BSA106 Watership Down

Watership down (1978) was directed by Martin Rosen and based on the novel by Richard Adams.
It was sold as a children's movie and given a U rating despite the violence and adult themes that run throughout. In 2012 the BBFC said that it had received complaints about the U rating every year since the films release.
The movie touches on themes of environmentalism, companionship, freedom versus confinement and political structures. The film portrays the rabbits as they are on the search for a new home when their old warren is destroyed by humans who want to use the land to develop upon without care for the wildlife that lives on it. A group of rabbits defy their chief in order to escape their fate. Along the way the rabbits work together to help one another as their leader, Hazel, refuses to let the weakest fall behind. As the story progresses, the audience are introduced to other warrens and the way they are run. The most prominent of these warrens is one run by a ruthless and fascist leader who refuses to let those who are under his control to live freely. When Hazel's companionship angers the chief of the warren, they create a ruthless enemy who is hellbent on revenge.
I think that the movie is suitable for children. I first saw the film when I was about 10 years old and it scared me to the point where it was turned off and I didn't watch the end of it. However, looking back now I think that most children would probably be able to handle the themes. I think that it would be suitable for some children to handle and less suitable for others. I think that it should be up to the parents to decide whether their child can handle the themes and violence in the movie. In my opinion, the complaints towards the certification are most likely because parents are shocked by the gore shown as a result of the violence. I think that it is important for children to see that violence leads to pain and suffering and the fact that Watership Down shows this without watering it down to be less disturbing to watch is a good thing because it will hopefully show children that violence isn't something that people can bounce back from, but it is something with very real consequences.
Once the violence and gore aspect is taken from the film, the film is a story of adventure and friendship. It is a story about standing strong in the face of adversity and it is a story of hope. I think that these elements of the story are much more obvious than the gore that is shown throughout and, if anything, the gore emphasises this aspect of the plot. As a result of this I think that the film is suitable for most children to see, especially children older than 10.
I would recommend this film to everybody because I think that the themes of tyranny, rebellion, companionship, trust and adventure is something that everyone can relate to in some way or another. The artwork and story is incredible and I like the way that the film doesn't pander to children by being "dumbed down" as if children can't handle complex ideas or themes. As a result of this, the film is not only enjoyable for a younger audience, but it can also be appreciated by an older audience too.
The BBC is working with netflix and remaking Watership Down as a four part mini series set to air in 2017. The remake is said to have toned down the violence a bit to make it more child friendly. I am interested to see how the result will look. However, I hope they don't dumb it down too much because I fear that if they do some of what is integral to the story will be omitted. I am afraid that this might take away some of the depth of the story making it just a cute little story about bunnies who find a home without facing too much hardship along the way; which isn't how I ever saw Watership Down as, even as a child. I think if they simplify and tone down the story too much they might lose some of the important underlying meaning that the story has, that is, life is hard but no matter what there is always hope.