The animals of a farm successfully revolt against its human owner, only to slide into a more brutal tyranny amongst themselves.
A satire of Stalinist Russia, this story tells of the revolt of the animals of Manor Farm against their human masters. Led by the pigs Snowball (Trotsky) and Napoleon (Stalin), the animals attempt to create a utopian society. Soon, however, Napoleon gets a taste for power, drives out Snowball, and establishes a totalitarian regime as brutal and corrupt as any human society. Manor Farm becomes a world where all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.—David Rickard
A direct allegory to the rise of Stalinist Russia, this movie combines George Orwell's parable with animatronics and voice characterizations by popular actors and actresses. Following a speech made by a venerable pig named Old Major (Lenin), the animals of Manor Farm form their own philosophy of Animalism (Communism), and lead a successful revolution orchestrated primarily by the pig Snowball (Trotsky), who tries to implement Old Major's ideas to the letter. Snowballs idealism does not save him when he is exiled by a more ambitious pig named Napoleon (Stalin), who seizes power over the farm, and proceeds to reshape Old Major's ideas to his own liking, and bringing the animals into a darker existence than they had ever dreamed.—Tommx <[email protected]>
Film adaptation of George Orwell's novel, an allegory of Russian Communism. The animal inhibitants of an English farm, spurred on by dreams of dominating the Earth and ruling together and equally, take over, and at first, all is well. But then Napolean (Stalin) the pig decides he wants a little more power. He ousts his opponent, Snowball (Trotsky), and turns the farm into a corrupt society, assuring the animals that everything is fine, when in fact, that is most certainly not true.—Tommy Peter
With a huge downpour of rain washing away a large structure, Jessie, a Border Collie dog narrates how the animals have been in hiding from Napoleon and his spies but are now ready to come out of hiding. She then begins to tell how they came to be in this situation.
In a flashback sequence to the 1940s, farmer Mr. Pilkington drives a cart with his wife and two sons through Mr. Jones' farm to return his horse. Mr. Jones invites him to a gathering he is hosting, also wishing to talk about his debts with Mr. Pilkington who brushes him off saying that he could just sell him his farm. Jessie informs the horse pulling the cart that there will be a meeting for the animals that night.
At the meeting, the pig Old Major incites the animals to revolt against man and to take control of the farm for themselves, calling for a life of equality and prosperity. Old Major then teaches them the song "Beasts of the World". Hearing the animals, Mr. Jones goes to investigate but ends up slipping in the mud, accidentally firing his shotgun and killing Old Major (in complete contrast to the orginal book where Old Major simply died in his sleep from old age).
The next day, Mr. Jones goes into town and drinking without feeding the animals. Once returning home he still does not feed them, which leads to the animals breaking into the feed room. The animals then rebel against Jones and drive him off the farm. The pig Snowball is looked on as a their new leader and learns to read and write and he renames the farm 'Animal Farm'. Snowball then writes the Seven Commandments of 'Animalism' which embody Old Major's feelings, while fellow pig Napoleon calls for a secret meeting in which he has Jessie and the other dogs swear loyalty to him and become part of the animal guard.
Mr. Pilkington leads an attack on the farm with the aid of the local police, but Snowball has planned for this and the animals launch a counter-attack, fending the men off. Snowball makes plans to build a windmill to better the animals' lives, however Napoleon thinks it is a waste of time. When the animals vote in favor of Snowball, Napoleon calls on the animal guard, recognized by Jessie as her puppies, to attack him in a revolt. Snowball escapes with his life, but Napoleon declares him a traitor, as well as claiming that the windmill was actually his idea. He goes on declare that there will be no more public meetings and that a committee of pigs will decide all aspects of the farm.
The animals begin the hard work of building the windmill and Mr. Pilkington hears over the microphone planted in the barn that the pigs can speak English, deciding that if they can talk then they can trade. Napoleon's assistant, Squealer, starts altering the commandments in the night and Napoleon starts trading with Mr. Pilkington. Later that night at the bar, Mr. Pilkington and Mr. Fredrick are talking. Mr. Fredrick shows concern about the animals whom are supposedly starving in hunger. Mr. Jones and Mrs. Jones want revenge on the animals for taking their farm. Mr. Jones blows the windmill up with dynamite. Napoleon blames it on Snowball, declaring a death sentence against him.
Squealer begins making propaganda films about Napoleon showing animals on trial for working with Snowball that are sentenced to death, as well as animals supposedly happy with Napoleon's rule. In the rebuilding of the windmill, Boxer the horse is injured and Squealer informs them that Boxer will be sent to hospital. When the time comes for him to be transported the animals realizes that the van is from the glue factory and that Boxer is to be slaughtered. Squealer delivers a phony speech claiming it to be untrue.
Later that night, Jessie watches a meeting between Napoleon and Mr. Pilkington and cannot tell the difference between them. Realising that Napoleon now essentially fills Jones' shoes, she decides the animals should leave while they still can. As they leave a film plays, with ducks and sheep singing the greatness of Napoleon, and shows Napoleon standing on two legs wearing a suit, declaring they will build weapons and walls.
In the present day, Jessie narrates how they have waited for Napoleon's rule to come to an end. Flooding from a storm causes a wall to collapse, and the animal refugees are able to return to the farm. They find it derelict and largely abandoned. Napoleon has fallen; "a victim of his own madness." Some survived the fall of Napoleon's regime, however; Jessie's puppies, free from Napoleon's lies, emerge from the ruins and return to her.
In the closing scene, Jessie is shown sitting in the sun, surrounded by her puppies, while the new owners, a human blond couple with two blond children arrive at the farm in a white convertible Jaguar. The music from the car radio, Fats Domino singing "Blueberry Hill," plays as Jessie vows: "We will not allow them to make the same mistakes. We will rebuild the farm, and now at last, we shall be free."
