Animal Farm is a 1954 British animated feature based on the popular book by George Orwell. It was the first British animated feature released worldwide, but it was not the first British animated feature ever made (that honour goes to Handling Ships, an instructional film for the Admiralty made in 1945). It can, however, be said to be the first British animated feature film on general release.
Plot
The film generally follows the book closely, with the exception of the ending (see the section headed Epilogue).
Following the return of a drunken Mr. Jones to Manor Farm, the pig Old Major calls a meeting of all the animals. He tells them to revolt against Jones and to take control of the farm for themselves, calling for a life of equality and prosperity. Following his death that night, the two pigs Napoleon and Snowball assume command and the animals force Jones from the farm.
The revolutionaries destroy everything that reminds them of Jones and declare his house off-limits. Taking control, they rename the farm “Animal Farm”, painting the commandments on the side of a barn. The animals begin to work the farm for themselves, and the fields yield a successful crop. The pigs decide to spread the news of Animal Farm to other farms, encouraging their downtrodden kin to rise up against their masters. Snowball attempts to educate the animals and draws up plans for a windmill to generate electricity. Napoleon, backed by dogs that he has raised from puppies, drives Snowball from the farm (and most likely has him killed). He, along with his assistant Squealer, takes complete control of the farm, claims the windmill’s plans for himself, and orders the commencement of work on the windmill.
There is little food available to the other animals, but the pigs have plenty. Boxer the horse and his friend Benjamin the donkey work long hours helping to build the windmill, and later discover the pigs sleeping in beds in Jones’ house; the commandment against beds has been changed on the barn accordingly. The farm, under Napoleon’s leadership, begins to trade with the outside world, represented by Mr Whymper. Squealer tells the chickens that their eggs will be taken as trade goods, contradicting what they were told by Old Major. They attempt to revolt but are caught by the pigs. In a scene reminiscent of Stalin’s purges, the chickens (along with a sheep and a goose) confess their ‘crimes’ and are killed by the dogs. Their blood is used to edit one of the commandments.
The revolutionary song is forbidden by Napoleon, and trade continues. The other farmers become jealous of Whymper and attempt to seize Animal Farm. A battle ensues during which Boxer is shot in the leg, and from which the animals emerge triumphant. In the meantime, however Jones blows up the windmill. During the winter, the animals rebuild the windmill whilst the pigs languish in the farmhouse. Boxer’s health deteriorates until one night, when during a storm he collapses. A van, apparently an ambulance, arrives to take Boxer away, but turns out to be from Whymper’s glue factory. The pigs receive a case of whiskey in payment, and Squealer delivers a phony eulogy. The animals realise that the pigs have betrayed the revolution and used it for their own ends, but are subdued by the dogs.
Years afterwards, Napoleon’s schemes have proven so successful that other farms (or rather, their pig leaders) have joined his cause. During a meeting of the pigs, Benjamin the donkey discovers that they intend to suck the other animals completely dry with even more work and less food, and he stirs and leads a multi-farm revolution against Napoleon and his cohorts. The dogs are too drunk and tired to fight, making the revolt easier, and Napoleon and the other pig leaders perish with the other animals looking over their victory.
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