Animal Farm

E

Ewok

Moderator
OK, I just saw the TNT production of Animal Farm. I've been told that each of the major characters represents a real-life person. Clearly, Napoleon the Pig is Clinton, and the Rottweiler is Janet Reno. I suppose that Squealer is Algore. Anybody want to fill in the rest of the cast? ;)
 
I'm not sure who the others were, but the similarities were definitely there. Maybe they sort of "modernized" the book to resemble todays leaders, or are todays leaders just too close to past enemies?
I just wonder if (by some miracle) the pro-Klinton people who watched got the message.
Then again, they're probably too stupid to realize what the movie was about. ;)

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Happiness is a tight group!


[This message has been edited by Outlaw1 (edited October 04, 1999).]
 
I am sure you know that the book predates the Clinton Crowd
as I remember the cast goes something like this

Jones - The Tsar (Nicholas II probably)

Old Major - VI Lenin (even has 'tomb')

SnowBall - Leon Trotsky

Napoleon - Joseph Stalin

The Dogs - Bolsheviks

Boxer - The True Believers

Mr. J- Western Industrialists (my choice Armond Hammer )

The only parts of the movie that I had problems with were the added
intro and ending. The use of a Clinton & Hillary Look-a-likes at
then end made me gag.
 
I remember reading the book a few decades ago. Scared me then. Now it is totally relevent and scares me even more. Kind of amazing that TNT was the one to pay for and air this story. I just wonder how many sheeple watched and were able to draw the parallels between the story and what is happening in our society today.
 
Funny you should mention this. I just posted this rant over on the "Ted Turner admits he's a Socialist" thread:

BTW, I caught the "stunningly real" (as one moronic critic who has obviously not read the book said) remake of Animal Farm. Pure crap. They even tacked a happy ending on it. There was absolutely no subtlety in the characters, either. I mean, Napoleon is not Darth Vader, he's supposed to appear to be decent but inspire misgivings. They depicted him as the most horrifying slime-drooling monster there ever was straight from beginning. People who've read the book might not notice this as they already know all about Napoleon but young people seeing it for the first time don't get that effect.
Crappy filmmaking, crappy writing, crappy interpretation of a classic. Decent special effects.
Crap. It's not even Scottish. . .

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Don

"Its not criminals that go into schools and shoot children"
--Ann Pearston, British Gun Control apologist and moron
 
Outlaw 1,
I don't think they had to modernize the book at all -- A statist is a statist is a statist!!! They look and act the same now as they always have.

The problem is that we are in a time when sheeple don't want to see the truth and I doubt Orwell's intent got through to most. I figure that most watchers who came away with anything (probably a small percentage), got the message that we shouldn't eat animals or some other sort of animal rights crapola. Its sad to say, but probably true.

If it weren't for the fact that animals were the main characters, I don't think it would have been made. I doubt there will be a movie made (for TNT) covering "1984" or Vonnegut's short story "Harrison Bergeron". Those two have similar messages, but no cute talking animals.

Jack
 
I enjoyed it, but I feel the "happy ending" was slightly different than you did. Rtaher than saying "socialism is back" it seemed more like the kemnnedy's arrived in the car.

The Original ANIMATED version of Animal Farm was better I thought (it was made inthe 60's i think) and sticks truer to the story.

Still kinda neat speacial effects and the images of the ducks "goosestepping" was spooky.

As far as napoleon "not being a bad guy?" you need to re-read the original. (he sent boxer to a GLUE factory for goodness sake)

Dr.Rob
 
Jack Straw,
I'm afraid you're right about that.
At least it's comforting to know that there ARE people like us here that KNOW what's going on.
I got the strangest urge to fry me up a couple of big ol' pork chops while watching though! ;)

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Happiness is a tight group!
 
Dr. Rob
My apologies. I was unclear. I meant that I think Orwell's intent was for the reader, AT FIRST, to think of Snowball and Napoleon as partners and for misgivings about Napoleon to begin when he takes the puppies and build from there until the monster is revealed.
The film had little chance of doing that for people who've read the book, obviously, but it might still have been an interesting effect to go through the cycle of savior/hero/tyrant for those who haven't--like the young. Instead they made the Napoleon puppet or whatever it was a horrific, slime-drooling thing from the start. Not a serious beef with content, just that they dipped below my own standards in their telling of a classic story.

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Don

"Its not criminals that go into schools and shoot children"
--Ann Pearston, British Gun Control apologist and moron
 
It's on TNT again tonight (Wed.) at 8 pm PST for those who missed it (like me).

Being forwarned makes it a little more interesting.
 
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