M: Favorite scenes/moments/details

[Mockingbird]

We may never see a sequel to The Golden Compass, and it may not be the best of adaptations, but I see no reason why we shouldn't enjoy the fan perk of obsessively discussing the moments that are good.

Here are some small moments that I enjoyed:

-When Lyra was running madly to get out of Bolvangar, and she switched gears and decided to destroy the cutting machine first, Dakota gave the slightest most mulish jerk of the head, which was the essence of Lyra, and I absolutely loved her for it. And the look on her face after she destroyed it. She really is a gem, I'm sad we may not see more of her Lyra. In fact, I think I like the character of Lyra better because of Dakota, I was never actually a big fan of Lyra's.

-The look on Serafina Pekkala's face at the end of her (sadly) one speech, when she said 'I'm glad I've lived long enough to see you, child.' Eva struck me as conveying all the joys and sorrows of someone who really has lived hundreds of years at the moment when she said 'child.' (Better than Liv Tyler anyway.)

-The little scene where Lyra was blathering on to Iorek in a most Lyra-like way about her father, it was a great character moment and it also gave insight into their relationship, without being heavy-handed or blatant. When she ended her speech with 'That's what I think,' I remembered how much Lyra says that in the book.

[Somewhat]

-The little scene where Lyra was blathering on to Iorek in a most Lyra-like way about her father, it was a great character moment and it also gave insight into their relationship, without being heavy-handed or blatant. When she ended her speech with 'That's what I think,' I remembered how much Lyra says that in the book.

My favourite scene in the entire movie. I thought it was so sweet and wonderful. I wish to point out, by the way, that it was one of about... two scenes in the movie which do nothing for plot advancement, but which are just really really good and give the movie a feel that it's, after all, a story, not a speedy way to get to money-money-money-making TSK or whatever. TGC needed more of them.

[daemon_light]

Oh my God... I loved all the scenes you said for the same reasons. I loved the destroying of the cutting machine not only for that, but I just loved how she threw the box in it and it the charge got screwed up, I just thought it was really... I don't know, just cool and made you cheer inside.

I loved the shock and suddeness of the ripping off of Iofur's jaw... I loved Iofur screaming at Iorek also, thought that worked really well.

I absolutely thought Dakota did a fantastic job of pulling off an amazing Nicole Kidman smile when she was tricking Iofur... it was absolutely brilliant. She could seriously believably be her daughter! I loved that scene a lot... Iofur was really well done.

I loved Farder Coram and his daemon... I wanted to pet it soooo bad. Farder Coram was really well depicted (and generally so was everyone else...)

They did a fantastic job at the end when Serafina was talking to Lee about the prophecy without making it sound cheesy... I really would like to see Eva Green more in the extended cut. I thought she was fabulous!

The last scene would have been great if it hadn't been the last scene... if you know what I mean. It had too many "cheesy" lines for it to be the final scene. I really firmly believed they should have ended the movie with the Polar Bear fight... just because it would have been a more powerful ending. I definantly understand why the last chapters were cut for the second film... The film would have felt like it would have dragged.
But anyway, what I DID like about the last scene was a few of Lyra's expressions... very mature and they expressed alot. Kudos to Dakota for doing so much without even having to say anything!

I thought that the incision scene was also very tense and powerful... It was so great when Nicole Kidman rushed in. Just very, very real and well shot.

Oh! And do you guys REALLY think it is THAT unlikely for Subtle Knife to be made? I'm staying positive. I think they can do it!

[BenMech]

good selections!

As for follow ups? It would be financially unwise right now to expect anything

[namster]

Well Monkingbird, as you promised on IMDb, you brought the thread to BridgetotheStars!

- An astute poster on IMDb beat me to it: when Lyra is abducted, you hear her muffled scream from the top of her lungs, "IOREK BYRNISON, HELP ME!!!!!" I didn't notice it until maybe the third screening, but it's absolutely breathtaking. It makes me feel water in my eyes. Dakota Blue Richards is such a wonderful Lyra, I don't care what her detractors say... Another line that you may have missed: Lyra cries, "Pan, don't leave me..." as the anbaric guillotine is almost fully lowered. I missed it the first few times because of all the noise, but it's a touching line and it's well delivered.

- Iorek's doll of Mrs Coulter (I'm far from the first to mention it)

- The fact that all of the winter costumes are well-suited for cold weather. For instance, most characters wear a combination of hat and hood, and even Asriel's goggles are furry. A lot of Hollywood productions underestimate the climate in the North and, as a Canadian, I was really satisfied to see someone take it seriously for once.

[Gabe]

I think I'll have to see the film a third time to really start picking out things I liked (the second time I saw it was right before finals, so I was somewhat tired and distracted). However, I still love the first part of the scene where Lyra finds Billy. I'll try not to go into how it fell apart at the end since this thread's about favorite parts...before it fell apart the scene is simply awesome. The atmosphere is chilling, and it gives you a shudder knowing what Lyra is about to discover.

[green ink]

-The little scene where Lyra was blathering on to Iorek in a most Lyra-like way about her father, it was a great character moment and it also gave insight into their relationship, without being heavy-handed or blatant. When she ended her speech with 'That's what I think,' I remembered how much Lyra says that in the book.

That was a lovely moment in he film, if only for the fact that you could just sit back and enjoy it for what it was. And it was one of the few moments where the characters were just that; characters, not just plot elements.

Since this topic has been copied from Imdb, I see no reason why I shouldn't use my post from there here as well.

Let's see;
I liked the detail that went into a lot of the design.
Like the gyptian barge really being a barge from the Netherlands.
And the boat they're using to go north being called Noorderlicht, which is dutch for the Northern lights.

The Golden Monkey petting Pantalaiman so furiously under the table. On the one hand it showed how happy Mrs Coulter was at seeing Lyra, but on the other it also wonderfully foreshadowed how she would dominate her.

The plants in Mrs Coulter's room in Bolvangar. They were flesh eating plants in these bell jars. I liked that in a way you could see them as a symbol for mrs Coulter herself, these alluring but dangerous plants, but also because they were so fantastically impractical. Which is typical of both Lyra's world and the stupidity of these people at Bolvangar.

The photogram of the tropical beach on the wall in the canteen in Bolvangar. Nice to see such a detail from the book make it into the film.

The ropes and clamps the Tartars had to pin Iorek down, it seemed like a believable provision you have in a world with armoured bears.

I also loved the train raging over that bridge when Lyra wanders the streets at night in London. It seems inconsequential, but it added so much to the mood in that scene.

- The fact that all of the winter costumes are well-suited for cold weather. For instance, most characters wear a combination of hat and hood, and even Asriel's goggles are furry. A lot of Hollywood productions underestimate the climate in the North and, as a Canadian, I was really satisfied to see someone take it seriously for once.

Except that in some instances they completely didn't. Mrs Coulter's cape seemed far too breezy. And Lyra just wore some knitted stockings under her skirt. It seemed alright for a nice winter in England, but not exactly what you would wear comfortably in the arctic.

[furbaby]

When Pan said "But it's cold in the North", and promptly turned into an ermine.

(Except when they went there, he was a polecat. )

[Mockingbird]

-The little scene where Lyra was blathering on to Iorek in a most Lyra-like way about her father, it was a great character moment and it also gave insight into their relationship, without being heavy-handed or blatant. When she ended her speech with 'That's what I think,' I remembered how much Lyra says that in the book.

My favourite scene in the entire movie. I thought it was so sweet and wonderful. I wish to point out, by the way, that it was one of about... two scenes in the movie which do nothing for plot advancement, but which are just really really good and give the movie a feel that it's, after all, a story, not a speedy way to get to money-money-money-making TSK or whatever. TGC needed more of them.

Er, what was the other? Off-topic, but I think that the best that can happen with these type of adaptations with built-in fan bases is if they can deepen your appreciation for the source material. The LoTR movies do that for me. Tolkien’s characterization and prose style aren’t the best, and I see the movies as colored companion guides that help me relate to the world and the people in it in a way that his literary style doesn’t allow. With this adaptation, Dakota’s portrayal of Lyra is the only aspect that does that. Casting her in the lead role is the best decision they made.

Since this topic has been copied from Imdb, I see no reason why I shouldn't use my post from there here as well.

I thought you would. Hello, namster, who are you on IMDb?

The plants in Mrs Coulter's room in Bolvangar. They were flesh eating plants in these bell jars. I liked that in a way you could see them as a symbol for mrs Coulter herself, these alluring but dangerous plants, but also because they were so fantastically impractical.

I loved that detail when you mentioned it because I didn’t notice it at all.

[silverfrost]

Oh my God... I loved all the scenes you said for the same reasons. I loved the destroying of the cutting machine not only for that, but I just loved how she threw the box in it and it the charge got screwed up, I just thought it was really... I don't know, just cool and made you cheer inside.

I loved the shock and suddeness of the ripping off of Iofur's jaw... I loved Iofur screaming at Iorek also, thought that worked really well.

Yes! Both of those were insanely good.

I liked when Pan and Lyra finally woke together after nearly being cut apart, and she hugged him tight. The relief brought me to tears.

I also love when Lyra was going on and on to Iorek about her father. That was so sweet and funny. =)

[Jez]

I loved the intercision scene. It was truly heartwrenching. And when Mrs Coulter opened the spyfly tin and it flew into her face. Awesome. Actually, the whole Bolvangar sequence had some great moments and details, like the photogram on the wall. And for some reason I remember vividly the moment where the nurse is carrying the unconscious Pantalaimon into the intercision room. So clinical and chilling.

[Kyrillion]

There are lots of moments I liked but an awful lot of them are undermined by terrible direction. For instance, it was nice the Mrs. Coulter doll was included but it was barely registered in a general establishing shot.

And I liked the moment when Lyra and Pantalimon wake up after near-intercission but it could have done with a close up or at least a reverse. All you got was a rather weak middle shot from behind Pantalaimon - and what's more the moments undermined when Pantalaimon completely drops out of shot for several minutes a second later.

I liked Lyra prattling on to Iorek and the 'that's what I think' line. There were nice moments but many of these, like the film in general, were spoiled by poor direction.

[jessia]

- i thought the beginning scene (not green's narration) of lyra running around with the college/townie and gyptian kids was a very well done scene for illustrating the sort of life lyra had at jordan college although i missed a lot from the retiring room scene. i'm not a book purist when it comes to film adaptations, as you can probably tell, but i felt the retiring room scene could've been more substantial and scene-setting.

- there were somethings i liked and disliked (both) very strongly about the scene between craig and richards when lyra asks lord asriel about the success of his retiring room visit and asks to go the north. i can't identify them really but i think i liked the added cheekiness in lord asriel that isn't really present in the book. it wouldn't have done well for the book obviously (would've taken away from the mysterious notion of uncle asriel) but it does do something for the on screen relationship between the father and daughter who aren't in a father-daughter relationship.

- the elements in which mrs. coulter does the churchy thing and describes the churchiness to lyra without referring to it as the church. obviously it was a shame she couldn't use the word 'church', but i felt it got the point across and you'd have to be pretty naive and unaware to miss the points on original sin or authoritarian control or the murals of saints on the walls of the "district office of the magesterium" in trollesund.

- a lot of people didn't like the dialogue here and i think we needed more serafina (but i think some articles indicated that there were more scenes filmed, just editing out in the last minute rush edit) but that first moment between lyra and serafina i felt was very well written in lieu of introducing kaisa. in the book, i don't think lyra meets serafina until she is on the way to bolvangar in lee scoresby's balloon but i thought this was all right. green's lines were very expressive and the acting on her part was very good. it definitely evoked the idea of serafina's supreme age and wisdom for such a young-looking person but at the same time conveyed all of the hopes she had for lyra in line with her knowledge of the witches' prophecy. --- however, i don't know if this is well-conveyed to a non-fan that isn't aware of how special lyra is.

- lyra's escape sequence (including the spyfly totally knocking out mrs. coulter), destroying the intercission equipment, and the fight scene outside bolvangar were well done and captured all the things i remembered from the fight scene.

... and we all know the ending was crappy which is why no one talks about it.

[Townie]

I liked the Lyra and Billy's stand-off at the beginning and Lyra and Asreil's row in the college garden

L: But you don't do what your told!

A: Yes, and look how I get treated!

[namster]

...and Lyra and Asreil's row in the college garden
L: But you don't do what your told!
A: Yes, and look how I get treated!

Many such scenes proves that Weitz can write a fine adaptation of the material. Such a shame that his original script was changed for production and post-production.

[AlexSP]

i might be remembering the details wrong but i think at some point there was an arrow (or something?) whizzing towards lyra and at the last second iorek gets in the way. it was just the suddenness that brought about the YESSS DON'T MESS WITH THE BEAR YOU'RE ALL GONNA GET POUNDED rush

[jessia]

shoddy editing aside i think it was the beginning of the movie i liked best; the editing is most grating in the latter two thirds of the film anyways (the point at which you can only appreciate scenes but not cohesion).

[Midnighttosix]

I really love Mrs Coulter's entrance, gliding across the hall then coming into focus over Lyra's shoulder: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=9bawWojToLc.

And the way the light reflects off daemons fur, just as Pullman described it, was a really great touch.

[Somewhat]

...and Lyra and Asreil's row in the college garden
L: But you don't do what your told!
A: Yes, and look how I get treated!

Many such scenes proves that Weitz can write a fine adaptation of the material. Such a shame that his original script was changed for production and post-production.

It was 'And look what kind of a welcome I got!'. Asriel is great in the movie, indeed. But I did miss his mysteriousness. Also I missed all the little things in Pullman's extremely detailed retiring room scene, like the way Asriel talks to the servants, how the Steward steals some poppy leaves, how Asriel downs a cup of coffee in one gulp, and so on. I know I'm being picky but that scene lost a lot on film.
My favourite part was definitely Bolvangar. It was well-translated from the book and the guillotine scene was simply superb.

[daemon_light]

The retiring room scene scene lost a lot on film.

I didn't think so... I thought it was a little short, but I loved Lyra's expressions in that scene...they just made you smile! And I loved the way she said "Ice bears...Pan!" Her face was priceless... it was great.