Revenge of the White Witch: Narnia Star Re-Interprets Lewis' Books as 'Anti-Religious'

LifeSiteNews ^ | 5/8/06 | John-Henry Westen

[wagglebee]

SAN FRANCISCO, May 8, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) - On the heels of the actor who played the Wizard Gandalf in Lord of the Rings advocating for homosexual marriage (see coverage: http://www.lifesite.net/ldn/2006/may/06050409.html), the actress who played the White Witch in the Chronicles of Narnia has suggested that C.S. Lewis' famous book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is "anti-religious."

Speaking at the 49th San Francisco International Film Festival which concluded last week, Tilda Swinton, the Scottish actress who played the white witch described herself as a "red witch" alluding to her membership in the British Communist Party.

Joking about the state of religion in the United States she said, "Last year, in the process of promoting two fantasy films for different Hollywood studios, I was advised on the proper protocol for talking about religion in America today.  In brief, the directive was, hold your hands high where all can see them, step away from the vehicle and enunciate clearly, nothing to declare."

Mixing commentary on politics and religion Swinton spoke of her character of the white witch saying, "At least we made her whiter than white, the ultimate white supremacist, and we managed to railroad the knee-jerk attempt to make her look like an Arab."

In a recent interview with Netribution in the UK, Swinton suggested that the Narnia books, while admittedly spiritual, are actually "anti-religious".   She said: "I would go so far as to say that not only is this not a religious book, but, if anything, it's actually an anti-religious book in the sense that it is about the very opposite of following a dogma, following a doctrine. It's about being resourceful and self-sufficient and following your own conscience and your own star, which is a very private issue and not anything to do with any set down religion."

Swinton, who worked closely with homosexual film-maker Derek Jarman, and confirming criticisms from faithful C.S. Lewis fans about the film, also noted a subtle departure from the Lewis book in the film, stressing that religion is open to interpretation.  "When Aslan is resurrected - you know, according to the resurrection myth in most standard religious belief systems - when the children ask him what's going on, originally there was the idea that there was a deeper magic that even the witch didn't understand," she said.  "But in fact in our film his answer is that had she interpreted the deep magic differently . . . The idea of interpretation is right there in the heart of the film and belief is in the eye of the beholder, and people can slap on it whatever they want."

Swinton's concept of evil may be expressed as constancy of faith by others.  "I suppose what I think of as evil is sort of anti-human impulses in humans, and doubtlessness is a thing that I think is really problematic, and very much in vogue these days politically," Swinton told Netribution.  "The politically doubtless seem to be being bigged-up and I think that it is anti-humane. So that feels the closest thing that I can think of to a concept of evil. The lack of the capacity to be compassionate, I think."

Steven D. Greydanus, in his review of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe on the Decent Films website, criticized the "many liberties" taken by the producers with the original book themes. He was especially harsh about the film version's undermining of the power of Aslan and elevation of the status of the Witch which contradicted Lewis's most important messages in the book.

Greydanus wrote, "Perhaps the single gravest change to the story is one that greatly empowers the Witch at Aslan’s expense. It is simply the eradication of the whole motif of the Witch’s overt fear of Aslan. This is absolutely crucial to the book’s emphasis on the utter lack of parity between the omnipotent Aslan and the powerful but limited Witch. The whole vision of good and evil at work in the story turns on the fact that the Witch is never even close to being a rival or threat to Aslan, any more than Lucifer to Christ himself."

The Christian film critic further explains that "The filmmakers, perhaps motivated by a misguided dramatic notion of needing the villain to be a credible threat to the hero, eliminate practically every indication of the Witch’s fear of Aslan from the story — in the process jettisoning much of the point Lewis was making about the nature and relationship of good and evil."  

See the Netribution interview:
http://www.netribution.co.uk/2/interviews/actor/tilda_swinto...

See Greydanus's full review of the The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
http://decentfilms.com/sections/reviews/2641

[Mad Dawg]

Evidently, they pay her to act, not to think. And, I didn't htink the role called for a whole lot of acting. I thought she was well cast, looked the part and all, but what else did she do?

[JenB]

That's pretty much how I've seen the dragon skin scene, or else as just a parallel for our need of salvation and inability to change ourselves - so it could be a metaphor about the futility of us trying to justify ourselves, or sanctify ourselves, pretty equally.

[Lee N. Field]

the actress who played the White Witch in the Chronicles of Narnia has suggested that C.S. Lewis' famous book The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is "anti-religious."

etc.

She is an ahk-tor. Her chosen profession is, essentially, deception.

[P-Marlowe]

Obviously she read the script but not the book and probably never even read the parts of the other characters. Her job was to be a nasty ugly evil witch and she was born to play that part.

[SuziQ]

"At least we made her whiter than white, the ultimate white supremacist, and we managed to railroad the knee-jerk attempt to make her look like an Arab."

Ever since Orlando I've though Tilda Swinton was a flake. Constantine didn't do anything to temper that notion.

From what I remember, and I've read the book at least twice, there was NOTHING in the story that gave any hint that the White Witch was Arab. Now "The Horse and His Boy" was quite different. The Calormen were nothing, if not Arabs.

[wagglebee]

I have a feeling that some leftist anti-Christianity group (she admits she's a communist) handed her some talking points that she didn't understand anymore than she understood the story.

[SuziQ]

"But in fact in our film his answer is that had she interpreted the deep magic differently . . . The idea of interpretation is right there in the heart of the film and belief is in the eye of the beholder, and people can slap on it whatever they want."

Wrong again. Aslan said the Witch didn't read deep enough into it. The Truth was there, but she was too eager to interpret it in her own way, and in the process, missed the Truth. So she misunderstands again, that interpreting things your own way is the correct way of doing things rather than taking guidance from the Creator.

[Lil'freeper]

When will these people realize that we don't care what they *think*?!!? We pay them to play a role so that we may suspend belief for a short time and be entertained. They do themselves no favors when they rudely interrupt our happy disbelief with what they *think*. It seems like the dumber or more perverted they are, the more they speak up. Fortunately we get the last laugh as the box office take dwindles year after year.

[Alex Murphy]

Ping to read later

[Gamecock]

***I would have more respect for a Pope who said that good Protestants were going to hell than one who would in any way insinuate that good Muslims will make it to heaven.***

You forget that the RCs has a special dispensation for the Muslims.

[P-Marlowe]

That was posted here by mistake. :-)

It was meant for another thread.

[the invisib1e hand]

The Party decides such things for its members:

Ahh. I missed that detail.

[dbehsman]

For once I have to admit that I'm not quite so put off by some actor/actress running at the mouth. Normally it bothers me when some person who is a swine in private plays as a hero in the movies. I think it's just the disingenuous aspect of it that bothers me. However in this case, I think Tilda is very fitting in this role. From the article:

Tilda Swinton, the Scottish actress who played the white witch described herself as a "red witch" alluding to her membership in the British Communist Party.

The communist party is the most murderous and soul destroying ideology in recorded human history. No wonder Tilda does such a good job of portraying the evil witch.

[Claud]

From what I remember, and I've read the book at least twice, there was NOTHING in the story that gave any hint that the White Witch was Arab. Now "The Horse and His Boy" was quite different. The Calormen were nothing, if not Arabs.

You are 100% right. I'll have to look over the relevant parts of "The Magician's Nephew" when you find out where the witch came from, but I've read all the books dozens of times and I've never imagined her as anything but vaguely Nordic.

Knee-jerk attempt to make her look like an Arab my foot.

Red witch indeed.

[ovrtaxt]

Mixing commentary on politics and religion Swinton spoke of her character of the white witch saying, "At least we made her whiter than white, the ultimate white supremacist, and we managed to railroad the knee-jerk attempt to make her look like an Arab."

Bunny, pancake, etc.

[ovrtaxt]

Judas Iscariot spent several years with our Lord and look how that turned out.

Isn't it mazing, the capacity to deceive oneself?

[ovrtaxt]

I'll have to look over the relevant parts of "The Magician's Nephew" when you find out where the witch came from,

She was Jadis, the last queen of a dead world that was frozen in judgment. Eustace (or was it Digory?) woke her up by ringing a bell that he wasnt' supposed to touch.

[Claud]

Yep. Jadis of Charn. Digory was the one who rang the bell. Do you remember anything about her physical description in that passage? I remember she was tall and cruelly beautiful, but that's it.

[Zionist Conspirator]

This is ignorant. What informs the conscience, dearie? Whim? Emotion? Passion? Or dogma?

Unfortunately, there are plenty of atheist FReepers who insist that G-d isn't necessary for an objective, external moral code, though they never get around to telling you where it comes from.