Movie Review

Directed by Chris Weitz, starring: Dakota Blue Richards (Lyra Malaqua), Nicole Kidman (Mrs. Coulter), David Craig (Lord Asriel), Sam Elliott (Lee Scoresby), rated PG, 113 minutes, 2007.

Phillip Pullman based this movie on the first story of the trilogy His Dark Materials. Pullman styles himself as an avowed atheist who has written the series as children’s stories with the purpose of discrediting Christianity and intriguing children with an atheist perspective. He has stated that he is an opponent of CS Lewis and has written a fantasy in opposition to the Narnia series. Interesting for viewers that both Prince Caspian and The Golden Compass appear within the same year, though the Lion in "Caspian" is a much watered-down Christ Figure from the book. Where “Compass” is a bold tract, the movie version of "Caspian" is a weak advocate of Christianity.

At the level of Romantic Adventure this is a very absorbing tale. Lyra is an orphan under the protection of her adventurer uncle, Lord Asriel, at a fictional Jordan College in Oxford. He is off on a mysterious adventure but leaves her a mystical machine called an "alethiometer" which has the capacity to determine truth when asked. Lyra herself sets out on a Hero's Journey to "The North" to try find her uncle and to determine what has been happening to disappearing children, captured by "Gobblers" or General Oblation Board who take away the children’s daemons (animal manifestations of the human soul). First, she must escape the chilling control of Mrs. Coulter who wishes to obtain the alethiometer and who works in cahoots with "the magisterium"(obvious simile for the church in its authoritarian, anti-intellectual and controlling form). Along the way she receives help from Witches, "Gyptians" (seafaring protectors), an Armoured Bear (a Samson figure much taken to drink and daemons).

It is an oddity that this anti religious tract, the flip side of Narnia, is also told in a magical spiritual world where souls are real and locked in battle with evil forces. For my money it smacks of the Manichaean Heresy. I realize that spotting heresy in others is a dubious occupation but these Third Century beliefs (not really a heresy since they were an independent religion rather than a deviation from Christianity) have persisted in various forms. The two hallmarks are Dualism (there are two principles, Good and Evil, equal in relative power and at war) and Gnosticism (salvation comes through the attainment of special knowledge). The Magisterium and Truth are in a battle. Salvation will come through the attainments of scientific understanding. So, on to the sequels where the battle for free will looms!

Many Christians have been quite exercised about the anti organized religion perspective in this story. I think it does attack some of the worst aspects of Christianity, aspects that deserve the closest scrutiny and rooting out. However, in an open, rational, inclusive and compassionate form Christianity or any organized religion needs no defensive posture in the face of this Manichaean critique.