Posted on 12/07/2007 9:34:03 AM PST by Constitutionalist Conservative
I saw that Coca-Cola is promoting the movie [<a href="http://zenit.org/article-21008?l=english">What Every Parent Should Know About "The Golden Compass"</a>], and I wrote to them to express my feelings about it -- including mentioning that the villains are called "The Magisterium" in the movie.
Here is the response I got: "We appreciate the opportunity to respond to your concerns.
"The Golden Compass movie is a story about friendship, love, loyalty, tolerance, courage and responsibility. This movie also provides an opportunity for Coca-Cola to help raise awareness about climate change and the perilous state of the polar bear.
"We do not believe that this fantasy movie is an attack on any religion. We would never support a film that intentionally antagonized or condemned any faith."
If they receive more letters about this, it's possible it may accomplish something.
http://movies.houstonpress.com/2007-12-06/film/the-golden-compass/
But along with that sidelong allusion to a decidedly virtuous, righteous child who will save us all, the film contains a head-spinning hodgepodge of ideas and tetchy references wedged into a serviceable (if harried) fantasy lark. Pulling even the diaphanously cloaked punches of the book, Weitz avoids Compass’s one relatively direct indictment (involving Adam, Eve and a pile of bollocks called “Original Sin”) altogether by having the film end three crucial chapters before the book does. Those punches, unfortunately, are intrinsic to Compass’s valorous narrative fight (i.e., trying to get kids to swallow some sense with their fantasy). By insisting on many of Pullman’s heady conceits but diluting the doctrinal antidote encoded within them, the intricate plot becomes an empty challenge. In drawing and quartering much of the novel’s intent, Weitz ends up with a film that feels not just unfinished but undone.
I drink Pepsi One. : )
From what I’ve read about it, the problem is just that it lopped off the last several chapters without ending it properly. That I can understand as a criticism. And I just don’t think that the movies can procede without the anti-Christian element simply because it’s such a major part of the story. It will be interesting to see what happens. I could also see why fervant anti-Christians want to see the “I have Christianity” stuff in there.
Ahh yes!
Mr Hilter's standing as the National Bocialist candidate. He's got wonderful plans for Minehead.
Really? Openly?
It’s not my faith that is the issue, it’s the DENIGRATION of Christianity and Christians that’s at issue here. I’ve seen a couple of ads for this film that are rather disturbing in their pointed message, to wit: Christians are ignorant narrow-minded Luddites who would rather live in ignorance than open their minds to witchcraft and magic (Satanism for those in Rio Linda).
I’m open minded, but not so open minded that my brains have fallen out.
Is it a boycott if you don’t purchase something you wouldn’t have purchased anyway?
Phoop on the polar bears, is my opinion. Seals are cuter.
“A pity that some get offended by anything that offers a different point of view.”
A different point of view? The guy has said he wants to kill my God. You’re saying that as a Christian I shouldn’t find that offensive??
Slow down on the weed dude.
Writing a trilogy called “His Dark Materials”, saying he’d like C.S. Lewis to believe he’s doing “the devil’s work” and that is books are about “killing God” isn’t open enough for you? Does he need to do a book tour with Anton LeVey to make it more clear? Maybe participate in a nationally televised ritualistic animal sacrifice?
Please. Don’t be obtuse.
LOL!
Do you believe that movies have no influence on children?
Of course. But wouldn't it be great to work for a company so profitable that you could spend your time putting out crap like this.
It is an even greater pity that some refuse to accept the author’s own words about his purpose in writing the trilogy. This is not up for debate. Pullman has said repeatedly that his purpose is to “kill God” and to destroy Christianity. That is not supposition. It is is his intent.
I much prefer Royal Crown Cola.
Coca-Cola’s management isn’t being paid to have a moral compass. They’re being paid to increase shareholder value. Their marketing department has determined that this advertising campaign will increase their profits. (That includes not only support of what they believe will be a popular film, but also their ritual invocation of Global Warming.)
Now, either it will, or it won’t. Someone in the company will do an analysis that attempts to isolate the effects of this advertising from other factors that influence revenue. We’ll probably never know, although I’d be interested if I were a shareholder in the cost-benefit of advertising campaigns. (I think the whole polar bear schtik is dumb.)
I think this is perfectly legitimate for a corporation, as long as they’re not breaking the law.
I’m sure God has faced worse than an English writer and his armoured polar bears.
When did the subject change to Korans?
1. The trailers looked so stupid that long before I knew anything else about the movie I determined I wouldn’t see it.
2. It would be foolish for any Christian parent to take their child to see it.
3. Nietzsche wasn’t able to kill off God. Neither could William Schatner. I think that says something.
4. I don’t understand what the whole polar bear crap is all about, anyway. Evolution is a fact, isn’t it? The creative power of evolution will respond to the pressures of climatic change and result in the evolution of an animal which is more advanced and complex than the stupid polar bears we got now. Evolve, adapt, or die you stupid beasts.
(NB-I’d be more inclined to accept evolution as a meaningful theory if we ever got to actually see something like this. But we don’t, or it’s so contrived it carries no intellectual weight. But that’s for a different thread.)
You are correct.
It is not, however, God for whom I have concern. He has weathered far better writing than Pullman’s.
It is the children of families who have no idea about the author’s purposes that I worry about. It is at least plausible that they will be drawn to the books without any awareness of why Pullman penned them.
To claim that the trilogy is not anti-Christian is dishonest at worst, disingenuous at best. To think there will not be greater interest in the books because of the film and the positive spin spun by secularists is folly.
GC is secular propaganda aimed at children. At the least secularists should be honest.
Superglue!
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