Yesterday I saw The Golden Compass in theaters. I always try to make sure I’ve read the book before I see the corresponding movie. Usually, I read the book immediately before I go to the movie, but in this case I didn’t get a chance. I had, however, finished the book about three years ago, and I remember having enjoyed it. The movie evoked a lot of the same feelings that the book gave me, and because of this, at least, I enjoyed it a lot. Although the story is certainly fantastic, with witches and magic and grand adventures, it is also quite technological, with an interesting steampunk feel that I thought was quite awesome. The movie definitely relayed the steampunk feeling, but I also felt that the movie tried too hard to be similar to other fantasy films, like the recent Narnia, Beowulf, Arthur, or Lord of the Rings movies. (Trying to be similar to the Lord of the Rings movies is, in my opinion, a huge mistake. There’s not much that can be done to surpass their excellence.)
According to a New Yorker interview, Philip Pullman (the author) intended the story to be a “secular answer” C.S. Lewis’s Narnia fable, which was intended to be a novel of Christian allegory. Although the story frames the Church in the story, the “Magisterium,” as the the evil, controlling power in this story, Pullman seems to do very little to refute or disrupt religious thought. Aside from being described as a “church,” the Magisterium does not at all seem to be a spiritual body, but acts more similarly to a corrupt government.
I have only two complaints about this movie. The first, I have already stated: the movie tried too hard to be similar to other recent fantasy films. My second complaint is that it did not follow the story in the novel closely enough. In fact, in order to make the movie shorter, it seemed like the main character, Lyra, made two or three seemingly random leaps of judgement in order for the story to continue. For example, when she discovers the identity of her mother, she instantly jumps to the conclusion that a completely different, unrelated character is her father. Non-sequiturs like this detracted from the overall quality of the movie.
If you plan on watching this movie, I only recommend, as I always would, that you first read the book.
Hello Max, yup, I got almost same opinion. Same as you, I’ve watched it after readed the original book(Northern Lights), and indeed dissapointed, to tell the truth. They have changed and cuts alot of parts, which is for me, had ruined the story itself… It was….. OK… not good, not bad… I don’t understand why the majority of the viewer thought it was wonderful… maybe they see it from the different angle with me…
Anyway, good luck for your blogging!