home

Welcome

FaithFusion offers blogs and columns on many topics: storytelling, society and culture, philosophy, religion, politics, science, and especially “deep doctrine magic” about all seven.
 

Features
 



Tags
 

Archives
 



 

Search
 



Updates



Follow me on Twitter
 



Recently read:
Nonfiction
 


Recently read:
Fiction
 



Exploring The Last Battle’s Emeth element

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 05:38 PM ET , Monday, May 11, 2009

Permalink
Categories: Columns, Media: "Narnia: AWAKE", Books, Deep Doctrine Magic: Biblical Theology, Christian Novels



Every once in a while I catch myself having oddball thoughts about either The Chronicles of Narnia or their author, C.S. Lewis. Such notions as these come not from any logical basis, but a rather reflexive attitude toward something like the Chronicles or Lewis’s other works, including Mere Christianity and The Great Divorce, that have proven to be so awesome yet so popular:

How could anything be so awesome and yet so popular at the same time? There must be Something Wrong with it. Something about Narnia or Lewis’s nonfiction is actually un-Biblical and that’s why people like it so much. After all, Biblical things aren’t supposed to be popular.

I think that subconscious suspicion may be behind how many people react to a certain controversial portion of Lewis’s last Chronicle of Narnia, The Last Battle. This has often come up in the Narnia and Christianity section of the NarniaWeb forum (where I’m a moderator). People worry about it: Lewis’s portrayal of a young and “pagan” Calormene man who somehow finds his way into Aslan’s (the Chronicles’ Christ-figure’s) country and the heavenly New Narnia.

Just this weekend, “Rilian” (NarniaWeb’s “podcasting prince”) and I recorded an hour-long session for the site in which we discussed what I’ve come to call The Emeth Element. It was an excellent interchange; I learned a lot, and I look forward to listeners’ responses!

We began with reading excerpts from The Last Battle itself, in which the character Emeth, a young man who had earlier been showed as being fully devoted to the false god — though very real and evil entity — Tash. Calling the bluff of a deception coordinated by Narnia’s false prophet Shift, and the evil Calormene, Rishda Tarkaan, Emeth enters the mysterious Stable, slays an enemy, and finds himself not in a small dirty wooden hut, but a wondrous paradise that (somehow) Aslan has set up and which can be entered by passing through the Stable door.

Later, Emeth tells other humans — the Seven Friends of Narnia — how he encountered Aslan.

“Then I fell at [Aslan’s] feet and thought, Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honour) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him. Nevertheless, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live and not to have seen him. But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, ‘Son, thou art welcome.’ But I said, ‘Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash.’ He answered, ‘Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me. Then by reasons of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, Lord, is it then true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one? The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites, I take to me the services which thou hast done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore, if any man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath’s sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he know it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted. Dost thou understand, Child?’ I said, ‘Lord, thou knowest how much I understand.’ But I said also (for the truth constrained me), ‘Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days.’ ‘Beloved,’ said the Glorious One, ‘unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek.’

“Then he breathed upon me and took away the trembling from my limbs and caused me to stand upon my feet. And after that, he said not much, but that we should meet again, and I must go further up and further in. Then he turned him about in a storm and flurry of gold and was gone suddenly.”

Continued ...



'Narnia' finds the Fox

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 12:07 PM ET , Thursday, Jan 29, 2009

Permalink
Categories: Media: "Narnia: AWAKE", Film and DVD





From my frequent stomping grounds, NarniaWeb, as of last night:

It's official! After five agonizing weeks of waiting for news, it has been announced that Fox will co-finance The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader with Walden Media! According to Variety, “the two sides are still working out budget and script issues, but the hope is to shoot the film at the end of summer for a holiday 2010 release through the Fox Walden label.” Walden still controls the movie rights to the books.

It is also revealed that “Richard LaGravanese penned the most recent draft that both Walden and Fox were happy with, but there's a question about his availability because he has been adapting Sara Gruen's bestseller 'Water for Elephants' for Fox 2000.”

Michael Apted will still direct and Ben Barnes, Skandar Keynes, and Georgie Henley will reprise their roles. Will Poulter is also still set to play Eustace.

Interesting Fact: Fox is owned by News Corp, which also owns HarperCollins (Narnia publisher).

Variety offers a little more:

Fox 2000 will spearhead development and production matters from the Fox front. Topper Elizabeth Gabler had pursued the “Narnia” franchise but was beaten out by Walden. The Century City studio seems to be an ideal fit for the “Narnia” books given that it's been looking for a family-friendly, lit-based franchise for years — Fox 2000's “Eragon” failed to catch on with audiences and died after one installment.

[. . .]

“Caspian,” which is considered the least commercially appealing of the seven C.S. Lewis “Narnia” novels, ranked No. 10 in global box office performance last year. “Dawn Treader” is considered to be a more family film-friendly book, and the goal is to get back to the magical aspects present in the first “Narnia” pic but mostly absent from “Prince Caspian.”

The London Guardian in its story today summarizes the film's rocky preproduction, especially Disney's Dec. 24 decision to abandon the series.

Fox has lowered the sights for the project though, according to Variety, reducing the budget for the new film to $140m (£98m), considerably less than the $215m spent on previous effort Prince Caspian. Caspian's worldwide receipts of $419m was a long way down on the $745m taken by The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe in 2005 and it was considered a box-office disappointment last year. Yet, the figure was still enough to make it one of the 10 most successful films at the international box office in 2008, which may have helped Fox to come to its decision.



Christ and Him crucified: Vintage faith, violent death

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 05:20 PM ET , Thursday, Jul 31, 2008

Permalink
Categories: Columns, Media: "Narnia: AWAKE", Books, Deep Doctrine Magic: Biblical Theology, Megachurchianity



(The following is edited from two more NarniaWeb forum posts of mine: the first, my introduction to a new topic called “ASLAN: The Lion’s violent death and viewers’ views,” and the second, my own response, written later and following several replies from other members.)

Recently I’ve been reading yet another Christian book that referenced Aslan’s death in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, yet to me it wasn’t a typical example. The book was Vintage Jesus by Seattle pastor Mark Driscoll and coauthor Gerry Breshears. Its chapter was about Jesus’ brutal and bloody death on the cross, during which He suffered the wrath of God as a substitution for people’s sins.

Here I’m guessing that all of us (I’m quite sure) already know that Aslan is a representative for Christ in the land of Narnia, a “supposal” as C.S. Lewis so clearly clarified of what-if-Jesus-appeared-there-and-acted-there-similarly-to-how-He-acts-here. (If that’s in doubt for you, though, I think half the open threads in the Narnia and Christianity forum at any given time are about that topic!)

Driscoll wrote about how Aslan’s fictitious death in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (the film specifically) is often appreciated much more by “secular” film viewers, than is the real-life death of Christ on the cross that is so often either incidentally ignored or directly dismissed by those who otherwise claim Christianity. For example, in Driscoll’s Seattle church, he often “yells” at people about Christ’s death and the horror and repulsive nature of it all, to the point of one person passing out and another throwing up!

But it’s a tough truth anyway. And as Driscoll notes, it’s interesting how Christ’s sacrifice is downplayed by some Christians, yet Aslan’s death is appreciated by many non-Christians!

Here’s the excerpt, from page 118 of Vintage Jesus.

Curiously, some people in the more left-leaning side of our dysfunctional Christian family are backing away from the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement. Those in the more established liberal churches, along with their emergent offspring, are routinely decrying the concept that Jesus paid the penalty (death) for our sin in our place on the cross. They say it is too gory, too scary, too bloody, too masculine, and too violent. Furthermore, they say that in our tender little world of kindness, such teachings won’t help further the kingdom of meek and mild Jesus.

Meanwhile, non-Christians in the culture seem to have an insatiable appetite for the doctrine. The storyline of masculine sacrifice of one’s life to save others remains one of the most powerfully moving themes in pop culture. It was amazing, for example, to sit in a theater watching The Chronicles of Narnia [LWW] and observe the reaction of a largely non-Christian audience to Aslan. If you remember, Aslan is the Christ figure in the story, or the lion that represents Jesus as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” In the story, Aslan willingly and nobly lays down his life as a substitute for those he loves to save them from the rule of evil. The theater became quiet and still at the sacrifice of Aslan—even non-Christians were moved to deep sorrow and tears. Later in the story, when Aslan returns back to life as a victorious king, a heartfelt joy returned to the crowd, and some people even broke out in applause and cheers.

Why? Because deep down, even though we are sinners, we remain God’s image bearers. Like Solomon said, God has set eternity in our hearts and we cannot shake our yearning to be delivered from evil and death by a conquering hero who loves us enough to give us new life through his death.

Continued ...



C.S. Lewis on Art

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 12:32 PM ET , Saturday, Apr 12, 2008

Permalink
Categories: Deep Doctrine Magic: Life Applications, Storytelling, Media: "Narnia: AWAKE"



In a series of unsourced quotes found in a Tabletalk magazine column, from Ligonier Ministries, C.S. Lewis reminds his readers, or any readers, that with Art, is better to receive than to give — that is, to give one's own meanings. And somehow, while reading Lewis' thoughts and Ryken's paraphrasings, I began to apply the truths not only to Lewis's own fantasy stories, but the greatest true “myth” of them all: the Bible itself.

One of the most important pieces of advice Lewis gave to readers of literature is that they must receive a work of literature instead of using it. Lewis wrote, “A work of…art can be either ‘received’ or ‘used’. When we ‘receive’ it we exert our senses and imagination and various other powers according to a pattern invented by the artist. When we ‘use’ it we treat it as assistance for our own activities” (emphasis added). According to this line of thought, “The first demand any work of art makes upon us is surrender. Look. Listen. Receive. Get yourself out of the way.”

This is not to deny that we should make sense of what we read. It is instead a caution to let stories set their own agenda of concerns according to the order created by the author, not to impose our own agenda on them according to our own timetable as we progress through a story. Lewis’ rule of thumb was to let stories “tell you their own moral” and not “put one in.” The relevance of this to the Narnian stories is that the religious aspects of the stories usually do not appear until approximately halfway through the books. Many Christian readers are impatient with that and force the opening chapters into something that Lewis did not intend.

The second warning that Lewis gave is not to reduce works of literature to a set of ideas. He claimed that “one of the prime achievements in every good fiction has nothing to do with truth or philosophy…at all.” To regard a story as “primarily a vehicle for…philosophy is an outrage to the thing the poet has made for us.” Works of literature “are complex and carefully made objects. Attention to the very objects they are is our first step.” This, too, should steer us away from how many Christian readers deal with The Chronicles of Narnia.

— from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Imagination of C.S. Lewis by Leland Ryken, Tabletalk Magazine, January 2008



Breaking through un-Biblical beliefs of God's 'eternal insecurity' system

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 01:12 PM ET , Tuesday, Mar 11, 2008

Permalink
Categories: Columns, Media: "Narnia: AWAKE", Deep Doctrine Magic: Biblical Theology, Cross Firings



(The following is excerpted from yet another lengthy NarniaWeb contribution of mine, this time in a topic focusing on Susan’s “falling away” from belief in Narnia, as described at the end of C.S. Lewis’s The Last Battle.)

Here are my relatively brief thoughts on the theological issue — for now — actually consisting mostly of quotes, because this issue has arisen before on NarniaWeb, mostly in the Christianity, Religion and Philosophy III discussion.

A lot of the Scripture citations above are not from the New Testament and the New Covenant, about how for example we could be truly redeemed in Christ and then by some reason or other “fall away” from Him, based on the idea that because we had the free will to choose Him, we also always have the free will to change our minds. As I expected, I read here the oft-unspoken if/then assumption: that if Christians believe something akin to “eternal security,” then they are on dangerous doctrinal ground, and will almost certainly use that idea to justify sinful lifestyles instead of hanging onto their salvations for dear life, lest they backslide or lose it.

At the core of this, it seems, is a paradoxical “optimistic pessimism” — first, that as decarus said, “people who have prayed that prayer, who seem to be in all sincerity, who even seem to do the work of God” are truly saved by these actions, but second, that God is not nearly powerful enough to keep a truly saved person truly saved.

To this I would briefly ask, Who’s the star of the salvation “show,” then: man or God?

Continued ...



On Truth, the trivial and theology

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 12:38 PM ET , Monday, Feb 11, 2008

Permalink
Categories: Columns, Media: "Narnia: AWAKE", Rebuttals, Deep Doctrine Magic: Churchianity, Cross Firings, Gnosticism, Storytelling



(Here, after a too-long absence of FaithFusion contributions, is my elsewhere-posted rebuttal to an old acquaintance who has recently resurfaced on the NarniaWeb forum, claiming among other things that we can find alternate “gospels” in other places and that Christians’ presentations of the guilt-and-sin-and-God’s-wrath message are inherently self-righteous.)

Welcome back, BenAdam — I haven’t seen you on the forums for a while. In fact, most haven’t seen me on the forums for a while, either.

Hereby I heartily express my gratitude for your inspiring at least this return of mine, then. As WiseWoman said, we haven’t had a more-intense discussion in Narnia and Christianity for a while.

You may not recall, but you and I have “tangled” before in late 2005. That exchange, particularly about the true natures and definitions of sin, rebellion and God’s love, ranks among the most interesting in which I’ve been involved.

It seems, though, that you not only got busy after that, but also that your mind was not changed any. Since then, though, at least one thing has changed with me: I have found time to read all seven Harry Potter novels and have enjoyed them immensely — though I cannot find all that supposed Christian symbolism in there, save perhaps for the battle-between-good-and-evil generality which always reflects the true Battle. But, that doesn’t mean I cannot enjoy terrific writing and plot formation: a story certainly does not have to be a direct Christian allegory to be appreciated (unlike some Christians will, perhaps unknowingly, contend).

Now, to your great surprise I’m sure, I have a few objections to what you’ve submitted above.

Continued ...



Fear this

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 10:00 AM ET , Monday, Jul 03, 2006

Permalink
Categories: Media: "Narnia: AWAKE", Books, Deep Doctrine Magic: Life Applications

The Last Battle Recommended
The Last Battle
by C. S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes


More from the drawing-to-a-close Last Battle Reading Group on NarniaWeb, posted yesterday:

Mountains sink … waters rise … stars rain down from the heavens … all brought about by the blow of a horn — note, again, the perhaps-incidental parallel to Biblical end-times prophesies.

It seems Narnia is really at its end.

And perhaps most intriguing is a description of an almost-Judgment:

C.S. Lewis wrote:

The creatures came rushing on their eyes brighter and brighter as they drew nearer and nearer to the standing Stars. But as they came right up to Aslan one or two things happened to each of them. They all looked straight in his face, I don’t think they had any choice about that. And when come looked, the expression of their faces changed terribly — it was fear and hatred [. . .] But the others looked in the face of Aslan and loved him, though some of them were very frightened at the same time.

Again, here is one of those single Narnia paragraphs that, were true justice to exist in the world, would deserve a 20-page thesis on only the love-and-fear part.

Can one love and fear at the same time? What happened to the fearful, hateful creatures?


And my follow-up from today:

Recall that Scripture often talks about “the fear of the Lord” in a sense that actually gives Him due honor. John Piper [. . .] explains the meaning further in Desiring God.

[B]ecause we are sinners, there is in our reverence [during worship] a holy dread of God's righteous power. “The LORD of hosts, him shall you regard as holy. Let him be your fear, and let him be your dread” (Isaiah 8:13 [ESV]). “I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you” (Psalm 5:7).

But this dread is not a paralyzing fright full of resentment against God's absolute authority. It finds release in brokenness and contrition and grief for our ungodliness: “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). “Thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite” (Isaiah 57:15).

John Piper, Desiring God (2003), p. 86 (emphasis added)



Surprised by Lewis's joyful Christianity?

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 09:11 AM ET , Wednesday, Jun 14, 2006

Permalink
Categories: Deep Doctrine Magic: Cross Firings, Media: "Narnia: AWAKE"

The Chronicles of Narnia Recommended
The Chronicles of Narnia
by C.S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes


More from the ongoing NarniaWeb discussion “Narnia and Christianity? Huh?” started by a new member who seems to oppose Christ-honoring fantasy literature altogether.

This next from Coracle, NarniaWeb moddess who repeats her previous points about Lewis advocating a faith of joy, wonder, and dare I say “magic”:

You said that you don't support C.S.Lewis's Narnia books because they use Magic, which we have already explained as Lewis's fairytale version of miracles, written in the fairytale genre to help bring children into the truth and joy of knowing Jesus Christ as their Saviour, Lord and friend. Christianity is a faith of joy, excitement and wonder,.... not of rules, forbidding, and antique language. Even in 1940, children needed to know that it was relevant to their lives.

You have levelled some strong accusations such as saying that Aslan was an evil, satanic character because he did “magic”.
This is ironically similar to the way some people treated Jesus in the gospels.

Can you suggest how children might be attracted to find Jesus in churches full of old grey carvings, cold hard benches, 19th century music, hushes voices, someone insisting that they must love and respect God, and lots of (man-made) rules that ban their having any fun? Lewis said it was as if a couple of dragons were guarding the entrance to heaven and Christian faith, and he wanted to help children sneak past those “watchful dragons”.

May God bring joy, light, and wonder to all who need to get past them. May the love, truth and freedom in Christ be ours, as we grow in His grace and the indwelling Holy Spirit.



Does 'Narnia' endorse un-Biblical witchcraft?

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 03:13 PM ET , Sunday, Jun 11, 2006

Permalink
Categories: Columns, Media: "Narnia: AWAKE", Deep Doctrine Magic: Cross Firings, Life Applications

The Chronicles of Narnia Recommended
The Chronicles of Narnia
by C.S. Lewis, Pauline Baynes


A new member on the NarniaWeb discussion forum has some objections to finding Christian symbolism in the famous Chronicles.

I am sorry, but I don't see anything Christian about Narnia. A lot of people say that their is an allegory in Narnia, when Aslan gives his life to save Edmund. I'm a Christian, and I love seeing Christian references in movies, but how in the world are you supposed to represent Christ with a wizard? The bible says that wizards are evil, and I'm 100% sure you can't make an allegory when it praises something evil.
Personally, I enjoy the movie, but I can't sugar coat it and call it Christian.


Here is my response, adding to the several great rebuttals already written by other members:

Interestingly, one's perspective on this issue is directly rooted in how one views the nature of God and His role in creativity that honors Him — or otherwise.

Is God sovereign over everything? Or are certain things invariably “secular,” over which He has little to do?

Christ-following authors, such as Lewis and Tolkien, have created parallel worlds based on supposals, not allegory. Lewis himself only sought to create a story at first, based on images in his mind since his youth. Then, “Aslan came bounding in,” as the famous quote goes, and he began to wonder, If there was a world like that, how might God interact with it?

Would you have preferred Lewis to write a story that does not involve God to any capacity — such as a fairytale akin to Cinderella or Peter Pan, in which God never even makes a cameo appearance? Or might it be better to honor the Creator in even fantasy stories such as Narnia or Lord of the Rings as preeminently involved in these imaginary aspects of His creation? even though it is only a story?



As for magic, as [NarniaWeb member] The Black Glove said, you may want to familiarize yourself with the rest of the Chronicles. It is easy to confuse the “magic” of Narnia and Lord of the Rings with the mysticism derivative from New Age and Wicca-like belief systems and such. Many articles on the internet and in Christ-honoring periodicals outline the profound differences.

“Magic” in Narnia is not a general force that can be harnessed by its practitioners for any purpose. It is power to work certain acts, controlled only by Aslan, and made accessible in certain “cheaper” forms to some of Narnia's creatures. Villains, such as the White Witch, also practice perversions of this power — just as Satan is able to work “signs and wonders” through his allies, human and otherwise.

“Magic” in Narnia is akin to our real-life laws: gravity, energy, movement. It has nothing to do with our Earthen prohibitions against consulting demons or the occult.



Again, I strongly suggest you consider the rest of the Chronicles before rendering this judgment of them as upholding evil in some form.

Also, perhaps you may wish to re-evaluate your regard of the Devil as being this powerful. Though he is indeed the most dangerous force on Earth, and a highly intelligent trickster of humanity, he is not so mystically powerful. Seen through Heaven's eyes, he is pathetically predictable.

If your assertions, however, are true about this series weakening Christendom's mandated avoidance of the Devil's influence, you would see dozens, perhaps hundreds of Christians familiar with Lewis and the Chronicles driven to study witchcraft, soothsaying and the like.

Can you produce an example?

Likely not.

Instead, these readers, myself among them, are frequently driven toward further love for their Creator/Savior, and often even deeper understand of his attributes. The spiritual fruit of Lewis's subcreations is sweet.



A glimpse into the wondrous 'Wardrobe': redux

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 10:50 AM ET , Wednesday, Apr 05, 2006

Permalink
Categories: Columns, Media: "Narnia: AWAKE", Film and DVD



As of yesterday, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe two-disc special edition DVD is now within my house. What follows is a reprise of my review, originally written for NarniaWeb.com:


A glimpse inside the wondrous ‘Wardrobe’

Much was not as I expected. Much was. And much exceeded my expectations, and yes, even the splendor of the book.

I had been enraptured.

Banish most preconceptions you may have formed. Not even the two trailers are reliable; many of their scenes have been cut or reworked. These disrupt, only briefly, the suspension of disbelief — “verisimilitude” — that you will have as you first behold this masterpiece.

Also slightly disrupting is the final “Easter egg” scene that you’ll not risk missing, unless you leave the theater within 15 seconds as the credits begin to roll. I’m sure the credits should begin only when the film was truly finished.

Perhaps most bothersome, though, were the duo of too-modern songs during the credits; you will not miss much by leaving before they begin.

Yet who can describe the wonder, the splendor, the majesty? Everyone is perfectly cast; the glory of Narnia, both in bleak winter and in lush landscapes bursting with color, shines over them all. Creatures are pictured wonderfully. Small touches will surprise or stun you: Lucy’s footwear choice; Father Christmas; the stone lioness and its facial features; the heartbreaking, midflight fate of a stone Griffin; the brief appearances by Dryads; a Talking Horse, the blossoming of trees.

Later you may contemplate other small touches you had expected — perhaps cut for time, but maybe effects concerns also. More of Giant Rumblebuffin? Susan dancing with the restored Fox? And when exactly did the White Witch, her slave and her prisoner abandon the mud-mired sleigh and reindeer?

Expect not the epic sweep or lingering visuals of Lord of the Rings. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe moves more quickly. Just when you are ready to take in a wondrous camera view, its angle will change. Will the producers release an extended edition DVD, with integrated scenes? I believe children in particular — for whom, I must keep reminding myself, the film must also be geared — have greater attention spans than is given credit.

Aslan is exactly as portrayed in the book — no more, no less, it seems. He is very real and very much the wild/tame seeming paradox, although we do see more of his “tame” side than wild. He is gentle, he is comforting; he knows the children’s names and even where they are from. And yes, those yearning for the symbolism behind his death and resurrection will find not only such messages translated directly into film, but actually enhanced.

Is Aslan too small in the film? I am unsure. Recall that as the Great Lion once told Lucy, the older you become, the bigger he seems to you. Older viewers may have wished Aslan was indeed the size of an elephant, or at least as big as the rhinoceros in his army. But upon retrospect, his size is probably just right, and certainly appropriate given the medium of film and the necessity of having him interact with the children while literally being on their level.

I was anticipating a central music “theme” for Aslan, much like that of the divine theme by Prince of Egypt composer Hans Zimmer. Yet composer comrade Harry Greggson-Williams has indeed woven a wondrous mixture orchestral sweeps, vocals and meaning-imbued cues for the film, although no theme leaped out to me upon first viewing. My guess is the soundtrack disc itself, along with repeated viewings, will further reveal to me any musical themes; yet I recall no such moments as occurred in Lord of the Rings when all action or interaction would lapse and let the camera pull back, permitting the landscape and the music to star momentarily.

Music wonderful, visuals superb, acting grand, characterization and plotting, well done. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe will be a classic.

Close your eyes at midnight, or Friday evening, or whenever it is you first experience it. Let the darkness close around you as the music begins, relax and inhale deeply as you hear the voice of Aslan whisper in your mind, “Narnia ... AWAKE!"



‘Beyond Narnia’ opens visual door to Lewis

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 07:50 PM ET , Monday, Mar 20, 2006

Permalink
Categories: Columns, Media: "Narnia: AWAKE", Film and DVD



An exclusive advance review custom-written for NarniaWeb:


‘Beyond Narnia’ opens visual door to Lewis

Like the Narnia series itself, C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia, releasing to U.S. DVD on March 28, works wonderfully on two levels. First, for those unacquainted with the Oxford scholar and author of numerous Christ-honoring books, the 54-minute mini-movie is an excellent introduction to the man behind the mythologies — the myths of Narnia and of himself.

Meanwhile, for those already familiar with Lewis from his own works, and dozens of books about him and his writings, it’s an excellent summary of his life, including multiple references to his story’s most famous dialogues and supporting cast. Nearly everything Lewis devotees might expect to find is included and brought to visual life in the framework of drama.

Lewis himself is portrayed by an excellent actor, who narrates the autobiography using numerous quotes from Lewis’s own books and stories.

Only the specifics of Mrs. Moore and Lewis’s newfound reasons for faith seems slightly over-compressed in the retelling. Mrs. Moore seems merely a bothersome presence who at first seems to want to serve Lewis too much — Lewis’s stepson Douglas Gresham recalls it was much worse. She and her daughter Maureen later vanish from the story without explanation.

Also, Lewis, while frequently questioning how God could allow Evil, never quite arrives to the true-life Lewis’s realization that “badness” can only exist if there truly is a God Who defines things as Evil. Later, of course, Lewis does come to faith in God, but the drama “accelerates” past the “motorcycle conversion,” specifically to Jesus Christ, that the real Lewis described.

However, most famous dialogues and scenes are reenacted nearly verbatim: the young Lewis’s first experience of joy when looking at his brother’s toy garden, the “wilder” definition debate with Prof. William T. Kirkpatrick, and the “true myths” discussion on the leafy road with J.R.R. Tolkien.

Joy Gresham and her famous relationship with Lewis comprise the drama’s latter half, and the actor portraying Joy reminded me of Margot Kidder (Lois Lane from the first Superman movies) — certainly enough to liven Lewis and his brother’s home at the Kilns. Their friendship and eventual marriage is appropriately bittersweet. Lewis quotes A Grief Observed while narrating her cancer and death.

Other actors are well-cast and bring to life more famous figures. Friendly Prof. Tolkien vigorously criticizes Lewis for mixing mythologies in Wardrobe. Lewis’s brother Warnie is good-humored and likeable. And Narnia fans may note that Prof. Kirkpatrick seems appropriately similar to Jim Broadbent’s portrayal of Prof. Kirke in the Wardrobe film version.

Narnia, though, despite the cover art, is not the focus of the story. But because the drama focuses on Lewis, viewers are unavoidably given seeming hints of the Chronicles simply because his life inspired much of them. In particular, watching a young Jack creeping about an old attic, or grieving the loss of his mother, evokes images of The Magician’s Nephew.

Meanwhile, images of Aslan abound throughout. Watch for just one reference on young Jack’s bedroom wall, when his mother leaves the room. Jack had said his prayers to “Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,” when the camera reveals the miniature figure on his wall — perhaps subtly suggesting that the Biblical Christ and the Great Lion that He inspired are actually not at all “mild” or tame. Watch for more Lions here and there, including a maquette version on Lewis’s desk that seems in mid-leap toward a cross.

Much like Aslan in Narnia, then, by learning more of Lewis’s life here, we can often find we know his imagined worlds better there. Beyond Narnia, while by no means exhaustive, is a superb beginning.



Aslan breathes upon the statues

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 09:43 AM ET , Tuesday, Jan 31, 2006

Permalink
Categories: Media: "Narnia: AWAKE"



Add “Nominated for Three Academy Awards™ *” to all those The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe DVDs rolling out on April 4. From NarniaWeb:

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe has received three Academy Award nominations!

Achievement in Makeup
Achievement in Sound Mixing
Achievement in Visual Effects

See the full list of nominees here.

The film has already been nominated for awards in similar categories from the Visual Effects Society, the Motion Picture Sound Editors group, and the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. The Academy Award winners will be announced at the ceremony on March the 5th.



The Dark Knight received his due for Best Cinematography and — Best Cinematography.

Otherwise, Brokeback Mountain got everything. Pathetically predictable.

I predict Narnia actually wins something in one of the blander categories such as Achievement in Makeup; it's only up against Cinderella Man and Episode III. Visual effects mammoths King Kong and War Between the Worlds were also nominated in the Best Visual Effects category and they'll likely beat Narnia — whose visual effects could have been improved somewhat. I suggest Narnia could also get Achievement in Sound Mixing.



Sounds, whispers in the darkened theater

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 12:21 PM ET , Wednesday, Jan 18, 2006

Permalink
Categories: Media: "Narnia: AWAKE", Local News



Posted on NarniaWeb:

Third time is the charm, and for those of you who found it difficult to appreciate the film the first viewing, take note of that! It gets even better.

I beheld the Glorious Viewing Saturday night, American EDT.

As some reviewers have noted, children tend to stay very quiet during the showing of the film. They are captivated and the usual chatter, boredom and lapse of attention spans seem not to apply during LWW.

The third time, I noticed a few more interruptions, most of them tolerable.

A plague and pestilence, however, on them that hath not knowledge nor tact, and not only allow their cell phones to chirp and scream-warble during the moments of greatest on-screen splendor, but actually answer them and start talking.

How about you?



A few of mine:

Husband to wife, when Lucy glides into Narnia: This was one of my favorite books as a kid.

Daughter to mother, when Susan and Lucy enter the thawing courtyard and see Tumnus: But where's the Lion? Mommy, where's the Lion?

Woman to friend, when the White Witch is first seen: Oh, I just love her dress.



‘Narnia’ awakens in musical magic

Avatar by Dr Ransom at 10:30 AM ET , Friday, Jan 13, 2006

Permalink
Categories: Media: "Narnia: AWAKE", Music



Somewhere out there, in either the unwritten or videotaped annals of behind-the-scenes information-dom, is the anecdote of how Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson sort of initially rejected composer Howard Shore’s original theme for the realm of Rohan.

According to Shore — or was it Jackson? — the first version of the theme was good, it just wasn’t “hummable,” Jackson said.

Shore went back to the orchestration board and came up with the present theme, which immediately got stuck in Jackson’s head and was thus declared quite “hummable.” The theme for Gondor from the film trilogy is only somewhat less hummable — more catchy of all is the Fellowship theme, which within four years of the Fellowship of the Ring film’s and score’s release has become very popular, with its own renditions on other albums.

All that to say, the theme for The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, by composer Harry Gregson-Williams (Shrek 2), isn’t very hummable. I could barely remember a few notes from it, after seeing the film once and listening to the score.

Yet it’s beautiful. It’s melancholy. It’s enchanting and magical and imbued with a sense of wonder.

Ergo, it’s much like the film, I’m sure, although it took a second and third listen of the score for its full effect to sink in.

Upon retrospective reflection, the score is exactly as I’d hoped: it does not sound like Lord of the Rings or even Shrek 2. Well, maybe a little of each in some places. But Gregson-Williams hasn’t disappointed, and has woven into the score creativity and wonder, themes and schemes all his own.

The score follows not a format of themes people, places or occasional abstracts, as does Lord of the Rings. Instead, it is patterned to the story concept itself. And for a less-epic film than LotR, it certainly works.

Often while listening, one can certainly imagine the film, or one’s own visualization of the world of Narnia, and the feeling of indoor shoes stepping into that cold, sparkling snow for the first time.

Continued ...