A real childhood favorite

Watership Down by Richard Adams. 

So many great lessons in leadership and rudimentary layouts of different types of government from a definite class system to a republic to a totalitarian society.  As a kid it one of the movies that I watched over and over ad nauseam and I never outgrew it and I've finally read the book.  I'm very impressed with how the movie did a great job in staying as true to the book as possible (in 1978, no less)... true to the point where large parts of it I never fully understood until reading this book.  I have a copy with a forward by the author which explains that it was just a story for his kids on a long drive, but either they were very grown up for their ages, or he altered it slightly when putting it in novel form.  It's never seemed like a "kid's" story and it is rich and textured with military type heroes, accurate psychological profiles and even of faith in the rabbits' primitive mythology.  I loved it and now the movie is on a very short list of mine of approved book adaptations.

And I can't see the end without balling my eyes out anymore.   It's just relevant on so many levels and means different things to people at different ages.  I was pretty young when I first saw it.

Everyone complains about how violent it is, but all it is is realistic.  Even though they are anthropomorphized rabbits, they can't physically do anything a real rabbit can't do like write letters or sword fight.  In the book it's even a minor zoology lesson in rabbit behavior along side the story.  I'm glad I grew up in a time when they made more serious cartoons that dealt with adult themes and wisdoms.  I love the book and the movie.  Definitely a childhood favorite.

That clip is from the middle of the movie.  Another scene that makes me cry like crazy as an adult, even though it's a good thing.


If anyone hasn't scene this movie or read this book they really should.  It's one of the best ever.