70: Watership Down (1978) Section 11: Nuthanger Farm

Scripted by Newell Fisher, with script-assistance by John Ruths.

This section covers from 32 minutes 20 to 36 minutes 20 and the equivalent chapter from the book is Chapter 24. Nuthanger Farm.

This section begins with the rabbits arriving at a traditional farm cart as the theme from the previous section ends.

Cut to early the following morning and Hazel wakes up first, sniffing the air. He whispers for Pipkin and suggests they go and have a look around the farm.

Pipkin is understandably reluctant. Hazel says he has a plan, but doesn't detail it.

Cut to a panning shot of a working farm in 1960's Hampshire.

As we hear a cockerel crowing, the camera zooms in on an elevated barn with a dog kennel in front of it.

Cut to a close-up of a plough by the barn, with the stone toadstool shapes the barn rests upon visible.

Hazel emerges from between the blades of the plough, sniffs and is followed by Pipkin, who says he can see a dog.

They dodge behind the kennel under the barn.

A tense musical theme plays as they reach the end of the barn.

As Hazel and Fiver make their way across a yard, we hear a voice on a radio Pipkin points out that the humans are "up".

Pipkin says he wants to go back, but Hazel says they will go just a little bit further. They dodge behind a wood-pile by the entrance to another barn, then look through a crack in the door where we see a rabbit hutch.

Hazel goes straight in and we see the interior of the kind of timber-beamed British barn.

Hazel reassures Pipkin it's safe and tells him to stand guard and let him know if he sees a cat.

Cut to the interior of the rabbit hutch.

Hazel introduces himself and Clover, the first doe to speak in the book, reciprocates.

She asks where Hazel comes from, to which he responds with an ambiguous "far away" and immediately starts selling his lifestyle.

We cut to Pipkin on the lookout then the Dog waking up, just as Hazel mentions lying in the sun. The juxtaposition seems deliberate.

He asks if they ever get out, to which she replies that a human child sometimes takes them out on the grass.

As Clover says this we see Pipkin startle. He has seen a cat.

Hazel seems to be getting to his point, asking if they would like to join them. Clover is confused and asks how this would be possible. But we never get to hear Hazel's answer, as Pipkin arrives in a panic to let him know about the cat.

He is forced to give a garbled version, backing away from the hutch rapidly, oddly jumping backwards onto a pile of hay without looking, before leaping in the direction of the barn door.

Pipkin says he thinks the cat has smelt them to which Hazel replies he will get them away.

Hazel tells Pipkin to follow him closely and run when he does.

The camera zooms out to bring it into view, tail waving in readiness to pounce.

As the cat hisses, Hazel begins to taunt it, saying how hungry it looks and how the rats must be getting too clever.

The dog, now fully awake, begins to bark.

In the book the cat has nothing to say at this point, but here it responds to the suggestion that it cannot run with a calm "You'll see" as it drums its claws on the ground in mock calm.

As Hazel repeats his opinion on whether it can run, the cat screams and leaps. But the two rabbits are already gone, Hazel's insults having seemingly done their job of making it act hastily.

The cat pursues them, making Hazel's calm planning look a little less safe. Pipkin accidentally runs into a dustbin. This startles the pursuing cat and brings a human girl to the door.

We hear her say "What's all that then?"

Then she sees the cat and says "Tab? Tab! Let 'un alone! Cruel thing!"

Having reassured Lucy of its cuteness, Tab now sits in the lane cleaning herself as she watches the rapidly retreating Hazel and Pipkin running up a lane.

With an ironic, and feline sounding, violin flourish, the camera fades to black.