I read George Orwells classic about 20yrs ago but was quite frankly devastated by it. For that reason I had no interest in watching any film adaptation but recently gave in.Animal Farm is as relevant today as the day it was written and perhaps for that reason it is very difficult viewing.For those unaware the entire story is an allegory for the events leading up to the Russian Revolution of 1917 and then on into the Stalinist era of the Soviet Union.It tells the story of the overworked animals on a farm who turn on their human master and make it their own only to watch the same thing happen again when one of the pigs becomes the very thing they had revolted against.The animation style is that of the early Disney cartoons, it's over the top wacky and charming. The trouble is even though the movie is heavily comical and jovial it has several very alarming scenes and a very unnerving under current throughout.Animal Farm is great viewing and devastatingly relevant across the world,if you're reading this then you are almost certainly experiencing it whether an overworked animal or maybe even a pig.I rate Animal Farm a tad low perhaps, not because of the quality of content but purely because it's so hard hitting and not in a good way.The Good: Charming animation style In places very sweet Extremely well written and narrated Powerful social commentary The Bad: Very difficult viewing Things I Learnt From This Movie: The animators went out of their way to make every humans nose look ridiculous Mankind can make a movie to reflect society and how downtrodden most are, but still won't acknowledge it enough to act

It took me the long route to learn that this animation was conceived as a propaganda film, sponsored by the US Office of Policy Coordination, which was under the direction of the Department of State and Defence and housed by the CIA. I was curious that the film credited a "Joseph Bryan III" as screenwriter, while his name was omitted in many reliable sources, and instead Philip Stapp was credited. I began searching for Bryan and his bio seemed too military-inclined to link his name to a film project... But then I found Tony Shaw's book "Hollywood's Cold War" where he tells the whole story. Bryan was hired by OPC to create the Psychological Warfare Workhop, an "unorthodox unit, made up almost entirely of Princeton alumni" to devise "unconventional schemes to undermine the solidarity of the emerging Eastern bloc and to sharpen the Americans' anti-communist publicity techniques". How the rights of the book were sold to Louis de Rochemont, how he was connected to the OPC and how this unit financed the film, amount to a fascinating tale of espionage. Then I found out that the whole story is told In Wikipedia, although not with all the details Shaw provides. This story will most probably have little or no effect on your feelings about the movie, but it helps to understand why so many changes were made to Orwell's original and why the list of screenwriters is so long (and possibly longer). As for the directors John Halas and Joy Batchelor it is claimed that they knew nothing about nothing, just as Leni Riefentahl knew nothing about the Nazis. In any case here it is just for the record.

Honestly, I just don't see why this great film keeps receiving so much unfair criticism. It is true that that it does change the ending of the book in which it was inspired, but for most part, it very respectful for its source material, keeping all the dark elements and themes from the novel.In many ways, "Animal Farm" managed to be away too ahead of its time, being much mature than other animated films produced in the same decade. Even when the animation wasn't as polished as the Disney classics, it was reasonably well made, with appealing designs and a good level of quality from beginning to end.But it was the marvelous plot from this movie what made "Animal Farm" a worth-watching experience. This movie was made in a time when animation was considered a medium that only kids could enjoy (A sad misconception which unfortunately still exist in the present) and yet, it managed to be just as complex and interesting like novel, without changing the plot in order to make it much more "family friendly" (Now, if you want to see a terrible desecration of Orwell's work watch the terrible "Animal Farm" live-action TV movie from 1999, which tried to turn the story into a "Babe" clone. Yes, it was that bad.)"Animal Farm" is simply one of the most underrated animated films ever made, being a brave effort to show the possibilities that the medium had, predating the existence of masterpieces like "Watership Down" and "The Plague Dogs". I think that this movie deserves much more appreciation and recognition from viewers.

After reading the book, I found this interpretation disappointing to say the least. For example, the animal's singing of "Beasts if England" is disturbing, and Old Major's Death is exceptionally inaccurate. Why, for example, did the producers move the Battle of the Cowshed, representing the Russian Civil War, where the communists reds fought the capitalist whites, to the start of the film! I believe that this was exceptionally close minded of the producers.As my final point, I believe Orwell would turn in his grave upon seeing the historical inaccuracy of the ending. Did he not write the film to warn the public of the dangers of communism, ignorance and apathy! Therefore, I conclude that the film adaptation is disappointing, inaccurate, and lacking in the morale that is so prevalent in the book,