The Golden Compass Movie - Articles - Zimbio

The Golden Compass (2007)

Tue, 17 Sep 2008 21:14:00 GMT

posted by klawedkillerkitten

An evil empire called the Magestirium attempts total control of the population by hiding the secrets or parallel universes and a unifying particle called Dust in Chris Weitz's clunky but entertaining adaptation of Philip Pullman's "The Golden Compass".

"Harry Potter" and "The Lord of the Rings" have never apologized about their overt paganism. Likewise, "The Chronicles of Narnia" have never been accused of being subtle as a Christian allegory. These series, in both literary and film forms, have been monster hits due to their unapologetic natures that speak truths to their ardent fan bases. British writer Philip Pullman's darkly subversive anti-religious fantasy books have also been hugely successful, more so overseas than here in the States. Stripped of the books' overt atheistic messages, "The Golden Compass" takes a reverse psychology approach in its film treatment and oddly positions itself as an apology for Pullman's work. The result is a tepid affair that joins a long line of fantasy films about children discovering they are the chosen ones destined to save the world. At least this film is refreshing in its stance on girl-power as represented in the main character Lyra, played wonderfully by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards, who apparently is a graduate of the Dakota Fanning school of acting. Whether or not this tactic to strip the film of its soul (much like the Magesiterium strips children of their daemons) will make the film broadly appealing enough to warrant a franchise has yet to be determined.

The film comes across as more anti-authoritarianism in general than specifically anti-religion. In the 21st century the line between authoritarian politics and organized religion has become increasingly blurred. Since we currently live in a world where a born-again Christian sits in the White House and wages wars in Muslim nations, it's easy to see why folks from both sides of the aisle, ardent fans of the books and conservative Christians alike, have been worked up into a mindless and silly frenzy over even just a watered-down film version of the first of Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy, with one side saying it's not wickedly subversive enough, and the other side saying it's still subversively wicked.

However, viewing the film out of the context of the books upon which it is based and the ridiculous faux-controversy surrounding them, it makes the grade as a big-budget fantasy flick. Yes, there are too many characters to keep track of, and the film has rushed feel to it as if it was edited at the last minute, but it still makes for an interesting trip. Kids will be wowed by the elaborate set designs and CGI effects, which are far superior to the ones in the similarly clunky but still entertaining "Chronicles of Narnia" and culminate in an awesome battle sequence involving armored polar bears--take that Global Warming! Adults will get a kick out the nimble ensemble cast, who all seem to be having a great deal of fun with the self-seriousness of the whole production and are headlined by Nicole Kidman--botoxed, full-lipped and deliciously frosty in a creepy villain role that suits her perfectly.

Possibly the strangest aspect of the film comes as an accidental subtext resulting from its apologetic nature. With its depiction of mystical-minded do-gooders rallying against the totalitarian Magestirium, "The Golden Compass" almost comes across as a period piece anti-Communist allegory rallying for the fall of the Soviet Union. It makes the film feel charmingly dated. There's also the disturbing subtext of child abuse at the hands of the Catholic Church as seen in the Magestirium's cruel experiments with kidnapped children, which makes the film feel charmingly grotesque.

Bottom Line: Any movie that depicts Nicole Kidman walking around with a monkey and preaches the importance of free will, making bonds, sticking together, and fighting for your friends and loved ones can't be all that bad. Despite some of the themes of the books being exorcised and arbitrarily presented by a poorly chosen Chris Weitz (a director known for his comedies "American Pie" and "About a Boy"), "The Golden Compass" still has enough interesting elements and old-fashioned razzle dazzle presented with new age CGI to make it entertaining. At its worst, it presents two hours of dark fantasy-land eye candy. At its best, it encourages adults and children alike to use their free will to do something far better with their two hours, like read.

Author: David H. Schleicher

THE STRUGGLE OF THE MAIN CHARACTER FOR SAVING HER FRIENDS AS REFLECTED IN PHILIP PULLMAN’S THE GOLDEN COMPASS A PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACH

Fri, 1 Nov 2008 09:13:00 GMT

posted by maftukhin
By
Hery Wahyu Widodo
04004125

ABSTRACT

The title of this graduating paper is The Struggle of the Main Character for Saving Her Friends as Reflected in Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass: a Psychological Approach. In this graduating paper, the researcher discusses the characterization of the main character as reflected in the novel of The Golden Compass. The objective of this study is to find out the struggle of the main character for saving her friends. The novel talks about Lyra Belacqua’s struggle to save her close friend who was kidnapped mysteriously.

To do the analysis, the writer performs the descriptive qualitative research to the novel as the subject of the study and the object is Lyra Belacqua as the main character as reflected in the novel The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman. The method used in the research is observation and document. The central issues which will be analyzed by the writer are the character and characterization of the main character psychologically. The writer tries to describe the struggle of Lyra for saving her friends in the novel The Golden Compass. The theory of psychology of literature is taken from Wellek and Warren (1956).

Some of the important research findings are stated as follows. The first is the character and characterization of Lyra Belacqua as the main characterization as a protagonist character. Lyra has a good character such as smart, optimistic, care, curious, helpful and strong. And Lyra has a bad character such as stubborn, dirty and naughty. The second is the struggle of the protagonist character for saving her friends who lost mysteriously. The struggle of the main character for saving her friend such as follows: 1) leaving Jordan College, 2) how to use the golden compass, 3) struggle to the North and 4) struggle to fade from the kidnapper. The third is friendship values that can be taken from this novel.

aishamusic

Thu, 30 Nov 2007 05:02:32 GMT

posted by aishamusic

Phillip Pullman: “My books are about killing God.” - 2003

Hollywood is once again engaging in more Christian bashing. Their latest foray into hatred of the faith, comes at the holidays of all times, via the film “The Golden Compass.” Many Christians have been urging a boycott of this twisted movie, written by atheist, Phillip Pullman, and directed by criminal copyright infringer Chris Weitz.

Phillip Pullman stated he hates C.S. Lewis and “The Chronicles of Naria,” so he decided to write vitriolic, violent children’s books that have now been made into a movie, “The Golden Compass.”

Phillip Pullman: “My books are about killing God.” - 2003

Number one, “The Golden Compass” director Chris Weitz is a fraud. He has shown that via the theft of the movie “American Dreamz” that a successful boycott launched by my site completely tanked at the box office click here (thanks again to everyone that participated in the boycott). It’s one of the barefaced, blaring infringements apart of my FBI criminal complaint that I sent to my FBI point of contact as additional materials for comparison in the investigation (they confirmed to an investigative agency I went to last year, Kroll, that they received the comparative materials).

But once again, here comes Chris Weitz with another rip off film that is a sub-par, demented version of a preexisting copyrighted Christian film, but this time it’s “The Chronicles of Naria” he’s knocking off. Get some originality already, you lazy degenerate. You and your brother. Copyright infringement is a crime.

Not only does the infringing imagery in 2007’s The Golden Compass look like the imagery, sets and costumes in 2006’s The Chronicles of Naria, the plot is the same, with the one difference being a child killing God, in the former (The Golden Compass). The films even start out the same:

“Lewis’ epic begins with a young heroine named Lucy ducking inside a wardrobe that opens into the land of Narnia. In The Golden Compass, 12-year-old Lyra Belacqua hides inside a wardrobe, where she hears her uncle talking about Dust, a mysterious element that becomes a key component of the story” - Toledo Blade

Number two, I am not for sacrilegious films. They are offensive, unnecessary and fruitless.

Number three, I am not for children being exposed to violence. How could it be healthy for children to be exposed to a film about killing God, Who is loved by many (Christianity is the largest religion in the world with billions of believers).

PRESS ARTICLE:

The ‘Golden Compass’ points to controversy

The Golden Compass is being advertised as “an exciting fantasy adventure” for children set in “a world where witches rule the northern skies, where ice bears are the bravest of warriors, and where every human is joined with an animal spirit who is as close to them as their own heart.”

But the $180 million Hollywood movie, which opens Dec. 7, is also drawing criticism from religious groups that describe it as “militantly atheistic,” “blasphemous,” “heretical,” and “diabolical.”

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights and the American Family Association are among the groups calling for a boycott.

The controversy stems from His Dark Materials, the series of children’s fantasy novels on which The Golden Compass is based. Written by 61-year-old British author Philip Pullman, the books in the trilogy have sold more than 14 million copies since debuting in 1995…

Mr. Pullman has made it clear that he is not happy with the way religious institutions have answered those questions.

He told the Sydney Morning Herald in 2003, for example, that “my books are about killing God,” and that he was amused that American Christians have been more critical of J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books than His Dark Materials.

“I’ve been flying under the radar, saying things that are far more subversive than anything old Harry has said,” Mr. Pullman said.

He has stated a number of times that he wrote His Dark Materials in part to counter the Christian themes and values woven into C.S. Lewis’ literary children’s classic, The Chronicles of Narnia. That series was the basis for the 2005 blockbuster film, The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe, grossing more than $740 million worldwide, and a sequel, Prince Caspian, due for release in May…

“I hate the Narnia books, and I hate them with a deep and bitter passion,” Mr. Pullman told one interviewer, according to Christian movie guide Plugged-in Online.

Lewis’ epic begins with a young heroine named Lucy ducking inside a wardrobe that opens into the land of Narnia. In The Golden Compass, 12-year-old Lyra Belacqua (played by newcomer Dakota Blue Richards in the film) hides inside a wardrobe, where she hears her uncle talking about Dust, a mysterious element that becomes a key component of the story…

“By the third written text, it’s very explicit that God needs to be ‘taken out,’” Mr. Edwards said.

Compared to Lewis’ skill at telling stories with spiritual metaphors, Mr. Pullman packs in his atheistic message “like a sledgehammer,” he said…

http://toledoblade.com

The Golden Compass (2007) PG - 3½ Stars

Tue, 14 May 2008 14:37:00 GMT

posted by Zola
A very elaborate production and visually the movie is stunning but acting wise, it lacks. The best part to me was the Polar Bear "Ice Bear" fight. Sometimes I felt there was more CGI than competent acting going on. There's a lot left unsaid that made me question the movie instead of loosing myself in it. For example, what time period are we supposed to be in? How did Lyra become to live in the dorm where she did? At first I questioned why Lyra would talk to this strange bearded man and then just leave aboard a ship with him. The ending apparently brings the lure of a sequel but a let down after a fairly good battle scene. I'm not sure why the movie had so many problems being labeled anti god or anti religious. Could it be the witches? It's just a fantasy good vs. evil story to me but I think it could have been so much better.

Our star is a young girl who befriends a bear and travels to the north to save her best friend. Lyra Belacqua (Dakota Blue Richards) is a 12 year old on the quest of a life time. The Magesterium is working to maintain their power within a developing society of people wanting to think for themselves. They're against people like her uncle, Lord Asriel (Daniel Craig), who wants to travel to a parallel world and then is almost poisoned for his non conformity.

The Golden Compass is the last of it's kind and everyone wants a look at it. But Lyra is the true owner as she is the only that can read it. The compass shows the owner, with it's hidden codes, the answers to all truths. Lyra uses it to travel north to find her best friend and the other children who are being separated from their demons. Every human has a demon, your soul in the form of a creature traveling outside of your body. Together with the Egyptians, the flying witches, the fighting Ice Bears, a crazy arrogant Mrs. Coulter (Nicole Kidman), Lyra tries to complete her quest.

2007 - The Golden Compass - Academy - Best Visual Effects.

I viewed 5/08

'The Golden Compass' Now Pointing South?

Thu, 18 Jul 2008 18:30:26 GMT

posted by bigpicture
Even though it eventually recouped its money after stronger international ticket sales than we saw in the states, it was a bit surprising when we heard rumblings earlier this year that there would be a sequel to The Golden Compass. It wasn't odd from the standpoint of the story; after all, Phillip Pullman wrote a trilogy of books. But it was one of those sequels that was hard to accept financially.

Sure, The Golden Compass made $372 million worldwide against a $180 million budget, but when you add in marketing costs and all the rest, it's safe to say that this didn't come close to doubling its money (until you factor in DVD rentals and sales...and then the math gets really cloudy). And when you're talking about a $200 million sequel, well, you don't want to run the risk of Prince Caspian happening - and that series got off to a great start.

Contact Music is reporting that Pullman says he's never been approached by a sequel, which fans the flames of speculation that this was truly a one-and-done. "When the first film was in production, I was talking to the studio and to (writer/director) Chris Weitz and producers quite frequently. I'm sure I would be now if the sequel was in production," he admits. "I know everyone would like to see a sequel and I know I'd like to see it."

Some say the protests from the Catholic Church not only hurt the box office performance of the first film but may be keeping the sequel from moving forward. I certainly buy that the Church had a big influence here in America with regard to the output of The Golden Compass, but as for the sequel? I think what might be dooming that is the only thing more powerful than God in this country: Money.