Once we get into the actual story, we meet Fiver (voiced by Richard Briers), a nervous little rabbit who is somewhat psychic, and his brother, Hazel (John Hurt), a level-headed rabbit but one who staunchly protects Fiver. Fiver is convinced that something terrible is coming to their warren and that everyone should vacate it immediately. However, the rabbit warrens are run somewhat militarily, with a chief and a police force known as the Owsler, run by Captain Holly (John Bennett) and Bigwig (Michael Graham Cox). When Hazel, Fiver and a group of the other rabbits decide to flee the warren in search of creating a new warren, they are stopped by Captain Holly but aided by Bigwig, who joins them in their flight. Fiver's premonition leads them to a high hill where they can set up their own warren, but the road to this paradise is fraught with danger. They first encounter a mostly empty warren where they are invited to stay. But it seems strange that there are so few rabbits there and that food magically appears. They soon find that a farmhouse nearby is responsible for the free food and missing rabbits, but that there are also a group of female rabbits living in cages. This is important since the group left with no does and without mates, the new warren will die off.
They also discover another warren, one run more like a concentration camp by General Woundwort (Harry Andrews), a vicious and vindicative leader who brutalizes any rabbit that gets out of line. With the help of an injured seagull (Zero Mostel) who acts as a scout and partner in battle, Bigwig is able to infiltrate the warren and convince a group of rabbits to defect. But Woundwort won't give up so easily and it's going to be a fight to the death for freedom.
This DVD is a re-release based on the 30 year anniversary of the film and includes a number of extras for fans such as the featurette where Martin Rosen (Writer/Director) and Terry Rawlings (Editor) talk about the trials and tribulations of bringing the book to the big screen. There's also one where we learn what it took to develop the unique style of Watership Down. Finally, there's a storyboard-to-screen multiangle comparison for 4 different segments, which was my least favorite.
I wondered how Watership Down would hold up against the test of time and I am happy to report that it is just as wonderful as it was when I originally saw it. The years have been kind to the soft and soothing watercolor backgrounds of the film and the story is just as moving as it ever was. I don't know how the children of today will react to this film, since it doesn't have the CGI they are so accustomed to, but it's a really sweet story that parents who saw it as a child will appreciate. There is a good bit of violence in this film, since snares are deadly, as are cats, other predators and fellow rabbits themselves. But Watership Down handles death well and in a non-gratuitous fashion. It's a really nice bit of nostalgia to share with a new generation.
