The Plague Dogs

The Plague Dogs is an animated drama-adventure film that was released in 1982. Boasting a talented cast featuring the likes of John Hurt, Christopher Benjamin, and James Bolam, it is an adaptation of the novel by the same name, which was written by British author Richard Adams.

The Plague Dogs centers on the lives of two dogs that escape from a research laboratory in the Lake District of England. The story takes an emotional turn as the viewer is transported into the world of these dogs, named Rowf (voiced by Christopher Benjamin) and Snitter (voiced by John Hurt). All they want is to experience the freedoms and joys that a dog should naturally have; instead, they find themselves subjected to pseudo-scientific research.

Rowf is a black Labrador Retriever mix who endures relentless and dispiriting water endurance tests, while Snitter is a Smooth Fox Terrier traumatized by invasive brain surgery that leaves him plagued with horrid hallucinations that mesh realities. Their lives undergo a dramatic shift when they manage to flee from the experimental lab, taking refuge in the wilderness.

As the canines adapt to a life of freedom and hardships in the open wild, they experience the hard battles of survival. The audience witnesses them hunting for food, looking for shelter, and all the while trying to escape human capture. The real plight begins when rumors spread that these dogs carry a bubonic plague, dubbing them 'The Plague Dogs.'

This film, while animated, is not typical children’s fare; it addresses serious adult themes such as animal rights, inhumane experiments, and societal fears. Snitter and Rowf's struggles ignite a range of emotions from the viewers as they root for their freedom and better treatment.

John Hurt, giving voice to Snitter and his neurological jumble, brilliantly brings a poignant sense of depth to his role. Christopher Benjamin imbues Rowf with an aching agony of learned despair but has a determined endurance and an admirable survival instinct. The supporting roles are also worth mentioning as they add certain gravity to the unfolding plot.

Legendary animator Martin Rosen co-produced and directed the film aptly showcasing the raw beauty of the English countryside contrasting it with the stark, cold interiors of the research laboratory. The graphic visual details of the animate feature are exceptional for its time, making it one of the landmark animated films of the 80s. The animation does not shy away from showing the harsh realities of life in the wild and the ruthless and agonizing scenarios in the lab.

The cinematic score of the movie by Patrick Gleeson adds an eerie yet compelling layer to the narrative which escalates the dramatic impact. The music plays its own character in the movie, setting the tone, changing from melancholic to dreadful as per the sequences.

The Plague Dogs is not just your everyday animated film; it is a thought-provoking and, at times, an uncomfortable watch given its honest take on the societal norms around animal rights during the 80s. The movie leaves one pondering over the inhumanity animals could possibly be subjected to all in the name of ‘science’ and ‘development.'

The film, while it has a darker tone and a hard-to-stomach narrative, does a compelling job in showcasing the interplay of fear, love, survival instincts, and camaraderie between animals. It's the kind of film that leaves a visceral imprint, encouraging watchers to reflect upon our treatment of sentient beings, and making it a unique, hard-hitting piece in the world of animation.