Adaptations of Animal Farm by George Orwell
Orwell’s famous “Fairy Story”, Animal Farm, has been adapted many times for stage and screen. In choosing an adaptation to watch it is usually helpful to preview the material. To that end, here is a trailer for an animated version as well as a full-length college production of a musical version.
The Animal Farm Movie (Animated)
Animal Farm is a 1954 British animated film based on the book Animal Farm by George Orwell. The C.I.A. paid for the filming as part of the U.S. cultural offensive during the Cold War, and influenced how Orwell’s ideas were to be presented.
Although this is an animated film, the subject matter is serious and may not be suitable for younger children. The review at Common Sense Media should be helpful in deciding whether this film is suitable for your family.
To see a little of the film, you may watch the trailer below.
College production of the Animal Farm musical
This is a musical adaptation from the book Animal Farm by George Orwell, presented by Trinity College Musical Theater. The original video may be viewed here. For this version credit is due to:
Book adapted by Peter Hall, Lyrics by Adrian Mitchell and Music by Richard Peaslee,. Performed on January 18, 1997 in Garmany Hall, Austin Arts Center, Trinity College. Directed and Piano Accompaniment by Professor Gerald Moshell. Choreography by Julia Strong ’94.
Other versions of Animal Farm movie
There are other versions of Animal Farm in musical, movie, and modern dance format. Some convey the essence of the story well, but are unsuited to young viewers, so you may wish to preview before viewing as a family.
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If you enjoyed this article, you should try some of our other Introduction to Literature (E1) videos. If you’d like to learn more about Animal Farm and it’s author George Orwell, you can check out our article on Animal Farm and its Relationship to History and our collection of George Orwell Resources.
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When will you read George Orwell’s writing in Excellence in Literature?
E1.7 Focus text: Animal Farm; Honors text: 1984
This volume contains both the focus text and the honors text.
This volume contains just the honors text, 1984.
