Movies - The Plague Dogs

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	Movies - The Plague Dogs

This article is about the 1982 animated film. For the novel, see The Plague Dogs.

The Plague Dogs is a 1982 animated film based on the 1977 novel by Richard Adams. The film was written for screen, directed and produced by Martin Rosen, who also directed the film version of Watership Down, another novel by Adams.

The film's story is centered on two dogs named Rowf and Snitter, who escape from a research laboratory in Great Britain. In the process of telling the story, the film highlights the cruelty of performing vivisection and animal research for its own sake (though Martin Rosen said that this was not an anti-vivisection film, but an adventure), an idea that was only recently coming to public attention during the 1960s and 1970s.

There are two versions of the film, an 82 minute version and a 99 minute version. The only country currently offering the full length film on DVD is Australia.

Many missing scenes are completely harmless and were only removed to reduce running time, however, one scene from the full length film was probably removed because of its shocking content. After a scene of a man falling from a crag whilst trying to shoot the dogs we see that he is clearly killed by the fall. We then see one dog move towards the body. In the full length film this scene is followed by a scene in which a helicopter flies over the snow-covered crags and valleys. We then see a disturbing close-up shot of the man's body, ripped to shreds. It is clear that the dogs have eaten the corpse.

The gospel-esque theme song, Time and Tide, was composed and sung by Alan Price.

Plot

Rowf (a labrador-mix) and Snitter (a smooth fox terrier) are two of many dogs used for experimental purposes at an Animal Research facility in the Lake District. Rowf is the subject of a "survival endurance test" that involves placing a rock in his stomach and then forcing him to swim in a tank of water until he almost drowns. Snitter's brain was operated on to confuse the subjective with the objective in his mind.

One night a careless janitor does not latch Rowf's enclosure door properly. Snitter manages to sneak under a gap in the wire from his kennel next door as he has something to tell Rowf. In the background an anguished dog howls noisily. Annoyed at the noise, Rowf leaps forward, pushing his unlatched door open, frightening Rowf and causing him to slink back into his kennel. Snitter remembers that he was going to inform Rowf about the unfastened door and he encourages a reluctant Rowf to escape with him. The two dogs begin to explore the laboratory, ending up in an incinerator. They sleep there, and Snitter dreams about his master, who was killed by a lorry as he ran into the road to push Snitter to safety. Later, the dogs are disturbed by the corpse of a small dog being thrown into the incinerator. This spurs them onwards and they escape just as the incinerator is activated.

Snitter is confuseed by the vast countryside before him. He remembers roads, shops and people and surrounding him are mountains and fields. Rowf says that the "whitecoats" (the laboratory workers) must have changed it. The two dogs then set off to look for a master. Snitter complains of the "flies" in his head - a result of the operation.

The next morning they come across a village named Coniston. They enter a shop to try and find food but are scared away as one of the shopkeepers has a knife. They carry on their journey and cross a road. Snitter, confused as his master was killed on a road, has a seizure. A car drives by and stops, concerned about Snitter's welfare. As the two men from the car try to lift Snitter into the back of their car Rowf leaps up and growls at them. The men drop Snitter and the two dogs escape. Rowf doesn't have the trust of men that Snitter has.

The two dogs happen upon two sheepdogs herding sheep (referred to as "yows" by the sheepdogs - a traditional word from the Furness, South Cumbria area meaning "ewe/female sheep") for their master. Snitter confuses this for a game of fetch, reasoning that the sheep must be what the farmer uses instead of sticks. Wanting to impress the master, Snitter and Rowf play "fetch" with the sheep, chasing them up and down the fell, until they are confronted by the sheepdogs. Snitter and Rowf decide that it is best to leave.

That evening the two dogs come across a stone circle. They discuss what to do next, and Rowf says that they should become real, wild animals and live by their teeth. That night the two dogs kill a sheep and begin to eat it, but becomae anxious as it belongs to the farmer they saw earlier, and leave. As the two dogs walk we hear two laboratory workers discussing Rowf and Snitter's escape and whether or not they entered Dr. Goodner's section of the laboratory.

Rowf is tired from taking down the sheep and his leg hurts. He lies down, and Snitter goes ahead to find shelter. He does and comes back to get Rowf to follow him. At the place Snitter has found they meet the Tod, a fox who offers to help them in return for a share of what Rowf and Snitter kill.

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Movies - The Plague Dogs

Plot

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