The Golden Compass

[laceblade]

I feel like most of this post will not be helpful to my friends who are avid readers, especially of the fantasy genre. But I do have friends who don't read much fantasy, and haven't read The Golden Compass, so I'm imagining it will be more helpful to people who read my blog, as opposed to LJ friends.

No, I haven't seen the movie yet. (And, I am afraid for when I do, as a couple of my friends who are fans of the books have posted in their LiveJournals that they didn't like it, :( )

I've been exchanging a couple of messages with a friend from middle/high school via Facebook, after she joined one of the many "Boycott the Golden Compass movie" groups.

For the life of me, I simply cannot understand the line of logic that would lead a person to boycott the movie.

Yes, in the plot of this fictional story, the goal is to kill God (aka, The Authority). And, all over, the message from people is, "OMG! These movies/books will teach our children to be atheists!"

(PS: The Golden Compass was originally published over 10 years ago, and I don't recall any similar outcry. This furthers my belief that fundamentalists who enjoy boycotting things DO NOT READ.)

I don't think so. At least, I grew up with The Golden Compass being one of my favorite books (and it still is), and I am still a Christian. I am even still Catholic, despite the book's portrayal of "the Church." Like the Harry Potter series, I think that the books do an excellent job of teaching children that it is okay, and even honorable, to question authority.

But this all beside my point. So, the books are supposedly anti-Christian because of a corrupt Church, and a plot that revolves around killing God.

Has anyone ever read Paradise Lost, by John Milton, on which the books are based? (Even taking the title of the trilogy, "His Dark Materials," from a line in Milton's work. In Paradise Lost, Satan is a protagonist! Oh no! Think of the children! Think of all the students who are forced to read Paradise Lost in university! They will all instantly become atheists, due to a sympathetic portrayal of Lucifer!

But where could the plot of Paradise Lost possibly have come from, this blasphemous work that has influenced The Golden Compass and its sequels? Where else could one find such a story of a character rebelling against God? Wait, that sounds familiar - the Bible! What a horrible thing for a book to teach our children! Our mindless, influential children, who will believe and emulate every story they ever read! Let us boycott the Bible without reading it in its entirety! Let us call upon others to do the same!

Seriously. In general, I have always failed to understand why people would boycott books like To Kill a Mockingbird or Harry Potter because of their subject matter (or for any other reason). But I guess I just feel like the controversy surrounding this movie (and, only now, the books) is beyond idiotic.



I've already heard from friends who didn't like the movie. Here are my hopes for the movie:

• The armored bears will be called by their proper name, panserbjørne
• Lyra will remain a quick-witted and contrary 11-year-old girl
  
• Lord Asriel will be really hot
• the daemons will be well-done, specifically Pantalaimon
• the panserbjørne will kick ass (not worried about this one in the slightest)
• Lyra's world is still late-Victorian-esque (judging by the costumes in promotional pieces, it is)
• Dust will still be important, and referred to
  

Comments

[littlebutfierce]

I remember when me & Phredd & a friend of ours were reading the Pullman books & we were like, "Why are the fundamentalists protesting Harry Potter & not this?" Hehehehe.

I didn't know who would be the voice of Iorek (er, not naming names in case you don't know & don't want to know) until I read the NYT review yesterday. Am v. excited about that, anyway.

(Oh, & am grumpy b/c I am sure the Finnish-derived names in the books will end up being butchered. Although Kirjava doesn't come up in the first book, & I suppose I could put up w/Serafina Pekkala's last name not being given the double-k treatment.)

[mystickeeper.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I hadn't known that until the NYT yesterday either, although it was the beautiful two-page ad that I saw at work that told me, before reading the review.

That will be lame if they butcher the name pronunciations, :( You'd think with all of the linguistic experts they had on LotR for languages that aren't even from an existing culture, they could show some respect for the real ones.

[jume.livejournal.com]

they had some pretty weird pronunciations, am i to take it that I was better off listening to my head voice? (I have no clue about scandanavian languages!)

[bibliofile.livejournal.com]

I heard (I think on NPR yesterday) that the Catholic Church was pleased that the anti-Church references scattered throughout the book did not actually make it into the movie.

Yesterday at work, we were talking about hullaballoos about various movies. It's not like I've watched anything by/about CS Lewis and been converted to Episcopalian leanings or anything.

Wasn't the studio offering lots of free advance screening passes to church groups, too? In an effort to show that the movie was not in fact atheist propaganda, I suspect.

[mystickeeper.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I had heard that too, about the USCCB, but it does make me nervous about what, exactly, they'll think about the second and third movies. I was proud that Pope JPII was so in favor of Harry Potter, and I wish they would have been a bit stronger in support of this movie - not because it removes so many anti-Church references, but because it is FICTION, and the characters are human beings who are essentially good, despite making mistakes.

[jume.livejournal.com]

I thought it was pretty good for a movie adaptation; maybe a little fast on scenes (think GOF and OOTP movies really), but they got all the important parts in, barring character building, according to some people I saw it with

[jume.livejournal.com]

also lord asriel IS really hot (after he shaves).

[mystickeeper.livejournal.com]

YES!

[lavendersleeves.livejournal.com]

Similar group wanted to rename _The Two Towers_ movie when it came out. They said it was shamelessly exploiting the Twin Towers, when obviously, the book had been titled some 50 years before.

[mystickeeper.livejournal.com]

Or, maybe instead of just "not reading," these people really are illiterate. Don't they have better things to do?

[frecklemehappy.livejournal.com]

I think most of your hopes are realized, to some extent. Honestly, I wouldn't have had that much of a problem with it - it might even have been a decent adaptation, despite some major cheese, watering-down, and whiplash - if they had KEPT THE ENDING IN. Chris Weitz really shot himself in the leg on that one. I doubt there will be a sequel made at all.

And yes, I agree wholeheartedly with the rants about people's protests about the books/movie. WTF. Broaden your mind and think about things before you speak, and maybe then you will not spout such ridiculous gunfire from your mouth.