Animal Farm

To the world we all know, which may or may not be the best world possible, once again, Springtime had come. But all the magic of Spring was not enough to conceal the misery of Manor Farm. Once thriving and fruitful, the farm, and its owner, Mr. Jones, had fallen on evil days. Beset by problems of his own making, Mr. Jones had turned to drink. And for his misery, he had found poor company. On the evening our story begins, it was later than usual when Mr. Jones came home from his drinking to make his rounds.

Animal Farm (1954 film), CC BY-SA 4.0

And so, almost before they realized it, the animals had fought and won. They had casualties to mourn, and those who died left children to be cared for. [The animals find the Farmdog dead, along with her puppies looking out the window, yelping and whimpering] But Manor Farm was theirs, and they lost no time in destroying everything that reminded them of hateful Mr. Jones.

Animal Farm (1954 film), CC BY-SA 4.0

Narrator: The animals had all agreed that Jones's house was no place for them. All, that is, except Napoleon. Meantime, Snowball led the other animals in organizing a new society, which they now named Animal Farm. So that all might see and agree, the laws of Animal Farm were inscribed in a prominent place to be remembered and obeyed forever. Snowball: No animal shall sleep in a bed. No animal shall drink alcohol. Four legs good, two legs bad. Squealer: Wings count as legs. Sheep: Four legs good, two legs bad. Four legs good, two legs bad. Snowball: [Continuing the reading of the laws] No animal shall kill another animal. All animals are equal.

Animal Farm (1954 film), CC BY-SA 4.0

Narrator: That summer, the animals, without any help or any interference, made a going proposition of Animal Farm. The fields yielded richly, and they were cut and gleaned with diligence and devotion. With the harvest safely home, the animals had time to think of the future and, at a meeting in the big barn, many resolutions were put forward. It was always the pigs that made the resolutions. Snowball: Comrades, our first five months' plan is a farm-wide triumph. And the time has come to spread the glorious news, so that our downtrodden comrades on other farms will break their chains and join the Animal Revolution. [The animals cheer but Benjamin is quiet] Go! Tell the wonders of Animal Farm to the world!

Animal Farm (1954 film), CC BY-SA 4.0

[Overhearing the animals’ sad song] The revolution is now complete. We have no more use for that song. Singing it is now forbidden... under penalty of DEATH.

Animal Farm (1954 film), CC BY-SA 4.0

And that night the pigs drank to Boxer's memory, in the alcohol they had bought with Boxer's life. Years passed, the seasons came and went. The short animal lives fled by. The completed windmill stood as a monument to its builders' fate and sacrifice. But the animals' revolution was only dimly remembered. Outwardly, Animal Farm appeared prosperous, but the animals themselves were no better off, with the exception of the pigs, and their supreme leader, Napoleon. This pig-run enterprise now had many of the frills of real civilization. And one fine day, pig delegates from far and wide arrived at Animal Farm to celebrate the coming of a new era.

Animal Farm (1954 film), CC BY-SA 4.0