The Republic of Heaven

Source: BBC Entertainment News RSS
Sunday, 16 October 2005, 17:56 GMT 18:56 UK

Author Philip Pullman has attacked plans to turn The Chronicles of Narnia into a movie series, calling CS Lewis' books "racist" and "misogynistic". The first film in the series - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - is due to be released in December. His Dark Materials author Pullman said the 1950s stories were "reactionary".

"If the Disney corporation wants to market this film as a great Christian story, they'll just have to tell lies about it," he told The Observer.

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is the second and best-known novel in the seven-part Narnia book series. The £62m movie version is expected to be the first of five films, following the success of The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy and ongoing Harry Potter film adaptations.

Evangelical Christian groups in the US have backed the movie, seeing parallels between CS Lewis' tales and Bible stories. But Pullman said the Narnia books contained "a peevish blend of racist, misogynistic and reactionary prejudice" and "not a trace" of Christian charity.

"It's not the presence of Christian doctrine I object to so much as the absence of Christian virtue," he added. "The highest virtue - we have on the authority of the New Testament itself - is love, and yet you find not a trace of that in the books."

Pullman's acclaimed His Dark Materials trilogy tells of a battle against the church and a fight to overthrow God. Attacked by some Christian teachers and Catholic press as blasphemous, Pullman's trilogy is also being made into a series of movies.

But is the point about the Disnification of the series, and Mr Gresham's money-grabbing, is that the stories have been watered down beyond belief? What is there left for PP to be offended by?

I read an article in Total Film about this; when the director was asked about the Christian horribleness of the books, he answered something to the effect of: " I just wanted to adapt the books. If the Christian message is in the books, then it'll be in the film, but it wasn't the idea to make a film based on that message."

He definitely didn't give any indication that he wanted it to be a great Christian story.

As much as I dislike the books, I'll probably go see the movie just to see whether it's adapted well. I have to admit that the trailor looked pretty cool.

i thought the trailer looked ok, though its been like, *counts*.... maybe about 10 years since I read them..... and I thought they were ok at the time, I think... but I have no interest in them or the movie at all now.

It's funny, but when I first read the books I loved them, yet the older I get, the less appeal they have for me.

Pullman seems to have gone a little overboard here... I mean, does he really think the film will include racism, misogynism and all that? They can't put it in; it wouldn't be politically correct.

I dunno, I assumed he was just angry because a film was being made of a book he hates...

I was extremely offended when I read his statements. Although I respect his opinions, I completely disagree. I feel that he is trying to publicize his own books by attacking another. I thought that this statement was the most unlogical:
"...and "not a trace" of Christian charity...It's not the presence of Christian doctrine I object to so much as the absence of Christian virtue" [

Honestly, the entire series was written as a Christian supposal. If he can't find the biblical symbolism within the series...he must be blind. And isn't Pullman himself and atheist? If he's an atheist, than how would he be an expert on Christianity?

I don't mean to offend anyone, but I honestly feel that what Pullman said about The Chronicles of Narnia was uncalled for.

SilverChair wrote:And isn't Pullman himself and atheist? If he's an atheist, than how would he be an expert on Christianity?

he was raised in the anglican church...

btw, if you're interested in his shpeel on narnia, i think there are a few articles on the guardian and elsewhere where he elaborates on his criticisms. just run a search on the main bridgetothestars site.

Thanks for the information. I'd like to find out more about his statements, and why he dislikes The Chronicles of Narnia in such a way.

Honestly, the entire series was written as a Christian supposal. If he can't find the biblical symbolism within the series...he must be blind. And isn't Pullman himself and atheist? If he's an atheist, than how would he be an expert on Christianity?

I think you've rather missed the point, Silverchair: PP realises that the books are a Christian allergory, but dislike's Lewis's application of the doctrine to his story, apparently finding all of the vices and none of the virtues of the religion within. And that this is promoted as a good moral message.

I always liked the Narnia books. I like Lewis's sense of humour, like the line in The Horse and His Boy about the main characters 'continuing bickering. In the end they got married so they could bicker more conveniantly'. I'm looking forward to seeing Narnia, which should be at least eight times better than the doubtless slightly insipid new Harry Potter film.

I've been thinking about this some more, and his comments do seem very OTT. I could understand it with the books, where they were deliberately made to include Christian messages and stuff, but the movie's being made purely for the story. Its hijacking by evangelical groups, on the other hand...

Kyrillion wrote:I'm looking forward to seeing Narnia, which should be at least eight times better than the doubtless slightly insipid new Harry Potter film.

But Harry Potter will have better jars.

Kyrillion wrote:I think you've rather missed the point, Silverchair: PP realises that the books are a Christian allergory, but dislike's Lewis's application of the doctrine to his story, apparently finding all of the vices and none of the virtues of the religion within. And that this is promoted as a good moral message.

Well, they're actually not an allegory, they're a supposal.

Hmm, I've always found them pretty directly allergoical but that's just my opinion.

For some reason, looking back on the book, I agreed with Kate, that they were an adventure story.
But what I couldn't get was the fact that it didn't accept people made mistakes.
Maybe the film will just tell the story, and that would be good.

Just like they should do with the HDM movie and ignore all this bumf about bloody religious messages and stuff.

At the moment I'm more concerned about the look of LWW. From the stills I've seen so far, it's very lacking in magic.

Ceres wrote:At the moment I'm more concerned about the look of LWW. From the stills I've seen so far, it's very lacking in magic.

Aw, I think it looks really good! Have you seen the trailer? Aslan looks amazing, a pretty life-like creation. If the films just concentrate on the plot, the Christian message can take a back seat, relatively speaking. I'm happy that this film has been made, if it's good and the filmmakers didn't have an agenda (I mean, making it into Christian propaganda). I think in the same way, the makers of HDM shouldn't have an anti-religious agenda (not that I think they will); the plot comes first, and if viewers happen to interpret it in a certain way so they get a particular message... well, that's that.

I did notice the White witch being pulled around by polar bears which has a positive and negative side

1. How dare they rip off polar bears! That's so iconic of NL. I'm pretty sure in the book the WW's coach was drawn by white ponies or horses.

2. They appear to be able to animate polar bears quite convincingly...

Kyrillion wrote:
1. How dare they rip off polar bears! That's so iconic of NL. I'm pretty sure in the book the WW's coach was drawn by white ponies or horses.

It's reindeer in the book. I haven't seen these polar bears, but if they are just speechless animals as I think the reindeer were then I don't see a problem. If, however, they are talking/self-conscious bears who actually take part in fighting, then they certainly are encroaching on Iorek's crew.