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The Golden Compass: Innocent Adventure or Atheist Gateway?
Eric Rice
Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer
DVD Release Date: April 29, 2008
Theatrical Release Date: December 7, 2007
Rating: PG-13 (for sequences of fantasy violence)
Genre: Action Adventure/Family
Run Time: 113 minutes
Director: Chris Weitz
Actors: Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Dakota Blue Richards, Ben Walker, Freddie Highmore, Ian McKellen, Eva Green, Jim Carter, Tom Courtenay, Ian McShane, Sam Elliott, Derek Jacobi
Witches are our friends … little girls can lie to anyone as long as it is for the “right” cause … “daemons” are our friends (and souls) and take the form of animals. These are some of the lessons we learn in The Golden Compass.
A lot of controversy surrounds the movie, which is based on Philip Pullman’s widely read trilogy, His Dark Materials. But is this big-budget film (estimated at $150 million plus) a fun, family experience or a pied-piper of atheism in disguise?
Granted, The Golden Compass has lots of compelling elements. Big stars like Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, and Ian McKellen. The plot is interesting, and it has first-rate, absolutely gorgeous effects and CG scenery. The sets and wardrobes are award-winning quality. The musical score perfectly compliments the action. Sound effects are seamless and believable, and the story is entertaining. So what’s the problem here? Will The Golden Compass lead millions of young readers/viewers astray? Possibly.
It begins with the movie’s opening line: “There are millions of galaxies with many races of people. Some have their souls inside their bodies; others have their souls walk beside them. We are those people. Our souls take on the form of animals that we call daemons.”
In the story, Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) is a pre-teen girl who’s a handful, to say the least. She’s strong-willed, amazingly brave and resourceful. Lyra is raised under the care of the scholars of Jordan College in a world that is greatly influenced by the Magisterium, a religious order that is clearly a thinly-veiled play on Catholicism and some Protestant churches.
The Magisterium basically rules the planet with the idea of “controlling” the general public and protecting it from unhealthy thinking and practices. Everyone in the movie has an animal “daemon” with them. Some animals can speak to their people and are cute and cuddly, and some are tiger-like or even reptilian. Young animals can shape-shift into any creature they want until the person becomes an adult.
Lyra and Pantalaimon (her daemon—mostly in the form of a ferret-like creature) are friends with a handsome scientist, Lord Asriel (Craig) who is on a quest to discover the source of “dust”—a magical golden powder that he has seen in his journeys and may be the key to other dimensions and civilizations. The Magisterium have, until now, squashed all knowledge of “dust” from the general populace and frantically try to stop Asriel.
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Sulli
12/13/2007 12:26 PM
Having been raised a Christian and having read the books that this movie was based on when I was very young (I was younger than Lyra when I finished "The Golden Compass") I can say truthfully that yes, His Dark Materials do raise a number of questions about the existence of God in a child's mind.
However, these elements have been white-washed clean out of the movie. I think a number of people have heard the press about the book series and the author, and are implanting this into what they see on the silver screen. The magistrium bore almost no resemblence to the Church - hey looked a great deal like Nazis to me. As for daemons and witches, how one interprets them is personal, and while I did not think of them as evil, others will interpret them how they like. But please let's be realistic - God was not mentioned a single time in this movie, and attacking a mediocre film version of a literary masterpiece is a little bit over the top.
God Bless and Keep,
Sulli
However, these elements have been white-washed clean out of the movie. I think a number of people have heard the press about the book series and the author, and are implanting this into what they see on the silver screen. The magistrium bore almost no resemblence to the Church - hey looked a great deal like Nazis to me. As for daemons and witches, how one interprets them is personal, and while I did not think of them as evil, others will interpret them how they like. But please let's be realistic - God was not mentioned a single time in this movie, and attacking a mediocre film version of a literary masterpiece is a little bit over the top.
God Bless and Keep,
Sulli
joyful247
12/12/2007 1:41 AM
"its just a movie".
Not quite. There is an absolute agenda behind the scenes of the makers of this film and this reviewers flippant comment will lead many of your trusting readers to view this film, most likely giving them the 'willies', while making money for those who seek to destroy Christianity.
Why would we put our hard earned money into their pockets?
Encouraging readers to use viewing this film with their kids as an opportunity for a good discussion would be like leading frogs into a pan of cool water, placing it on the stove with the flame turned low. Thinking all is well with the world until they are boiled alive!
It is time we, Christians, get a backbone, stand up and say.. enough is enough.
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i dont want my kids watching it
its making church an evil threat in the movie and the church is not evil it satan and hisimps
it shows to me again that men is still trying to get rid of God
i am glad to say
that you cant get rid of God
HE IS LORD
those who have made this movie and the harry potter movie need to repent and ask God for forgiveness
they need to know the truth
God's word is truth
quit trying to decive our children with your lies through
movies.
God said"choose this day whom you will serve..
he also said "i set before you life and death,blessings and curses
He said CHOOSE LIFE