Thursday, December 13, 2007

The Golden Compass

Lyra with the Alietheiometer (sp). Photo not by me. (Most photos on
this blog are by me).


We went to see the Golden Compass Tonight. All three of us and the
two other people in the theater loved it. IT was NOT boring, as some
reviewers have said, not at all. Nor did it threaten my faith. I
don't get what the uproar is about. Sure it's about free will verses
predetermination and control by a higher power--but who's to say that
higher power is GOD?

If people have strong faith, why would questioning shake it? What not
look at all sides of an issue? What the heck is the big deal?

It's a fantasy. It's an adventure story. It's interesting,
suspenseful, scary and good.

And it will flop if people keep boycotting it. It's a good movie. Go
see it. Let me know what you thought. But hurry up, before they pull
it.

I loved it. (We all loved the books, too!)

7 comments:

Coffeypot said...

I haven't seen the movie nor have I read the books. If there isn't sex and violence in either, I don't mess with them. I have seen the uproar about the author or the producer or the director or someone being a very vocal atheist. That doesn’t bother me – it’s his ass that will burn. But I do have a problem with the church bashing anything without experiencing it first. Until the watch the movie, or read the book, to form an opinion, then they are expressing as much ignorance as they are attempting to stop. I’ve said before, we don’t need the KKK or the NAACP anymore. We have Christians fostering more hate and fear than either of the organizations. I’ll just stick to porn, where EVERYONE gets fucked over.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Good comment, Coffeypot, very thoughtful.

Anonymous said...

Hi -- I went to see it Wednesday and agree with you! I liked the movie. I went with a friend who had not read the books and I was glad to hear her say she was able to understand what was going on. I HAD told her about the daemons ahead of time, and there was a fair amount of exposition at the beginning, but I think it was handled well. Having a brain like a sieve, and it being nearly 2 years since I read the books, there were things I hadn't remembered at all so I needed some exposition too.

But if I hadn't read the books I may have had a bit of a problem with so many characters being introduced fairly briefly, who will play a bigger role in the sequels, like Lee Scoresby and the witches. I shook my head when I saw "Kathy Bates as the voice of Hester" in the credits -- she may have had 3 lines -- but I'm sure she'll have more in the next one. (By the way, have you EVER seen such a long credit list?? We left before it was over, something I virtually never do.)

I thought Lyra was perfectly cast -- her bravery and defiant streak were quite believable. And she had the good bone structure to befit being N. Kidman's daughter but you didn't think about her beauty. I liked the way they depicted her "reading" the compass. Simplistic, yes, but it worked for a movie. The whole movie was very beautiful, if violent.

As for the faith part -- well, I remember that I was not at all clear about what "dust" was during the first book (and still not absolutely certain after all 3 books!). In the movie it seemed a plain reference to the knowledge of good and evil. And I would think Christians would relate -- Adam and Eve and all that. However if I were Catholic, I might be a little offended at the resemblance of the Magisterium to the Catholic Church!

As I said, I didn't remember the book real well more less what happened in each volume. Didn't it end with Asriel zooming off into the next world? Or was that book 2? I do know it didn't end with that "come to the sequel and see what happens next" ending this one had! (But don't ask me to come up with something better.)

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Danger, spoiler in this comment, don't read it if you haven't seen the movie!

The first book ended with Lord Asriel killing the little boy and zooming off to the next world--interesting that they left that off.

I didn't remember all the details either and found it very suspenseful, scary and violent, but i still liked it.

Prolly having read it did help keep the characters straight even though I didn't remember them all!

Anonymous said...

Glad you enjoyed it. Not sure if we will get to see it but you never know. When my sis was staying last week we went to see Queen Elizabeth I - The Virgin Queen. It was very good. Not sure that much of it would have been true but you never know. Clive Owen who plays Sir Walter Raleigh is a plus. I have loved him on our tele for decades and he has matured well.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

If you do go see it, Kate, Let me know how you like it, OK?

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Gail, Lyra was perfeectly cast, in my opinion, too! In one shot of her and Nicole Kidman, they almost looked like clones and definitely like mother daughter.