REVIEW: The Golden Compass
It didn’t open that well, and its been banned by the Catholic League (which is almost an endorsement with some people), but I just saw the Golden Compass, and I liked it. It’s based on the first book in the His Dark Materials series by Phillip Pullman. It’s a fantasy set on an alternate earth where everyone’s soul exists outside their body as an animal familiar (called a demon). The world is ruled by something called the Magisterium, which is kind of a thinly veiled version of the Catholic Church in the 17th century. The world is kind of a steam punk universe. People travel in airships and horseless carriages.
Except this world has flying witches and talking bears as well has familiars.
Lyra, the heroine of the story, is a young girl who gets a fortune telling device and is trying to rescue two friends who were taken by a secret order. The books are excellent, but they’re an allegory about religion and how it’s bad for you. It’s never explicitly stated, but that’s the subtext. So naturally religious people tend to be offended by the books. If you just ignore that message, you can enjoy it as a straight fantasy. However, I have my criticism of the later books, which are engrossing but they suffer from the fact that Lyra starts out as this great, smart, independent character. But in the subsequent books she plays second fiddle and helper to a buy from our world who teams yup with her. She kind of ceases to be interesting. Too bad. Over all they’re great books, though the writer has a bit of an attitude. He’s on record as dissing JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. Like those two literary giants, he’s a professor at Oxford. Unlike those two writers, he lack any humility.
The film was entertaining though.
Well, here it is - Sunday evening. The film has been out for almost 72 hours. It is noted for being anti-Christian, and the author of the source material an atheist.
I haven’t heard any member of any Christian or Catholic church call for the death of Pullman, the writer of the screenplay, the director, or any of the actors.
Just noticing.
Posted by Dave Marron on 12/09 at 07:32 PMYes, just a ban from some groups. The problem with the Islamists they are a small group, but they have terrorized the moderates into shutting up. They really need to clamp down on those people. The sooner they do the sooner they will have peace there.
Unfortunately, the rulers of some countries use fanaticism as a tool of statecraft.
Posted by on 12/09 at 08:50 PMGreat.
Another work by an egotistical aetheist on the eve of the holiest of holidays.
Slow newsday, anyone?
P.S.—As bad as “entetainment” by some very straitlaced religious people is, indoctrination by aetheist English college professors is even worse. They badly need a sampling of humble pie!
Posted by on 12/09 at 08:52 PMI think a lot of secularists substitute politics or activism for religion. But it becomes the same thing for them, whether they realize it or not.
Posted by on 12/09 at 10:26 PMOne thing, the term is “daemon”. Totally different critter. To the ancient Greeks your daemon was your guide and adviser. Your daemon provided inspiration, moral guidance, and someone to talk with on lonely days. The closest equivalent in today’s society would be the guardian angel.
Posted by mythusmage on 12/10 at 01:24 PMYep. I forgot. Been awhile since I read the book.
Posted by on 12/10 at 03:52 PM
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