‘All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others’: This is the perverted doctrine upon which the pigs in George Orwell’s famous fable base their claim to power. The biting indictment of dictatorship and despotism was made into a feature-length animated film in 1954.
The animals of Manor Farm rebel against their decadent owner and set up a democratic society under the motto ‘All animals are equal’. But soon the pigs seize power and establish a regime of terror that is worse than anything before.
Animal Farm made film history as one of Europe’s first feature-length animated films. It is also remarkable for having a female director, Joy Batchelor – another rarity at the time. Together with John Halas she created an animation classic and translated the parable about greed and oppression into profound, lasting images. Definitely worth rediscovering!
