175: Netflix miniseries Episode 1 Part 4: The Shining Wire
Вставка
- Опубліковано 17 січ 2025
- This episode is scripted, narrated, recorded and edited by Newell Fisher.
The Netflix miniseries of Watership Down is available on Netflix. Subscription required.
Trailer on UA-cam: • Watership Down | Offic...
Trailer 2 on UA-cam: • Watership Down: Traile...
Watership Down music playlist on UA-cam:
• Watership Down Songs
Social media:
Facebook page:
/ thewatershipdownpodcast
The Watership Down Podcast Honeycomb on Facebook:
www.facebook.c...
Instagram:
www.instagram....
Threads:
www.threads.ne...
Twitter:
x.com
@thewatershipdo1
UA-cam channel:
/ @thewatershipdownpodca...
Past charity appeals:
Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund website:
rabbitwelfare....
I am still showcasing WD fan art, by posting any that is submitted as the podcast title image on UA-cam and posting the art on the podcast Instagram feed with no podcast title getting in the way. All, of course, with full credit given.
I am not actively canvassing for contributions, so if you want to showcase your WD themed art, or know of someone elses art that you think should be, please get in touch with me either by social media or by emailing me at thewatershipdownpodcast@outlook.com
Thanks for the kind words!
@SJHFoto My pleasure 🙂
It's good for me to engage on my content with others.
@@newell.fisher Thanks
The chanting: One thing I will say about this addition: I actually like it (it is one of the few departures I can appreciate) It reminds me of how false religions blame God for bad things that happen-usually caused by man themselves, or by time and unforeseen occurrence (Ecc 9:11) The rabbits are herded and culled by men, but they chant about it instead
The carrot scene-maybe I am reading into this too much, but I took it as them getting drunk. Dulled senses make one not be able to think clearly, and these rabbits are getting more and more under Cowslip's sway
Hazel attacking Fiver was also an out-of-character-moment for me. There is something book Hazel never does and this is getting unhinged by the remarks and comments of the others. Hazel is the one rabbit that knows Fiver the best and getting him to physically going against Fiver can be counted as abuse, even more psychological than physical. Bigwig would have fitted that role much better. But that they are going even farther with Bigwig to threatening to kill them is also unnecessary.
Otherwise a fairly good represantion of the Warren of the Shining Wire. You feel something is off and how Fiver's view of the Warren is portrayed is perfect. This is something that the original movie couldn't achieve at all with the scene only be three minutes long. Only the shape is a bit weird, why a crystal and why are they praying there like a cult?
Silverweed and the visuals ARE stunning-I really enjoying them, but a credit to CGI? That could have as easily been animated. I think of the old doctor who episodes (from the 60s-they changed this effect by the late 60s) when the Daleks used their weapon. There would be a flash of light, and negatives would be inversed to positives. This could have been drawn like that quite easily
The crystals were odd. I mean as a representation of "the shape" I always pictured it in the book to be a kind of artwork sculpture which we as humans understand. The light from the crystal is cool, but not really what the story was supposed to present. I always pictured it as being some rocks made in a vague, primitive likeness of a rabbit (like a child's stick figure drawing or something)
Strangely enough the "shape" of the 1999 TV series is closer to the book. See the image for episode 125.
@@newell.fisher I see! Well, I can believe it. I didn't like the tone of that series, but I am not saying it has bad visuals. Did you see my comment about the flies? What do you think?
I really hate what this "modern" film does to the characters. They are all too violent/angry. Even Bigwig didn't abuse Fiver in the book, and now Hazel does it? Wow. And Bigwig saying if they come back, he will kill them both? The makers of this are so warped that they pat themselves on the back saying that they didn't make this bloody the way the violent 1978 movie was (I remember that being a talking point when this came out) and yet, the underlying violence is actually worse than the old film!
Actually I think you have a point. There is definitely more violence, even if it is not as bloody.
Flies buzzing over flay rah: I don't understand why they added flies to this animation. The book describes the white blindness as caused by fleas infecting rabbits ears. To show small insects at a time when they are discussing the possibility of the white blindness in the warren was confusing to me (almost as if they were saying there WAS white blindness there) Is that just me, or did anyone else feel this way?
I think the flies just add to a general sense of unease.
They appear in the 1978 film at this warren as well.
What a place to stop! I don't know if this comment is for this episode or the next, but at first I didn't like how Bigwig's snaring was depicted as I am used to the 1978 version with him lying down, and bleeding from the mouth. But the book describes the danger as the rabbit's instinctively trying to pull free and breaking their neck. THIS is exactly what the 2018 animation shows! As frankly, if there was no tension on the wire, I don't see how it could have killed Bigwig (or any other animal caught in it).
The trouble is I'm trying to break it down into 10 minute chunks. And that was the only natural break point.
A bit of a cliffhanger...
Strawberry: Well, you know that I really hate changing the gender of characters (I didn't realise that WAS Olivia Coleman-I know her from Matt Smith's first episode of Dr Who).The entire point of the Epfrafa adventure was that there were no does among them! And what is this going to mean for the character of Hawkbit (that was the girl crazy one, right?) Is he going to be flirting with Strawberry? And if so, that will be a dynamic that is a vast departure from the book! I also don't like the fact that she doesn't have the tragic backstory of a dead mate. If they wanted to have a female in the cast here, they should have included Strawberry's wife (Nildro-Hane?) in it!
Yes Hawkbit will be flirting with Strawberry 🙂
I wasn't expecting to be able to engage in this series either, Newell, but thankfully, there is a place online where you can buy digital files of the Netflix movie. Please anyone who wishes to, feel free to email me for that link (I can't share it here)