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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To not understand why watership down is rated as a U?

75 replies

TheArmadillo · 08/04/2011 22:35

So me and dh decided to watch watership down tonight after both being traumatised by it in our childhoods (along with most of our friends).

The box describes it as "a delightful film for all ages" and states that it contains "mild threat and violence".

I'll quote from IMDB who sums it up quite well.

It lists several examples of violence/gore - the worst being "In the final battle, which is likely the goriest scene in the movie, a rabbit has his throat torn out by another rabbit onscreen. We then see his body, he has a large hole in his neck, and blood is everywhere. Two rabbits then fight nearly to the death. They cut each other up, and are shown bloodied. Next, a dog is unleashed upon the rabbits, he bites and tears up many of them. One is even shown being thrown high into the air by the dog, and falling back down, covered in blood. Finally, it is implied that a rabbit is killed offscreen by the dog, no blood or violence but still very frightening."

ON frightening intense scenes it describes how "The most frightening scene shows rabbits being gassed underground, their heads then form an abstract ghostly head of a rabbit." but misses out how the rabbit describes the piling up of dead bodies and the others trying to climb over them to get out their warren which has been blocked up.

Oh and also the weird warren run by a mad dictator (General Woundwort).

For those of you who don't know the story it is about a young rabbit who has visions that terrible things are going to happen (he continues to have these throughout the film). He convinces a group of rabbits to leave the warren with him and they go off to search for a new home making their way through constant terror and danger.

It's supposed to be a religious allegory btw and is based on the book by Richard Adams (a very good book btw).

But aibu in thinking that this film should definately not be rated as a U?

OP posts:
MogTheForgetfulCat · 09/04/2011 21:46

My mum let me see this when I was about 9 or 10 - I cried so much that she thought she had permanently traumatised me, and was considering taking me to hospital if I didn't clam down. She had - Bright Eyes still makes me howl Grin.

Panzee · 09/04/2011 21:56

I've not seen the film but I've read the book as an adult and it had me in floods. I would not read it to primary children.
Mind you The Little Match Girl has me in tears every time too...

Librashavinganotherbiscuit · 09/04/2011 22:01

Animal Farm.

TheBolter · 09/04/2011 22:01

Oh god yeah this film freaked me out so much, there is no way I'm going to let my two watch this.

Panzee, I remember being utterly devastated by The Little Match Girl too!

clairefromsteps · 09/04/2011 22:02

My nan got this film on video for me and my brother when we were staying with her, aged about 7. She obviously meant it as a kind gesture, but it left me absolutely distraught. Horrible, horrible film and the only way I'd ever show it to my (bunny-loving) children is if I woke up one day and decided that I wanted to screw them up.

TheBolter · 09/04/2011 22:03

Dd1 got really upset over Babe and dd2 was in floods after Disney's Beauty and the Beast last week! So definitely no Watership Down for them!

TheBolter · 09/04/2011 22:04

How did we survive our childhoods I wonder? What on earth was going through our parents' minds??! Grin

toeragsnotriches · 09/04/2011 22:08

The bit with the blood coming down the field is at the start isn't it? And terrifying. The thought of showing it to DS1 (who cries at every film we watch nearly, including Shrek when Donkey and Shrek fall out and are not friends any more) is not even on the agenda.

And clairefromsteps I have never seen the whole of Ghostbusters. My dad took me and my brother to see it and we had to leave after the ghost in the library bit. Even at University DB couldn't stay late to work in the library and always had to work where other people were as it still terrified him!

A1980 · 09/04/2011 22:08

I don't understnad why anyone would rate this as a children's film.

It's worse than I

Librashavinganotherbiscuit · 09/04/2011 22:09

Interestingly enough about Animal Farm:
"When first released, the British Board of Film Classification gave this film a rating certificate of "X" (the same category is now "18") prohibiting anyone under 18 from seeing the film, presumably due to its very political and violent behaviour. The film has since been re-classified as "U" (Universal), suitable for all audiences."

WillowFae · 09/04/2011 23:51

Even as an adult I refuse to watch it. It gave me nightmares for years as a child. :( It was mainly the blood coming down over the fields, like toeragsnotriches said.

But I just mentioned it to DH and he looked at me as if I was mad!

My mum tells me that in the 1950s her and her friend went to see a re-release of Snow White in the cinema. However, they were unable to go and see it as you had to be accompanied by adult. They went to see White Christmas instead. Now, of course it is a U.

MsScarlettInTheLibrary · 09/04/2011 23:57

Oh no, I LOVED it as a child and I still love it now. Totally fascinated by the field of blood, the bird snatching Hazel, General Woundwort coming for Fiver the black rabbit of Inle, and when it comes for Hazel at the end and it's all so peaceful..... I have it on DVD, maybe I'll hold off showing DD (4) Blush

MsScarlettInTheLibrary · 10/04/2011 00:00

MrBloomeatsVeggies - it's Fiver who goes a bit bonkers and sees the field covered in blood.

Oh and later when Bigwig gets caught in the snare, that's a bit traumatic too

mumdrivenmad · 10/04/2011 00:13

Don't forget the bit when Kehaar swears!

nulliusxinxverbax · 10/04/2011 00:20

Its not the only one!! BAMBI- much worse. Will never show this depressing horror story to my child!!!
I think the point is to deliver traumatic ideas through the medium of cute animals, making it child friendly.
The fact that it is cute animals just makes it more distressing I think!

hissymissy · 10/04/2011 00:22

It was my favourite book as a girl. I don't remember how old I was when I first watched the film though. I think it sould be a PG, as there are some sad/scary bits, although very good story and I agree kids shouldn't be mollycoddled too much, neither should they be traumatised.

confuddledDOTcom · 10/04/2011 00:24

I thought http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&v=cW20AlC0IbA this appropriate...

I've never seen WD, we had the video when we were little but never got past the strange animation at the begining, we'd all wondered off bored by that point!

confuddledDOTcom · 10/04/2011 00:25

Ah, that's where the space went to, try again:

this

hissymissy · 10/04/2011 00:32

That was random, and bizarre, confuddled! Grin

flyingspaghettimonster · 10/04/2011 01:25

terrifying movie for a child, I agree, shouldn't be a U. I watched it a fair few times as a kid (my Mum chose what videos we were allowed to watch and TBH I don't think she made good choices often!) - it always left me in tears, but what freaked me out wasn't the regular cartoon bits, but the 70's freaky animation about the sun god ra at the beginning, with blood pouring over the landscape, and then the LSD bit about the black rabbit... the gassing scene was harrowing too and General Wormwart scared the shit out of me. I did love the seagull, though...

Mumbybumby · 10/04/2011 02:44

YANBU
I was completely traumatised by this film as a kid. Used to have nightmares about the black rabbit. In fact, I do 't think I'd watch it again, even now!

ThistleWhistle · 10/04/2011 05:06

My dad bought this DVD for my DD a few weeks ago. I thought it would be OK to watch as it was rated U and I haven't seen it myself before so didn't know what to expect. My DD is 6 and she was fine with the fields of blood bit near the beginning but then about 10 mins in one rabbit gets its neck caught in a noose which gets tighter and tighter until loads of blood starts pouring from its mouth Shock! Cue my DD starting to scream and telling me to turn it off. She had trouble sleeping for a couple of nights. She said it made her heart hurt thinking of the poor rabbit Sad.

Actually looking at the DVD now it has a U cert in the green triangle but a 12 in a 'film censor's office' blue octagon. Not sure who that is. This is on the actual DVD not on the outside of the case which just has the U cert triangle.

confuddledDOTcom · 10/04/2011 11:43

LOL Hissy Grin I was reading this thread thinking "there's nothing we can't face, except for bunnies" so had to add the link Wink

About the two film ratings:

"One classification relates to the UK and the other to Ireland. The BBFC is the British Board Of Film Classification/Censor and relates to the UK and the Film Censors Office which is based in Dublin relates to Ireland which is of course not part of the UK so DVDs intended for both markets need both classifications printed on the cover . Niether body actually censors films as far as I know but gives a classification only, and the classification in Ireland would seem stricter."

Crawling · 10/04/2011 12:07

I was fine with watership down cried but no nightmares, however I had nightmares for months after watching The B.F.G and E.T

emmaloucameron · 28/04/2016 17:47

hi there, I work for BBC Scotland and wondering if there are any Mums out there who might like to speak to our Good Morning Scotland radio programme tomorrow about Watership Down being remade by the BBC and Netflix. Is this a good idea? Was it too scary and inappropriate for children as it was? Please get in touch. Either through this or email me [email protected]. Thank you. Ideally someone based in Scotland would be brilliant!

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