Adam Graham
The truth about the Chronicles of Narnia
By Adam Graham
If the White Witch had understood the meaning of sacrifice... —Aslan
Rarely do I view a movie in the theater, but I made an exception for the adaptation of CS Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" the first in the Chronicle of Narnia series.
As a movie, it's one of the best produced film I've seen. Rarely does a film have so much going for it. During the opening credits, when the heroes (four English Children) are on a train, I could tell I was going to witness a cinematic masterpiece and Disney didn't disappoint in Lewis' fantasy world. The music was just perfect. The acting was great and you grew to like the characters as the story progressed.
One thing I truly liked about Narnia is that it didn't stay in the real world for half the movie like some fantasy flicks do, but got to what we wanted to see as quickly as possible.
The story is focused on the children's trip into the fantastic World of Narnia where the White Witch has plunged Narnia into 100 years of continual Winter. The children find themselves drawn into a war against the White Witch for the future of Narnia. The folks at Disney do a fantastic job in producing Lewis' stunning world with Cheetahs, Polar Bears, and other real and fantastic creatures in the same scene. It could have looked cheesy and unbelievable, but they made it look fantastic.
The story, written by C.S. Lewis is steeped in Christian allegory. Though the Director and Disney have downplayed that allegorical element in the press, the film is faithful to the book so it shines through. Aslan, the lion sacrifices himself for one of the Sons of Adam's sins and then is resurrected. How much more Christian could you get?
Of course, this isn't a Sunday School lesson by any means. As a book or a movie, Narnia isn't and never was intended to be a film that brought you to your knees in repentance upon seeing it, but rather one that would quietly plant a seed while telling a good story.
The film borrows liberally from the style of Mel Gibson and successfully adapted some of his techniques. The battle scene at the end is a PG-version of what Gibson did in "Braveheart" and "The Patriot." Tilda Swinton's "White Witch" seemed reminiscent of Rosalinda Celentano's "Satan" in the Passion.
This film appeared at a most appropriate time. The dominant theme of the story was sacrifice and at this time of the year when greed, avarice, and materialism are rampant, it is fitting. Time and time again characters move beyond their comfort zone to help others and fill a need. The Children could have fled back to the safety of home, but they chose to save a group of strangers and fulfill their destiny.
While watching the film, I couldn't help but ponder what my own destiny is. What have I been created to do that goes beyond myself? These are the type of questions, the movie begged for me. Hopefully, they'll be the type of questions that will come to your mind as you watch it. Narnia is one of the few movies I've seen that really challenged me to be a better person.
"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" is a well-produced movie that won't hit you over the head, but will challenge you and make you think. As such it has my full endorsement and I encourage you to see it if you haven't.
© Adam Graham
If the White Witch had understood the meaning of sacrifice... —Aslan
Rarely do I view a movie in the theater, but I made an exception for the adaptation of CS Lewis' "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" the first in the Chronicle of Narnia series.
As a movie, it's one of the best produced film I've seen. Rarely does a film have so much going for it. During the opening credits, when the heroes (four English Children) are on a train, I could tell I was going to witness a cinematic masterpiece and Disney didn't disappoint in Lewis' fantasy world. The music was just perfect. The acting was great and you grew to like the characters as the story progressed.
One thing I truly liked about Narnia is that it didn't stay in the real world for half the movie like some fantasy flicks do, but got to what we wanted to see as quickly as possible.
The story is focused on the children's trip into the fantastic World of Narnia where the White Witch has plunged Narnia into 100 years of continual Winter. The children find themselves drawn into a war against the White Witch for the future of Narnia. The folks at Disney do a fantastic job in producing Lewis' stunning world with Cheetahs, Polar Bears, and other real and fantastic creatures in the same scene. It could have looked cheesy and unbelievable, but they made it look fantastic.
The story, written by C.S. Lewis is steeped in Christian allegory. Though the Director and Disney have downplayed that allegorical element in the press, the film is faithful to the book so it shines through. Aslan, the lion sacrifices himself for one of the Sons of Adam's sins and then is resurrected. How much more Christian could you get?
Of course, this isn't a Sunday School lesson by any means. As a book or a movie, Narnia isn't and never was intended to be a film that brought you to your knees in repentance upon seeing it, but rather one that would quietly plant a seed while telling a good story.
The film borrows liberally from the style of Mel Gibson and successfully adapted some of his techniques. The battle scene at the end is a PG-version of what Gibson did in "Braveheart" and "The Patriot." Tilda Swinton's "White Witch" seemed reminiscent of Rosalinda Celentano's "Satan" in the Passion.
This film appeared at a most appropriate time. The dominant theme of the story was sacrifice and at this time of the year when greed, avarice, and materialism are rampant, it is fitting. Time and time again characters move beyond their comfort zone to help others and fill a need. The Children could have fled back to the safety of home, but they chose to save a group of strangers and fulfill their destiny.
While watching the film, I couldn't help but ponder what my own destiny is. What have I been created to do that goes beyond myself? These are the type of questions, the movie begged for me. Hopefully, they'll be the type of questions that will come to your mind as you watch it. Narnia is one of the few movies I've seen that really challenged me to be a better person.
"The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" is a well-produced movie that won't hit you over the head, but will challenge you and make you think. As such it has my full endorsement and I encourage you to see it if you haven't.
© Adam Graham
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