Talking Points
Talking Points: What Did You Think of The Golden Compass?
Posted by Neil Miller (neil@filmschoolrejects.com) on December 8, 2007
It is easy to see that if you are going to be out on the town, searching for a new movie to see this weekend, there is about a 90% chance that you will be seeing The Golden Compass — although if you are in a market where it is showing, I would recommend Atonement (review forthcoming). Based on the popular “His Dark Materials” series of books by Philip Pullman, The Golden Compass will undoubtedly take it’s release weekend with ease, mostly thanks to a weak slate of opponents but also due in part to the controversy surrounding the film’s source material.
Back in October, Catholic League president Bill Donohue wrote that the books upon which the film is based were written to promote Atheism and denigrate Christianity, specifically Roman Catholicism. Since then the debate has been raging over whether The Golden Compass is a harmless source of entertainment or the work of Satan himself.
That of course, leads us to this weekend’s Talking Points. This is our twice weekly column where we turn to you, the members of the Reject Nation to give us your opinions on the hottest topics in the movie industry. So how about it, what did you think of The Golden Compass? In seeing it, were you converted over to Atheism? Also, was the hype about the religious implications of this film justified, or was it all just a bunch of bologna?
Feel free to leave your unabashed opinions in the comment area below.
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10 Comments
December 8th, 2007 at 10:56 am
The movie had incredible acting, great photography, exceptional sound effects and a facinaing plot that I’m sure any fantasy enthusiast will appreciate (and want to see over and over again).
I never heard or read the word “Catholic” anywhere in the film. There was no mention of Christianity or baptsim. No Satanic beast rose out of the myth. I don’t know what all the hoopla against this movie was all about — unless the Christians see themselves as the very control-freaky child-napping group of cruel people depicted in his film . . . the kidnappers who try to squeeze the soul and wilful spirit out of every child they can get their hands on. That was the closes thing to a Christian I saw depicted in “The Golden Compass.” But again — that’s the picketers and boycotters making that connection to their church — it’s certainly not created in the film itself.
December 8th, 2007 at 11:33 am
A lot of the focus of the ban stems from the books. The movie is seen only as the vehicle that might draw children to read the books. The movie does a very good job of remaining religiously neutral (unless you have read the books and care to delve into the symbolism of Magesterium and other elements of the story).
Based on this movie alone, regardless of the books and any coming sequels, there should not be much religious outcry. I assume that any story that shows anything not “natural” (e.g. daemons) will draw at least some negative comments from organized religion (one in particular…you know who you are!).
December 8th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
Acording to Christian teaching Satan was an Angel of God’s court who rebelled, a war followed, Satan was defeated and he was thrown out of heaven. Good triumphed.
The premise of His Dark Materials is that yes, this war happened - but Satan was the good guy, and ‘God’ was the evil one (hence all of the guilt and negativity we see in the religion he organised). The reason, according to these books, that we believe that Satan was the evil one is simply because the victor always writes history.
That is why some Christians object to this work. Its also what makes His Dark Materials such a challenging and interesting work. I write this only because I believe in open debate.
December 8th, 2007 at 1:00 pm
I read these books as a kid, and as such didn’t realize any of the symbolism that was involved in an anti-Christian way. I even re-read the first book last year and didn’t really see it. But seeing this movie, I saw it pretty clearly. No, no one ever says “Christian” or “Catholic” in the book, but if you just pay attention, it’s all so clear. The Magisterium trying to break the kids away from their daemons before they reach adulthood so they won’t have any more bad thoughts? How about crazy Christians trying to brainwash kids into no sex, no vices, follow our train of thought and nothing else? The Magisterium wants the next generation to follow them blindly.
There is definitely a lot of anti-Christian stuff in the movie. But I think you have to be looking for it to some extent.
December 8th, 2007 at 2:54 pm
Not Atheist-y enough for me.
December 8th, 2007 at 4:26 pm
I admire directors that make bold and controversial films; and the Golden Compass isn’t all that controversial because Weitz wisely puts more emphasis on telling a story. In its religious themes, The Golden Compass symbolizes the eternal war between religion and science. I haven’t read the books, but that’s all the movie is symbolizing, nothing more and nothing less.
It’s really too bad that the film wasn’t as well received as I thought it would be. I thought if critics went into it wanting a nice fantasy adventure they would come away pleased but it seems like many took this controversy with them and made a negative review out of it. Or perhaps they just prefer the realistic Oscar bait dramas. Sun Tiger is right, anyone who loves the fantasy genre, such as myself, should like this film.
December 8th, 2007 at 6:05 pm
I found that I’m not Catholic after watching this movie.
December 8th, 2007 at 11:52 pm
Controversy or not, its no LOTR: http://www.scene-stealers.com/video-reviews/on-camera-review-of-the-golden-compass-2/
December 9th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
The christian themes were toned down in the movie anyway - some metaphorical content is arguably still intact, but its not central to the film as such. I might half jokingly suggest that if narnia was the christian fantasy film (not seen it), then why not have an aethist one? the real question to be asked is it any good?
for me, it definately has its delightful moments, good performance etc. as has been said above, but i think some fans of the book will find themselves treasuring elements of the film, not the whole. perhaps in part because of hollywood’s pussyfooting around key themes, and efforts to fit this film into a perhaps harry potterish mould, wheras the book was always more challenging. some of the dialogue is clumbsy, at rare momemts even embarassingly patronising.
but its enjoyable.
December 9th, 2007 at 5:47 pm
Actually PB, C.S. Lewis, author of “Narnia,” was also an atheist. It was Tolkien that was a Catholic.