I've just seen THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE...

[rj_anderson]

And although I was skeptical at first, right now I am just overflowing with so. much. love.

They got it right. I hardly dared to hope it could be done, but they really did get it right. At least, all the parts I personally strongly felt they needed to get right, they did. And the bits they added in that weren't in the book, I mostly didn't mind, or even outright liked (like the fox).

The absolute best bit, though, has not been mentioned by anyone in any of the reviews I've read to date: When Aslan turns from killing the White Witch, and looks at Peter and says, "It is finished."

My eyes nearly popped out of my head. I couldn't keep it in -- I just burst out, "OH MAN THAT'S SO COOL." I'm sure half the theatre must have heard me. I mean, here I'd been afraid that they were going to downplay the Aslan-Christ parallel or somehow mess it up, and instead they went and made it even stronger, by having Aslan speak the very words of the Lord Himself. I had shivers, and tears in my eyes (not like I hadn't been crying ever since Aslan went to the Stone Table, mind you) -- it was beautiful. Perfect.

As for the rest, Tilda Swinton's White Witch was every bit as cold, ruthless, chilling and brilliant as she needed to be -- and the duel between her and Peter was, as I just finished saying to lydaclunas, WICKED COOL. Loved the way she used her wand and the sword together. As for the Pevensies, I've always had a bit of a literary crush on Peter, and I must say this movie did not discourage that at all. Susan was lovely, and I was very interested by the way they emphasized her being "logical" and more focused on practical and earthly realities, as it were, than the others -- maybe I was reading too much into the script, but they almost seemed to be hinting at her eventual loss of belief in Narnia. Which, I have said before and will say again, is a genuine tragedy and not a case of "Good riddance to bad rubbish" in the least, and I'm sure I will cry buckets if and when the movies get to that point.

Also, hee on the movie's revisionist handling of Father Christmas's infamous "battles are ugly when women fight" comment, rubbed in still further by the presence of tough-looking female centaurs in Peter's army. It's not like I was sentimentally attached to that line or anything, so I didn't mind that particular change in the least. In fact I got a bit of a chuckle out of it.

In short, I loved the movie and would gladly see it again, and when my kids are old enough not to be scared witless by some of the nastier-looking creatures, I'm sure I will. And in the meantime, there's Prince Caspian to look forward to -- at this rate, the sooner the better.

Note to self: badly need at least two Narnia icons.

Comments

[miladygrey.livejournal.com]

In regards to Aslan's "It is finished"--I loved that. That was when I teared up the second time (first time during the Stone Table sacrifice, of course). I haven't mentioned it to any of my friends though, for reasons that are hard to articulate. I suppose it's like the differing feelings the Pevensies got when the Beavers first mentioned Aslan. It's going to hit different people in different ways. Atheists or those who aren't comfortable with the Christan/allegorical references might take it as outright preaching and be turned off, those who take offense with a Christ figure personified by a lion might feel that their faith is being insulted. Just my opinion, of course. Myself, I thought it was perfect.

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

those who take offense with a Christ figure personified by a lion might feel that their faith is being insulted

*is curious* Have you actually met anyone who feels this way? I've met people who refuse to read Narnia because they think that all fantasy is ungodly and Satanic by definition, but not anything like that, at least not yet.

Also, loved your comments in your journal about feeling like Narnia is "home". I've always felt that way, too.

[miladygrey.livejournal.com]

I have never met anyone who said it outright, but during my quest for my English degree (I went to an Assemblies of God university), there were a few people who got very huffy at the thought that anyone or anything that was not the Bible or a testimony relying on quotes from the Bible could be used to lead people to Christ. They didn't like Pilgrim's Progress because they thought the allegory of Christian life as a journey simplified things too much, for example. I remember reading somewhere that people have complained that Jesus' death and resurrection is demeaned or lowered somehow by having it happen to an animal, and that having the sacrifice referred to as Deep "Magic" is, yes, Satanic. *rolls eyes*

[rj-anderson.livejournal.com]

*also rolls eyes*