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A Christmas Gift from an Oxford Don
On the second day of Christmas, Loose Canon went to see "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." It's a lovely movie. Georgie Henley, who plays little Lucy Pevensie so expressively, and Tilda Swinton, who plays the White Witch, deserve Oscars (honors no doubt destined for those who play gay cowboys or other unwholesome roles).
The movie features the four Pevensie children, evacuated during the blitz to a country house, where they walk through a wardrobe and into the land of Narnia. It is based, of course, on the children's novel of the same name by C. S. Lewis, the Oxford don and Christian convert. That has evoked sneering from the intelligentsia. John Miller noted some "enemies of Narnia" in a National Review cover story:
"Narnia certainly has its enemies. One of them is the White Witch, the fiendish creature who brings perpetual winter to the land. Another foe, in our own realm, is best-selling children's author Philip Pullman, who has described the Narnia series as 'one of the most ugly and poisonous things I've ever read.' (Pullman has explained his own motives for writing books for kids this way: 'I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief.') The Narnia movie may not deserve to generate controversy, but there can be no doubt that it will, especially from the quarters that objected to Mel Gibson's interpreting the story of the crucifixion."
No doubt indeed. "Narnia represents everything that is hateful about religion," was the headline of a review by Brit reviewer Polly Toynbee. But Ms. Toynbee's view of Christianity may influence her take on the movie:
"Of all the elements of Christianity," Ms. Toynbee wrote, "the most repugnant is the notion of the Christ who took our sins upon himself and sacrificed his body in agony to save our souls. Did we ask him to?"
Naturally, then, Ms. Toynbee didn't care for Aslan, the lion who symbolizes Christ in the movie and who takes on the sins of young Edmund Pevensie. Edmund has betrayed Narnia in return for Turkish delight from the witch. Toynbee and others have argued that children don't get the Aslan as Christ bit. I simply don't know. It is a children's movie and a children's book, and if it were terribly heavy-handed, that would be a shame. Aslan, by the way, is a beautiful lion with a wonderful voice done by Liam Neesom.
Narnia has lived in winter for more than a hundred years with the White Witch as queen. But, as one of the charming talking beavers (the scene in the amiable Mr. and Mrs. Beaver has Wind in the Willows elements) says, Aslan is "on the move." According to an ancient prophecy, the White Witch will be overthrown when two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve--the Pevensie children--come to Narnia to lead the battle against her (this is very politically incorrect--Peter Pevensie wields a sword).
The special effects aren't as overpowering (or as confusing--who are these critters?) as in the Lord of the Rings movies, the creation of another Oxford don, J.R.R. Tolkien, who played an important role in Lewis's decision to become a Christian. But the grotesque disciples of the witch and the more attractive fauns and centaurs on the side of Aslan are quite wonderful, especially James McEvoy as the faun Mr. Tumnus. (He has a book on his shelf entitled "Is Man A Myth?")
As both sides prepare for battle, the White Witch demands Edmund Pevensie's blood for his transgressions. After a long conference in Aslan's tent, Edmund is spared--we all know, of course, that Aslan will die for Edmund's sins. But first, he welcomes Edmund with the comfortable words, "What is done is done." That is to say: "Your sins are forgiven." Aslan leaves alone at night to go to his death. He thanks Lucy and Susan Pevensie, who don't know what is up, for walking part of the way to the White Witch's camp with him: "I would be grateful for the company." The scene in which Aslan is slaughtered reminded me of a fantasy evocation of Christ's via dolorosa in Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ." No, it really did.
One more churchy observation: After Lucy and Susan find Aslan's body and grieve over him, they turn to leave--a sound is heard, and Aslan is alive again. As with the writers of the gospel, notable for the sobriety of their accounts of the Resurrection, Lewis makes no attempt to depict the miraculous event on which hinges so much. The crucial remark in the movie is made by the professor who owns the house in which they find the wardrobe. He's obviously been through the wardrobe himself. When Lucy, the first to go to Narnia, returns, the other children doubt the tidings she has brought. "There are only three possibilities," the professor says. "Either your sister is telling lies, or she is mad, or she is telling the truth. You know she doesn't tell lies and it is obvious that she is not mad. For the moment then and unless any further evidence turns up, we must assume that she is telling the truth."
Children, especially in our unchurched era, may miss Aslan as the Christ. But there are battles, mythical creatures and even a Father Christmas. And, perhaps, at some point in later life, they might reflect that Christ himself was either mad or lying or telling the truth.
The movie features the four Pevensie children, evacuated during the blitz to a country house, where they walk through a wardrobe and into the land of Narnia. It is based, of course, on the children's novel of the same name by C. S. Lewis, the Oxford don and Christian convert. That has evoked sneering from the intelligentsia. John Miller noted some "enemies of Narnia" in a National Review cover story:
"Narnia certainly has its enemies. One of them is the White Witch, the fiendish creature who brings perpetual winter to the land. Another foe, in our own realm, is best-selling children's author Philip Pullman, who has described the Narnia series as 'one of the most ugly and poisonous things I've ever read.' (Pullman has explained his own motives for writing books for kids this way: 'I'm trying to undermine the basis of Christian belief.') The Narnia movie may not deserve to generate controversy, but there can be no doubt that it will, especially from the quarters that objected to Mel Gibson's interpreting the story of the crucifixion."
No doubt indeed. "Narnia represents everything that is hateful about religion," was the headline of a review by Brit reviewer Polly Toynbee. But Ms. Toynbee's view of Christianity may influence her take on the movie:
"Of all the elements of Christianity," Ms. Toynbee wrote, "the most repugnant is the notion of the Christ who took our sins upon himself and sacrificed his body in agony to save our souls. Did we ask him to?"
Naturally, then, Ms. Toynbee didn't care for Aslan, the lion who symbolizes Christ in the movie and who takes on the sins of young Edmund Pevensie. Edmund has betrayed Narnia in return for Turkish delight from the witch. Toynbee and others have argued that children don't get the Aslan as Christ bit. I simply don't know. It is a children's movie and a children's book, and if it were terribly heavy-handed, that would be a shame. Aslan, by the way, is a beautiful lion with a wonderful voice done by Liam Neesom.
Narnia has lived in winter for more than a hundred years with the White Witch as queen. But, as one of the charming talking beavers (the scene in the amiable Mr. and Mrs. Beaver has Wind in the Willows elements) says, Aslan is "on the move." According to an ancient prophecy, the White Witch will be overthrown when two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve--the Pevensie children--come to Narnia to lead the battle against her (this is very politically incorrect--Peter Pevensie wields a sword).
The special effects aren't as overpowering (or as confusing--who are these critters?) as in the Lord of the Rings movies, the creation of another Oxford don, J.R.R. Tolkien, who played an important role in Lewis's decision to become a Christian. But the grotesque disciples of the witch and the more attractive fauns and centaurs on the side of Aslan are quite wonderful, especially James McEvoy as the faun Mr. Tumnus. (He has a book on his shelf entitled "Is Man A Myth?")
As both sides prepare for battle, the White Witch demands Edmund Pevensie's blood for his transgressions. After a long conference in Aslan's tent, Edmund is spared--we all know, of course, that Aslan will die for Edmund's sins. But first, he welcomes Edmund with the comfortable words, "What is done is done." That is to say: "Your sins are forgiven." Aslan leaves alone at night to go to his death. He thanks Lucy and Susan Pevensie, who don't know what is up, for walking part of the way to the White Witch's camp with him: "I would be grateful for the company." The scene in which Aslan is slaughtered reminded me of a fantasy evocation of Christ's via dolorosa in Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ." No, it really did.
One more churchy observation: After Lucy and Susan find Aslan's body and grieve over him, they turn to leave--a sound is heard, and Aslan is alive again. As with the writers of the gospel, notable for the sobriety of their accounts of the Resurrection, Lewis makes no attempt to depict the miraculous event on which hinges so much. The crucial remark in the movie is made by the professor who owns the house in which they find the wardrobe. He's obviously been through the wardrobe himself. When Lucy, the first to go to Narnia, returns, the other children doubt the tidings she has brought. "There are only three possibilities," the professor says. "Either your sister is telling lies, or she is mad, or she is telling the truth. You know she doesn't tell lies and it is obvious that she is not mad. For the moment then and unless any further evidence turns up, we must assume that she is telling the truth."
Children, especially in our unchurched era, may miss Aslan as the Christ. But there are battles, mythical creatures and even a Father Christmas. And, perhaps, at some point in later life, they might reflect that Christ himself was either mad or lying or telling the truth.
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