Now Showing: Animal Farm

 

Animal Farm

Genre: Drama/Animation

Director: Genndy Tartakovsky

Writer: Meirad Tako

Based on the novel by George Orwell

Voice Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Hugh Grant, Cillian Murphy, Sally Hawkins, Rhys Ifans, Ciaran Hinds, Rupert Grint, Bel Powley, Russell Brand, Patrick Stewart

Plot: Manor Farm, a modest estate in England overseen by the stern and frequently inebriated Mr. Jones (Hugh Grant), experiences a pivotal moment when Old Major (Patrick Stewart), a venerable boar, convenes all the animals for a gathering. Sensing his impending demise, Old Major delivers a speech exposing the injustices inflicted upon them by humans. He advocates for animal equality and incites them to unite in rebellion, introducing them to the revolutionary anthem "Beasts of England." After Old Major's passing, two pigs, Snowball (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Napoleon (Cillian Murphy), adopt his principles, forming the basis of Animalism. Despite facing resistance, particularly from the carthorses Boxer (Rhys Ifans) and Clover (Sally Hawkins), who become fervent advocates, Snowball and Napoleon strive to disseminate Animalism's tenets among their fellow animals.

After three months, Mr. Jones fails to provide food for his animals for more than 24 hours. This neglect prompts the animals to revolt, driving Mr. Jones and his farmhands off the property in a swift and effortless victory. They proceed to destroy all symbols of human dominance, such as whips, bits, and knives. The following morning, during a tour of the farm, the pigs reveal their newfound ability to read, self-taught over the past months. Led by Snowball, the pigs use white paint to rename the farm "Animal Farm" on the gate and inscribe the principles of Animalism, distilled into the Seven Commandments, in the big barn. These commandments affirm equality among all animals and forbid behaviors resembling those of humans, such as sleeping in beds, walking on two legs, killing other animals, or consuming alcohol. They designate humans as the sole adversary. Despite initial successes, concerns arise when the milk from the cows mysteriously begins to vanish as the animals focus on the hay harvest.

With humans gone, the animals thrive far beyond Mr. Jones' accomplishments. Abundant food and a sense of self-sufficiency gratify them, with the pigs demonstrating ingenuity in task completion without resorting to bipedalism. Boxer's remarkable strength, equivalent to that of three horses, exemplifies the ethos of relentless labor embodied in his motto, "I will work harder!" While most animals wholeheartedly engage in farm operations, Mollie (Bel Powley), the vain horse, shirks work, concocting various excuses. Benjamin (Ciaran Hinds), the enigmatic donkey, exhibits indifference, offering cryptic remarks about the longevity of donkeys.

Snowball initiates committees for the animals, with mixed success, and effectively instructs them in literacy, though only a select few fully grasp it, including the dogs, pigs, goat Muriel, and Benjamin. Less intellectually inclined creatures, like the sheep, grasp only the letter A and struggle to recall the Seven Commandments, leading Snowball to simplify it into the slogan "Four legs good, two legs bad." He clarifies its applicability to birds, who possess two legs. Meanwhile, Napoleon takes charge of educating nine newly acquired puppies, arguing the importance of focusing on the young. Tensions escalate between Snowball and Napoleon as they vie for dominance.

Snowball and Napoleon dispatch pigeons to neighboring farms to disseminate their message to other animals. While neighboring farmers sympathize with Mr. Jones, their primary concern is advancing their own interests. Fortunately for the animals, the animosity between their neighbors, Mr. Pilkington of Foxwood Farm and Mr. Frederick of Pinchfield Farm, runs deep, although both are apprehensive about the events at Animal Farm. In October, Mr. Jones and his cohorts launch an armed assault on the farm. The animals valiantly repel the attackers, causing them to flee, although Boxer is distressed by the possibility of having harmed a stable boy. Snowball delivers a speech emphasizing the importance of sacrifice for the sake of Animal Farm, leading to an agreement to fire Mr. Jones's gun twice annually, marking the rebellion and the Battle of the Cowshed. Additionally, they establish military honors, bestowing one upon Snowball.

During winter, Mollie absconds to serve a human in town. Within the pig leadership, disputes arise regarding the upcoming season, escalating tensions between Snowball and Napoleon, particularly concerning Snowball's proposal to construct a windmill. Snowball advocates for the windmill, promising it would generate electricity and reduce labor to three days per week, while Napoleon covertly dismisses the idea. In a decisive confrontation over the windmill, Napoleon deploys his secretly raised puppies, who forcibly expel Snowball from Animal Farm. Napoleon vilifies Snowball as a negative influence and abolishes the animals' right to vote, assuming sole leadership. He employs a pig named Squealer (Rupert Grint) to manipulate the animals into believing Napoleon's actions are for their benefit.

Three weeks later, Napoleon reverses course and decides to proceed with the construction of the windmill, claiming it was originally his idea and accusing Snowball of theft. The animals, led by Boxer, begin the construction work, but the focus on the windmill diminishes the farm's overall productivity, resulting in reduced food rations for all animals except the pigs and dogs. Napoleon introduces voluntary Sunday labor, with reduced rations as a consequence for those who opt out. The pigs enlist the services of a solicitor named Mr. Whymper to facilitate trade with other farms and eventually take up residence in Mr. Jones's farmhouse, where they begin sleeping in beds, contrary to previous rules. This perplexes Clover, who recalls that such behavior was forbidden. When she seeks clarification from Muriel, she discovers that the Commandment regarding beds now reads: "No animal shall sleep in a bed with sheets." Squealer, accompanied by dogs, insists that the pigs' adherence to this new practice is necessary to prevent the return of Mr. Jones.

During that winter, a fierce storm demolishes the partially constructed windmill. Napoleon attributes the disaster to the "traitorous" actions of Snowball, alleging that Snowball is seeking refuge at Foxwood. Despite human claims that the windmill collapsed due to natural causes, the animals remain skeptical but proceed to rebuild the structure with double-thick walls. Napoleon conceals the farm's food shortage and, in January, informs the hens that he has agreed to exchange 400 eggs per week for grain. Distressed by the news, as they had planned to hatch spring chicks, the hens rebel by refusing to surrender their eggs. In response, Napoleon reduces their rations, leading to the deaths of nine hens within five days. Napoleon attributes their demise to illness, spreading rumors that Snowball, purportedly in collusion with Mr. Frederick, is infiltrating Animal Farm and causing havoc, including trampling eggs and theft. During a tense evening, Squealer asserts that Snowball has been aligned with Mr. Jones all along, despite Boxer's incredulity, citing Napoleon's decree as evidence of Snowball's betrayal.

Four days later, Napoleon orders his dogs to attack four young pigs and Boxer during a meeting. Despite Boxer's attempts to fend off the dogs, they fatally maul the pigs after they confess to colluding with Snowball. Additional animals admit to various transgressions, resulting in their swift execution by the dogs. As the remaining animals convene at the windmill, Boxer suggests that their plight is a consequence of their own wrongdoing. Clover struggles to articulate her thoughts but reflects that the current state of affairs deviates from her initial aspirations upon joining the rebellion. Nevertheless, she reaffirms her commitment to Napoleon's leadership, leading the animals in a rendition of "Beasts of England." However, Squealer interrupts to announce the song's prohibition, deeming it obsolete since the revolution has already occurred. Minimus (Russell Brand) the pig composes a replacement song, which fails to resonate with the animals. In the aftermath of the massacre, Clover recalls the Seven Commandments' injunction against animals killing each other, prompting her to seek clarification from Muriel. However, she discovers that the Commandment now permits killing under certain circumstances.

The animals toil with increased intensity, spurred on by Squealer's regular dissemination of statistics purportedly showcasing a remarkable surge in the farm's productivity, ranging from 200 to 500 percent. Napoleon remains sequestered within the farmhouse, guarded by his canine retinue. Upon Minimus composing a laudatory poem in Napoleon's honor, Napoleon has it inscribed on the barn alongside the Seven Commandments and a portrait of himself. Engagements with neighboring farmers, Mr. Frederick and Mr. Pilkington, over the sale of timber on the farm's property escalate tensions. Despite completing the windmill by autumn, Napoleon stirs controversy by selling the timber to Mr. Frederick after previously promising it to Mr. Pilkington, using the proceeds to acquire machinery for the windmill. However, revelations emerge that Mr. Frederick paid for the timber with counterfeit banknotes. In retaliation, Mr. Frederick and his armed men invade Animal Farm, demolishing the windmill before being repelled by the enraged animals. Although disheartened, Squealer reframes the event as a significant triumph. Subsequently, the pigs discover a stash of whiskey, initially feigning concern for Napoleon's health before reallocating all spare fields for barley cultivation, destined solely for the pigs. One night, a disturbance prompts the animals to find Squealer near the barn with a broken ladder and paint. The following morning, the Commandments are amended to include a prohibition against excessive drinking by animals.

As Boxer nears retirement, he persists in working despite his injuries, driven by his desire to witness the completion of the windmill. When 31 piglets, all offspring of Napoleon, are born in the spring, Napoleon decrees the construction of a schoolhouse and mandates that all other animals yield to pigs. In a unanimous decision, Napoleon is elected as the farm's president upon its transition to a republic. During the summer, Boxer collapses while laboring on the windmill, prompting Napoleon to arrange for a human veterinarian to treat him. However, when the van arrives to collect Boxer, Benjamin alerts the animals to the grim truth: the van is bound for the glue factory. Despite Squealer's attempts to quell their suspicions by claiming the van was recently acquired by a veterinarian and had not yet been repainted, Boxer disappears forever. Shortly thereafter, the pigs secure funds to purchase additional whiskey.

Years elapse, leaving only a handful of animals who lived through the revolution, with even fewer retaining its original ideals. Despite completing the first windmill and commencing work on a second, neither structure achieves the intended goal of electrifying the farm. The pigs, having adopted increasingly human-like behaviors, including walking on two legs, wielding whips, and indoctrinating the sheep to chant "Four legs good, two legs better," deviate further from their revolutionary principles. Upon inspection of the Seven Commandments, Clover and Benjamin find only one statement: "All animals are equal. But some animals are more equal than others." The pigs reconcile with their human neighbors and celebrate with a feast, but tensions erupt when both Napoleon and Mr. Pilkington cheat at cards, sparking a brawl. The other animals are dismayed to realize they can no longer distinguish between the pigs and the humans.