Animal Farm: Not all animals are equal

There are few films which are made with a certain context in mind and don’t necessarily make sense when not viewed from that same perspective. Few films like Animal Farm are made as a reflection of a political scenario and while they have a storyline of their own, to understand the truth in them it is important to realise the context in which the film is made and how it is relative in real life.

When an aged hog named Major calls for a meeting with all the animals on Manor Farm, he reveals his vision for the animals to revolt against the owner Mr Jones for crimes committed against the animals. Major believes the dismal state of the animals should not be taken lightly and the only way to get what they truly deserve is if every animal unites to overthrow the oppressive humans. Major succumbs to his age the same night but the animals pay heed to his message and claim the farm for themselves the very next day by chasing Jones off the property and renaming the farm ‘Animal Farm’. Being the smartest of the lot, the pigs organise the codes to live by for all the animals on the farm and teach them the importance of education and hard work. The pig named Snowball takes it upon himself to make sure all the animals are taken care of but his efforts go in vain as another pig named Napoleon chooses to ignore the plights of his comrades and ultimately teaches the rest of the animals the bitter truth that all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.

The film was directed by Joy Batchelor and John Halas and released in the year 1954. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name written by George Orwell. While most of the plot in the film is closely based on that of the novel, a few liberties have been taken with the screen version which differentiate from the original storyline. The story is an allegory of the political situation which existed in one particular nation in the 1940s and predicts what was likely to happen in the near future from the time of the novel being written.

The animation style is typical of that used in animated films in the 1950s. The major visible difference is in the colour tones which are used for the film. The colours are dull since it takes on a serious topic as opposed to other animated films which were light-hearted movies. This clearly demarcated that the film wasn’t naturally targeted towards children but was an animated film meant to be watched by adult audiences. The dull colour tones reflect the grave situation of the characters in the film since their lives are depressed and sombre at every turn.

The film takes a fair amount of time to establish the storyline but then tends to speed up towards the later stages of the plot. Unfortunately, not enough time is given to explain the plot in detail as the film progresses and the concluding stages are rushed into. The thoughts of the characters do not come across clearly because of lack of adequate dialogues or expressions. The narration does the job of explaining the internal monologues of the characters which is unfortunate since it is the easiest way to showcase a character’s emotions but not the best. The film clearly comes across as a propaganda film since the negative characters are painted in a bad light from the start without much explanation to their actions.

There is much to be desired with this film. While the storyline is adapted from a very good novel, the film does not manage to do it justice.

Football Rebels (Les rebelles du foot): More than just a sport

The world looks up to people with power. That is what power is all about, the ability to impact the world for the better or the worse. Being famous and successful automatically grants a person power and when it is achieved through the means of sport, the honour is all the more prestigious. The French documentary Les rebelles du foot (Football Rebels) is about international footballers who achieved a status of being great and then used their power to make a change for the better.

The documentary is narrated by one of the greatest footballers to have graced the sport in the recent past, Eric Cantona. Cantona was well known for have a fiery personality and playing exceptionally well during his illustrious career which makes him an ideal candidate to host this documentary about personalities who have made a difference using their sporting background. The first footballer in the limelight is Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba who used his fame as the national team’s captain to unite his broken country and bring peace in a time of eminent war. Next up is Carlos Caszely, a man who was made to suffer personally for publically refusing to submit to military rule during Chile’s coup d’etat in 1973. Another personality who was celebrated was Rachid Mekhloufi, a rising star who left his professional club to form a football team that would support the formation of the state of Algeria. Predrag Pasic is the last person who is celebrated in the documentary for starting a school in Sarajevo which would teach children to play football and live peacefully in a time of war.

All the stories in the documentary feature prominent personalities that have caused a positive impact to their respective countries in their own ways. From being as subtle as the formation of a school in a war-ravaged city, as was done by Pasic, to taking a public stance by making announcements as was done by Drogba and Caszely, each have risked losing their fame and fortune and, on occasion, their lives for the sake of a cause they cared strongly about. The documentary celebrates the people who have gone past being mere footballers to being strong political influences.

Every moment that has strong emotional or ethical ties in the documentary sees the interjection of Cantona as narrator who asks the audience if they can imagine living in the middle of war with a gun against their head, or at times he draws from his own personal life to narrate a story which affected him and his family as he grew up to be the great footballer that he was. The documentary also uses stock footage from the actual events and footage gained from revisiting the locations which has an additional effect to lend to the film. The interviews with the personalities as they speak from their own experiences can be quite emotional at times and quite inspirational as well.

For any football fan, this is a must see to witness how football transcends the boundaries of being a mere sport and becomes a great influence in life. For a person who cares less about football, it is a narrative about how simple people who live with honour and dignity can rise above themselves to move a nation and the world around it.