Disney is da' Devil Bobby Boucher !!! (Foosball too!)
Posted on 10/16/2005 7:34:14 AM PDT by cloud8
As the UK prepares for a CS Lewis movie blockbuster this Christmas, a row has broken out about its Christian message.
To millions The Chronicles of Narnia are a childhood tale of wonder and triumph now made into a film that could inspire millions of children to read. To others, including the celebrated fantasy author Philip Pullman, they are stories of racism and thinly veiled religious propaganda that will corrupt children rather than inspiring them.
Either way, one thing is certain: this Christmas, and perhaps the next six, depending on sequels, everyone will be talking about Narnia. Disney is already in the middle of one of the biggest marketing campaigns in recent cinematic history. It is trying to lure both mainstream filmgoers and evangelical Christians, who will respond to CS Lewis's parallels between his characters and the Bible. HarperCollins is set to publish 170 Lewis-related books in more than 60 countries, many of them Christian-themed works. Disney has hired Christian marketing groups to handle the film.
For Pullman, who is an avowed atheist and a critic of Lewis, that is bad news. 'If the Disney Corporation wants to market this film as a great Christian story, they'll just have to tell lies about it,' Pullman told The Observer
Pullman believes that Lewis's books portray a version of Christianity that relies on martial combat, outdated fears of sexuality and women, and also portrays a religion that looks a lot like Islam in unashamedly racist terms.
'It's not the presence of Christian doctrine I object to so much as the absence of Christian virtue. The highest virtue, we have on the authority of the New Testament itself, is love, and yet you find not a trace of that in the books,' he said.
The Narnia books, Pullman said, contained '...a peevish blend of racist, misogynistic and reactionary prejudice; but of love, of Christian charity, [there is] not a trace'.
Certainly that is not the view of Disney. Film executives are eagerly anticipating repeating the success last year of Mel Gibson's Jesus biopic The Passion of The Christ, which was shunned by mainstream studios and then picked up by the evangelical churches. The movie then stunned the film world by raking in hundreds of millions of dollars by tapping into the previously ignored Christian market.
Already American evangelicals are planning to use the Narnia film as a preaching tool. A group called Catholic Outreach has advertised for 150 co-ordinators across the country to help promote the film. It is also organising 'sneak peak' events at which trailers will be shown to church audiences and executives from the film will talk about the project.
Other Christian groups and study centres are getting behind the film too. 'We believe that God will speak the gospel of Jesus Christ through this film,' said Lon Allison, director of the Billy Graham Centre at Wheaton College in Illinois.
Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, said that the film was an ideal way for a Christian message to be brought to people who would not otherwise go near a church. 'Here is yet another tool that many may find to be effective in communicating the message of Jesus to those who may not respond to other presentations,' he said.
As well as a huge potential force at the box office, the other possible benefit for Disney is to heal its long troubled relationship with America's evangelical community. Many Christian groups have often boycotted the company over such issues as holding special theme days for gays at Disneyland. But in the run-up to the Narnia release date on 9 December, evangelical leaders have been generous in their praise of the company they have often reviled.
But it is not all about God. The Chronicles of Narnia seems to offer a 'perfect storm' combination of factors. As well as having the Passion's appeal to Christians, it has the special effects and fantasy-laden appeal of The Lord of the Rings, Peter Jackson's box-office hit that also netted numerous Oscars. That film was also seen as a huge risk at the time, but Jackson's achievement confounded the critics and proved that 'swords and sorcery' movies could strike cinematic gold.
Trailers for the first Narnia film, called The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe after the first book in the chronicles, have already drawn comparisons to The Lord of the Rings' style and cinema presentation. It has the same powerful themes of a new world, complete with fantastic creatures and sweeping battle scenes against a beautiful landscape.
The final crucial element in Disney's planning is turning the Narnia films into a money-spinning franchise like the Harry Potter series. Lewis wrote a total of seven Narnia books, and if the first one is a huge hit the sequels will be inevitable. That means a new Narnia film could be released at Christmas, complete with spin-off merchandising and toys, every year until 2012.
But while Disney has bet big on Narnia and now waits with bated breath, there is already one winner in the saga. The film, just like The Lord of the Rings, was shot in New Zealand, which then reaped a tourism windfall. Now local tour companies are already planning to show visitors around the spot where the Narnia film's climactic battle scene was shot.
Check out the link above, it has audio clips as well. I particularly like the clip for "Mere Christianity."
Also, Lewis and Tolkein were contemporaries and friends. Both were admirers of each other's works.
Lewis attacks Islam viously in one of the books in the Chronicles of Narnia called "A Horse and His Boy".
The books are allegorical lessons in how one should live their lives in a christian manner. This includes the fact that Christians should fight against evil in the cause of right.
The books are for children, but they're not a bad read. It would probably take you only a couple of hours to get through the first if you're interested.
Screwtape explains the evils of liberalism in screwtape in a way no other writer has come close to matching.
oops sorry Lewis explains :)
I think Chronicles of Narnia are definitely lighter reading, and probably aimed more for kids; but, as an adult you will pick up on all the Christian themes, making them that much more enjoyable. I read them as a kid, and really liked them. I think I'm going to re-read them too. As an aside, and I'm sure you know this, there is nothing even remotely racist in these books. These people astound me with their ignorance. I've often thought, if Jesus himself came back today, the Libs would be the first to try to stop him, even before Islamists would. Enjoy the books.
Tolkien and Lewis were great friends...members of a group of writers/professors called the Inklngs. They both read each other's manuscripts before they were published.
Chronicles of Narnia are more for children (Like the Hobbit I suppose) and the story is more allegorical with Christianity. THat is the reason for the outcry. People can look at Tolkien, recognize the forces of Good vs Evil, but not really come away with a truly Christian message. Lion Witch and Wardrobe particularly tells the story of Christ in allegorical form..It's an absolutely WONDERFUL book and the film's trailers look like it will do it justice...DESPITE being from Disney.
> For those who have, how does C.S. Lewis compare to J.R.R. Tolkien?
Lewis unmistakeably wrote Christian allegory, whereas Tolkien depicted a struggle simply between good and evil. I read the Narnia Chronicles when I was a kid and the Space Trilogy after college. The Christianity wasn't intrusive--I'm not a Fundy--and they are books you'll always remember.
Thanks for all the input. I'll be checking out the C.S. Lewis books shortly.
The Turks certainly weren't the nicest people. After all, before Hitler, before Stalin, they murdered several million people. History pretty much has forgotten that though.
In this movie, Islam (Or Narnia's version of it) is not even portrayed because it's not even in THE Lion Witch adn the Wardrobe. In later books in the series, Lewis does deal with a religion which worships "Tass". I doubt that Disney will do any of the sequels that portrays it however. .
"Pullman believes that Lewis's books portray a version of Christianity that relies on martial combat, outdated fears of sexuality and women, and also portrays a religion that looks a lot like Islam in unashamedly racist terms."
What other rhetoric would you expect from an atheist? I think Pullman is simply reflecting his own beliefs about Christianity in this statement. I read Pullman's first 2 books, and enjoyed the first one. When I read the second book, I began to see Pullman's true colors. I realized that his books had a distint anti-Christian message. The second book is complete with horrific scenes ,like having one's soul severed from one's body. Frightful stuff. This man is NOT a happy camper. I would not listen to his opinion on the much loved Narnia books, since it is colored with hate for Christian religion and his own pessimistic, dismal outlook on life.
"The Screwtape Letters" used to be part of the public school curriculum. Too bad it no longer is.. His words are timeless and relevant for today.
I am all for that.
I recently met a Muslim who converted to Christianity. He relayed to me the story of a Christian woman who was murdered by Islamic Fascists in Lebanon for sharing her faith.
I am convinced Islam is evil, and does Satan's bidding on this earth.
I LOVED the space trilogy...Not too many people I know have read them, but great insights into the nature of man and Christianity!
Disney is da' Devil Bobby Boucher !!! (Foosball too!)
Lewis and Tolkien were friends and peers and often reviewed each others' work. The Narnia novels, and the Christian allegories contained therein, are more accessible to young readers than LOTR. The stories are shorter, the characters are young and not overly complex. and the plots move right along. LOTR requires more thought, reflection, and patience. I love both sets of stories - they just don't write them like that anymore!
Same old same old. Hope the movie's watchable, and it will be if it's true to the book.
My daughter, an animator, did lots of work on Aslan. She's quite anxious to see the entire film, as am I.
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