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Pullman believes that Lewis's books portray a version of Christianity that relies on martial combat, outdated fears of sexuality and women, and also portrays a religion that looks a lot like Islam in unashamedly racist terms.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.
I saw the trailer for this film at the last two movies (Sin City and Batman Begins) I actually went out to the theaters to see. Both were packed houses on opening night with mostly young folks in the audience. I was astounded by the screaming, whistling, hooping and hollering that went on in the crowd from start to finish of the trailer. Gave me goosebumps, just sat there wondering "what's the big deal". I think this flick is going to be a hugh success for Disney.
bump
I read "The Golden Compass" and "The Amber Spyglass" and squirmed through them. They made me very uncomfortable before I knew of Pullman's hatred of all things Christian. What disturbed me the most was how these books were marketed towards children and young adults; they are decidedly NOT for youngsters!!! The covers are beautiful but extremely misleading.
I know his books have been optioned for filming by Hollyweird. I don't care how they sugar-coat the plot, I won't see them or have anything to do with them.
Here's something that'll make you squirm. The Database of Awardwinning Children's Literature (http://www.dawcl.com/introduction.html) shows that Pullman's
Golden Compass (1995) was the recipient of these prestigious awards: American Library Association Notable Books for Children (1997), ALA Best Books for Young Adults (1997), Carnegie Medal (1995) and Guardian Award for Children's Fiction (1996). Amber got some, too.
> I know his books have been optioned for filming by Hollyweird.
Coming to a theater near you.
"Pagan" was C.S. Lewis' own description of himself before he converted to Christianity"
Dang I should have known that, I have most of Lewis's books sitting right here on my desk including his auto bio....oh well.
I do remember the story about Tolkien referring the Christianity as the one true myth.....the one that really happened....powerful stuff....GK Chesterton had similar insights.
Tolkein and C.S. Lewis were both members of the Oxford group called the Inklings. Personally I think the Chronicles are easier reading and seem to be aimed at children while LOR is more adult level.
If you get a chance rent the movie Shadowlands, it is the story of Lewis' marriage to Joy Gresham. It is a very good introduction to Lewis the man. And by all means read the Chronicles though written at an easy level the stories are excellent and deserve an adult readership too.
Book of Dun Cow is one of my favorites. Walter Wagerin (sp) has written several other fiction and non fiction Christian books.
If memory serves Charles Williams was another member of the Inklings. If you can find his writings they are well worth a read.
I'm biding my time till next weekend when 'DOOM' comes out. It's supposed to be true to the game, in that it has wall to wall violence I here. The 'Rock' plays the 'Sargeant Kelly' role. I've waited so long for that to be released.
I'll leave my little girl with one of my older daughters. I'll take her to see the Disney one when it comes out.
"As an aside, and I'm sure you know this, there is nothing even remotely racist in these books."
It's not ignorance, it's malevolance.
Pullman hates what C.S. Lewis represents.
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Here is the Catholic Outreach site.
Your Catholic list may be interested to get Youth Groups tickets to go together
http://www.narniaoutreach.com/
Bad link, sweetie. This is going to be a most interesting subject. The boys and I saw a trailer at the last movie we attended. Could not discern any plot line but the production values looked like what Peter Jackson brought to LOTR.
Now, that's a funny joke. I don't care who you are. That's funny right there.
http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2003/12/03/tolkien_lewis/index_np.html
You can get a free pass to read the whole thing,.
You can also read about the "famous conversation" here:
http://www.epm.org/articles/visit_cslewis.html
Fancy meeting you here.... I am a huge fan of C.S. Lewis and have read many of his works, but not all. I can highly recommend The Chronicles of Narnia, The Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce to new readers of Lewis. Once you have read those you can move on to some of his more serious works, Mere Christianity, A Grief Observed, Till We Have Faces, and many, many others.
Also, for anyone who is interested, there is an interesting group sponsoring a national "tour" to stimulate interest in C.S. Lewis and Narnia as a buildup to the movie. I attended the Minneapolis event last Friday and found it very interesting. I learned a lot about Lewis that I didn't know before. Check the Narnia on Tour website below for more info about upcoming events in your area:
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