ahrairah's [[To Hell and Back|descent into Inle to meet the Black Rabbit.]] And don't think that the stories are separate from the action, because they build up an intricate belief system that rewards us with major character moments, up to and including the very end of the story.
[[Watership Down (Literature)/
The novel proved so popular that, decades later, Adams wrote a set of sequel stories. Called ''Tales From Watership Down'', the stories actually take place ''during'' the original novel, though after the resolution of the plot--that is, they expand on the warren's post-battle history that had previously just been given a brief mention in the original [[Distant Finale|Epilogue]]. They include what became of [[The Chick|Hyzenthlay]]; and additional tales such as "The Terrible Hay-making" and "The Hole In The Sky". Naturally, some fans like the book, others call [[Fanon Discontinuity]].
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Also notable is the [[Animated Adaptation|animated feature film]] based upon the book. It's a very well-done [[Adaptation Distillation]], and while it is no excuse at all for not reading the novel, it's well worth watching. As a matter of fact, reading the novel first enhances the film. The [[Studio Ghibli]]-style insanely detailed animation fits the story perfectly, and real effort is made to respect the seriousness with which the rabbits take their quest. (As an aside, it's really hard to imagine a film version working any other way; if you'd like an idea of how Narm-ful a live-action version might have been, look for [[The Film of the Book]] ''Jonathan Livingston Seagull''.) The film is also notable for its voice cast, consisting of some of the best British actors of the day, including John Hurt as Hazel, Ralph Richardson as the Threarah, Nigel Hawthorne as Campion, Richard Briers as Fiver and Zero Mostel as Kehaar.
The thing is, the film is notorious in Internet culture for one simple reason: the [[Animation Age Ghetto]] affects it like almost no other movie. Certainly, DVD cover art like [http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1780259072/tt0078480 this] doesn't help, but what gets us here at TV Tropes is that you'd think more people would have heard of the book. Parents of bunny-obsessed children, please do ''not'' subject your four-year-olds to such [[Nightmare Fuel]] as Bigwig's brush with death and his battle with General Woundwort, General Woundwort ''himself'', the awfully long scene (scored to ''Bright Eyes'') where Hazel is almost certainly dead and Fiver is lost without him, Blackavar's story, or Holly recounting how he barely escaped the destruction of Sandleford Warren. On the off chance you need further convincing, please note that the latter sequence, faithful to the novel, is a semi-hallucinatory depiction of ''cute bunnies clawing out the throats of other cute bunnies as they all slowly suffocate.'' ''[[What Do You Mean
There is also a far more obscure television series. In the first two seasons, it primarily changes aspects of the characters and story to make it [[Lighter and Softer|appeal better to families]] e.g. [[Gender Flip|making Blackberry female]] to add more diversity to the predominantly male cast<ref>In fact, a plot point of the main book is that, when they reach Watership Down, they suddenly discover that they forgot to bring females along!</ref>. Despite this, has some redeeming qualities, but [[Jumping the Shark|that changes]] at the start of season three, perhaps in [[Cerebus Syndrome|an attempt]] to make it [[Darker and Edgier]]. [[So Bad
{{examples|Examples of the following tropes:}}
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*** It also helps differentiate the hutch rabbits (raised in captivity as pets) from the wild ones: Haystack and Clover versus [[Action Girl|Hyzenthlay]] and [[The Unpronounceable|Thethuthinnang]].
* [[Alone With Prisoner Ploy]]
* [[Androcles' Lion]]: Kehaar in all versions.
** In the novel, Hazel encourages the other rabbits to help out non-aggressive animals, in case they ever need help, which starts with a mouse. It pays off with the mouse telling the rabbits about a good feeding place, Kehaar acting as their scout and air support, {{spoiler|and the mouse giving them advance warning of the Efrafan attack, which likely saved the warren}}.
** "The Fox in the Water" has El-ahrairah wandering and offering advice, which pays off when a snake he helped, who had heard of his good deeds, grants him temporary hypnotic power to defeat the foxes plaguing the warren.
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* [[Ghibli Hills]]: The Downs.
* [[Giant Flyer]]: Compared to the rabbits, Kehaar.
* [[Good Scars, Evil Scars]]: By the end, pretty much everyone has scars.
* [[The Grim Reaper]]: The [[Moon Rabbit|Black Rabbit of Inlé]]. A [[Don't Fear the Reaper|frightening but dutiful]] Grim Reaper, not a murderous one.
{{quote| '''Dandelion:''' "We go by the will of the Black Rabbit of Inle' and ''only'' by his will... he will avenge any rabbit who many chance to be destroyed without the consent of himself."}}
* [[Hair
* [[Head in The Sand Management]]: The old Chief Rabbit, played straight. He insists on ignoring Fiver's warnings that the warren is in danger. (Folks who suggest it's an allegory see him as an actual [[Expy]].)
** In fairness to him, the rabbits do lampshade the logistical nightmare of the whole warren up-and-leaving above ground, concluding it might be safer to stay down and try to dodge whatever's coming where they can't be seen. Unfortunately, what they ''don't'' anticipate (because they've never met it before) is the humans' use of {{spoiler|poison gas.}}
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* [[I Don't Like the Sound of That Place]]: The [[Fan Nickname|warren of the Shining Wires]].
* [[Intellectual Animal]]: they're about as intellectual as you can get and still be wild animals with an IQ of ''hrair''.
* [[Kill
* [[Killer Rabbit]]: Woundwort is psychotic even by ''human'' standards.
* [[Last Stand]]: Bigwig, against {{spoiler|General Woundwort}}.
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** "Embleer Frith", which translates literally to "Stinking God", and is an oath roughly equivalent to "Goddammit".
* [[Rascally Rabbit]]: El-ahrairah, the rabbits' own mythological/folkloric trickster figure. During their journey the rabbits tell several tales of El-ahrairah's trickster abilities.
* [[R
* [[Reasonable Authority Figure]]: 'The Threarah', the Chief Rabbit of the Sandleford warren, appears to be the classic [[Obstructive Bureaucrat]] when he dismisses [[Waif Prophet|Fiver's]] warning out of hand. Holly later reveals that his reasoning was actually quite logical -- most prophets are frauds, and even if they're genuine the warren would have lost more rabbits from a mass evacuation than from a flood or hunters. Tragically, the oncoming disaster is more massive than the Threarah can imagine or Fiver can explain coherently.
* [[Safe Zone Hope Spot]]: {{spoiler|Cowslip's Warren.}}
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* [[The Scottish Trope]]: '''"The wires...!"'''
* [[Sedgwick Speech]]: "Come back, you fools! Dogs aren't dangerous! Come back and fight!" (Though this only counts if {{spoiler|you believe Woundwort actually died}}.)
* [[Self
** It's worth noting that Bigwig was slated to ''die'' [[Word of God|in the original version of the story as concieved by Adams]], which also would have worked.
* [[Shout Out]]: Adams' narration references [[The Trickster|Br'er Rabbit]] from [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uncle_Remus the Uncle Remus tales] and comments that the origin of those fables were the adventures of El-ahrairah, which eventually trickled into the story telling of humans.
* [[Shown Their Work]]: Understated, but definitely present (in a good way) with the book's geography; essentially every location (down to individual trees and hedgerows) really exists and is accurately described as of the time of writing.
* [[The Spartan Way]]: Efrafa.
* [[Spell My Name With a "The"]]: It's noted that the leader of the Sandleford Warren is almost always referred to as ''the'' Thererah ("The Lord Rowan Tree"), either because he's just that awesome or simply because there happened to be only a single rowan tree near the warren.
* [[The Storyteller]]: Dandelion is noted as a gifted storyteller, among the rabbits. Bluebell also tells one to keep some of the rabbits calm in a climactic scene.
** Speedwell, too, tells a story in ''Tales From Watership Down''. However, [[Cloudcuckoolander|his...]] [[Insane Troll Logic|style]] is vastly different from Dandelion's.
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* [[Art Shift]]: The opening myth of El-Ahrairah was animated in the Aboriginesque style of the late John Hubley, the legendary founder of [[Limited Animation]]. The main film is ultra-detailed naturalistic animation... and then you have the rabbits' horrific visions and recollections, animated by Martin Rosen in a similarly abstract style, but with gradual [[Sanity Slippage|transitions from the real]].
* [[Award Bait Song]]: "Bright Eyes" was a chart-topper performed by Art Garfunkel. The music, lyrics, and scene in which it is featured make it a [[Tear Jerker]].
* [[Colour
** Though to be fair, the eye colour is strictly limited to the rabbits' origins, and not their positions in the story. As seen by e.g. Blackavar and Hyzenthlay, who are blue-eyed Efrafans but the protagonist's allies. Alternately, Captain Holly and the late chief rabbit of Sandleford Warren, red-eyed, yet menacing antagonists (at least at first).
* [[Compressed Adaptation]]: The animated movie had to streamline quite a bit of the story, otherwise it'd be hours long.
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* [[Disney Acid Sequence]]: ''"Following the river of death downstream... or is it a dream?"''
* [[Dropped a Bridge On Him]]: {{spoiler|Violet, Blackavar.}} Dropped a hawk / bunny on them respectively.
* [[Family
* [[Family
* [[Famous Last Words]]: "[[Tempting Fate|Dogs aren't dangerous!]]"
* [[Getting Crap Past the Radar]]: Kehaar. ''Piss off!!!'' At several points, rabbits use words from their author-created language to curse: ''Embleer Frith'' and ''Silflay hraka'' would not have cut it in English, for example.
* [[Oh Crap|Oh Hraka]]: The looks on the Efrafans' faces when {{spoiler|the dog comes charging onto the down with its [[Nightmare Fuel|first victim dangling bloodily]] from its jaws.}} The one that ''almost'' got away, especially.
* [[Pragmatic Adaptation]]: Forgivable in the movie, less so in the subsequent TV series.
* [[Precision F
* [[Sanity Slippage]]: Fiver during his visions.
* [[Stupid Sacrifice]]: {{spoiler|Blackavar}} at the end of the film. Arguably motivated by [[Tranquil Fury]].
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* [[Deadpan Snarker]]: Hawkbit.
* [[Defrosting Ice Queen]]: {{spoiler|Spartina.}}
* [[Did I Just Say That Out Loud?]]: Of the [[Love Confession]] brand.
* [[Dirty Coward]]: Vervain, [[Played for Laughs]].
* [[Disney Death]]
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* [[Leitmotif]]: Woundwort's theme, which seems to be played everywhere it's even remotely applicable.
* [[Lighter and Softer]]: Not only do all the major characters survive, it's also in little things like how Fiver is actually allowed to ''smile'' in a sustained manner.
* [[Love At First Sight]]: [[She's a Man In Japan|Blackberry]] and [[Have I Mentioned I Am Heterosexual Today?|Campion]]. [[Not That There's Anything Wrong With That|Yeah.]]
** Not to mention Hazel and Primrose and Bigwig and {{spoiler|Spartina}}. It seems to be the generally accepted pattern for bunny romances.
* [[Mind Control Eyes]]: They glow.
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* [[Those Two Guys]]: Hawkbit and Dandelion become this in season 3.
* [[Those Two Bad Guys]]: Woundwort and Vervain in season 3.
* [[Viewers
* [[Wide Eyed Idealist]]: Aspen.
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* [[Creation Myth]]: Involves the sun-god Frith blessing each animal with its sapient characteristics; by the time he gets to El-ahrairah, the rabbit prince, fearing those who've been given the instinct to hunt his kind, has dived into a hole with only his bottom sticking out...so Frith blesses his bottom, giving him huge back feet to run away with, [[Just So Story|and a white cottontail]] to signal danger.
* [[Did You Just Have Tea With Cthulhu]]: El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inlé.
* [[Dude, Where's My Respect?]]: The not-too-bright dog Rowsby Woof suffers this when {{spoiler|he's tricked into 'saving' his master by causing such a ruckus he's scolded and tied up}}.
* [[Enemy Mine]]: The point of "The Story of King Fur-Rocius."
* [[Folk Hero]]: El-ahrairah aka (First) Rabbit and "Prince with a Thousand Enemies"
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** Used as a metaphor by one of the Watership rabbits to explain the Owslafa, who are essentially {{spoiler|Woundwort's Gestapo}}.
* [[Of the People]]: The rabbits are only interested in their ''own'' origins, and how other animals relate to them.
* [[Red Oni, Blue Oni|Red Coney, Blue Coney]]: Rabscuttle and El-Ahrairah.
* [[Shoot the Shaggy Dog]]: "The Story of the Great Marsh"/"The Story of the Terrible Hay-Making" in ''Tales''. {{spoiler|El-ahrairah leads a warren across the marsh to keep them from being wiped out... and once they get to the other side, the rabbits make such a nuisance of themselves to humans that they get wiped out}}.
* [[Shrouded in Myth]]: Half the rabbit folktales are half-remembered [[Twice
* [[Stranger in A Familiar Land]]: El-ahrairah and Rabscuttle, finally returning from their adventures after meeting the Black Rabbit of Inle, find that most of their generation is dead and the young rabbits who make up the warren have little respect for them.
* [[To Hell and Back]]: El-ahrairah and the Black Rabbit of Inle. Echoed a bit in the ''Tales'' story of "The Sense of Smell."
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