ALL THE WORLD WILL BE YOUR ENEMY, PRINCE WITH A THOUSAND ENEMIES, AND WHEN THEY CATCH YOU, THEY WILL KILL YOU… BUT FIRST THEY MUST CATCH YOU.

When a young rabbit has an apocalyptic vision of the future, he talks his brother and six other rabbits into escaping their warren and look for a new place to settle.

An animated adaptation of Richard Adams’s classic book that divided critics but has become one of those films that are said to have traumatized a generation. Ambitious and adult in a way that makes this story not entirely suitable for small children, as it builds mythology, addresses power structures and exposes our heros to great danger; survival is not guaranteed.

Simple but vivid animation, boosted by the voice cast and a pretty, dramatic score.

1978-U.K. Animated. 102 min. Color. Written and directed by Martin Rosen. Novel: Richard Adams. Music: Angela Morley, Malcolm Williamson. Song: ”Bright Eyes” (performed by Art Garfunkel). Voices of John Hurt (Hazel), Richard Briers (Fiver), Michael Graham Cox (Bigwig), John Bennett, Ralph Richardson, Simon Cadell, Denholm Elliott, Zero Mostel, Nigel Hawthorne, Michael Hordern, Joss Ackland.

Trivia: Mostel’s last film. The novel was also turned into an animated TV series in 1999-2001 and an animated miniseries in 2018.

Last word: “Nature is very tough. Richard [Adams] was very strong on that element. I felt it was absolutely critical. I did not make this picture for kids at all. I insisted that the one-sheet [the film poster] indicate how strong a picture it was by having Bigwig the rabbit in a snare. I reckoned a mother with a sensitive child would see that – a rabbit in a snare with blood coming out its mouth – and reckon, ‘well maybe this isn’t for Charlie – it’s a little too tough’.” (Rosen, The Independent)