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Last Updated: Sep 26th, 2009 - 10:19:07
The Golden Compass - POV Review
By Nora Kirkeby
Mar 11, 2008, 19:49 PST
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When it comes to The Golden Compass, I think that the review of the movie, and the review of the book, have to be linked. AS you may or may not know, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding both.
For those of you who are unaware, several major groups boycotted the film. The cause? The author is an atheist and there is a perceived anti-Christian slant to both the novel and the movie. The fact that this went as far as it did leads me to the conclusion that very few of the people upset actually read the book, or at least understood it.
While I can certainly see how many people were offended by this novel, I would argue that the message is not anti-Christian, but rather anti-Church. It is a commentary on what can happen when there is an abuse of power at the establishment level. It is a topic that I think encourages valid introspection among society’s leaders. The difference is that in The Golden Compass within the constructs of their religion, the characters to do not question their faith. The questioning is more a factor of the people who control its teachings.
The controversy surrounding the author’s feelings about the Church have been very clearly played down in the movie, The Golden Compass. However, there are still things, in this film and book, as in any fantasy, that may offend those who disapprove of stories involving supernatural forces.
In The Golden Compass, political forces beyond her control manipulate a young girl’s fate. Her friends and many other children from all over the land have been kidnapped by Gobblers. The Gobblers are no fairytale, they are just terrible people, who are separating children from their daemons (Daemons are external versions of the soul that take the form of animals). The children are eventually set free with help from Lyra Belacqua, the young heroine, and the movie is set up for the inevitable sequel by sending her off to rescue her father, who is being held captive by the fighting bears.
Compared to the book, the movie has been edited down severely. Beyond that it’s very entertaining and expertly animated. Never once was I taken out of the story by the special effects. This movie is as good as The Chronicles of Narnia. There is no gore, or foul language. Yes, there are moments in this movie that are emotionally disturbing, but it’s important to allow children to see stories that don’t have a perfect happy ending all the time. It allows the to see how people deal with emotional traumas in life like the loss of a friend, or personal disappointment.
As for the novel, I still think that The Golden Compass is a valid piece of literature, but my suggestion would be that despite the fact it’s marketed as a children’s novel, it is probably more appropriate for young adults with the maturity to understand the complexity of the author’s message, and handle the emotionally disturbing scenes that have been largely edited out of the movie.
Both the film and the novel, The Golden Compass are highly recommended.
© Copyright 2008 by Classbrain.com
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