Here is an interesting article that showcases the battle over Hollywood that goes on between the polar opposite worldviews of Christianity and atheism. Oddly enough, the examples the article gives are movies that are coming from rather popular book series, one being The Chronicles of Narnia, and the other being a more recent publication, His Dark Materials, by Pullman.
Franchising fantasy: Will God or atheism conquer Hollywood?
A few other series are mentioned, most of them children’s titles. There’s the Cirque du Freak one, which I’ve heard about and seen, but never read, so maybe I’ll have to pick it up. I find it interesting how so many children’s books these days are swarming with much more adult themes, situations, and can actually be enjoyed by almost any age group that isn’t offended by the word scrotum.
But going back to those first two…it is quoted that Pullman’s His Dark Materials (which I have read, and enjoyed immensely) is a counter-cultural point to The Chronicles of Narnia. Now, we know C.S. Lewis wrote his stories from his perspective of faith, holding to golden themes of good versus evil and such, despite whatever other allegorical serum you wish to extract from the story. In response to this, Pullman says:
“I hate the Narnia books. I hate them with a deep and bitter passion, with their view of childhood as a golden age from which sexuality and adulthood are a falling away.”
By the by, if you didn’t know, His Dark Materials basically deals with the aftermath of God’s death and the power struggle in the various heavens and earthen realms that ensues. Again, I will say it is an incredible story, strongly written and powerful. It saddens me to know Pullman takes such a vehement stand against other faith-based literature (since atheism is basically a system of faith by which one lives). Now both of these stories have either been, or are being made into films, and people are wondering which one will be more popular, which one will become a firmer bastion for the theological viewpoints that people pin on it.
My take is this: They’re both good, if not great stories. Why must one fall to elevate the other? I read the Chronicles of Narnia both as a child and adult. As an adult, I certainly could perceive the elements of faith or symbolism (especially if I looked hard enough) in Narnia. And it’s there in His Dark Materials as well, even if the flip-side of the coin. But that doesn’t mean we should discard one or the other, or consider the one that doesn’t match up to our faith of lesser value. Reading His Dark Materials was a great experience and showed Pullman’s intensively creative mind at work. It didn’t crumble my basis of faith. If anything, it made me go, “Huh…that’s a unique perspective. Never thought of it that way before.” Sure, both of these series are highly marketable to children, and upon reading them, kids may come up with some difficult questions. But use it as a learning experience, rather as a time to shield the child from differing viewpoints on life. Almost every person they’re going to meet from now until the day they die will have some opposing opinion or belief. Books should be the last place that we need to make child-proof, with padded edges or–please, God, do forbid–book burnings.
Let the children read. Oh, and adults too, please. Now PG-13 movies? I guess that depends on your family standards, but that’s another issue for another post that I’m sure I’ll get up sometime in the next…oh…year?
I see that smile.