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Golden Compass points to controversy
The Golden Compass is the movie version of Northern Lights, the first instalment of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. The film is set to be a major box office success, but the books have engaged readers and enraged Christians in equal measure.
The Golden Compass is the movie version of Northern Lights, the first instalment of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. The film is set to be a major box office success, but the books have engaged
readers and enraged Christians in equal measure.SAY the word 'Pantalaimon' to a certain section of people and they will start gushing, smiling, gesturing wildly and offering to lend you a book or three.
Because, as any bookworm will tell you, Pantalaimon is a character in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, which is a wildly popular series of books adored by adults and children alike.
Today sees the release of The Golden Compass, which is the film version of the first book in the trilogy, Northern Lights, and pundits predict that it will give Harry Potter a run for his money at the box office, despite the name being changed to suit an American audience.
But what is the appeal of Mr Pullman's books, which are considered to be darker and deeper than Potter, featuring quantum physics, philosopy of religion and riffs on the nature of good and evil?
Tom King, from Ufford, near Peterborough, said what he likes most about the books is that they have taken the whole fantasy genre to a completely different level.
He said: "It doesn't rely on the traditional Lord of the Rings saga format but instead creates one that has never been done before.
"For example, the concept that our universe is but one of an infinite number of others and somewhere else in the vastness of space and time is another world with another Oxford where no one can truly lie about who they are because of daemons (physical manifestations of the soul which take the form of an animal) is something that has never really been done before in mainstream modern literature."
Tom (15) added that he prefers the His Dark Materials trilogy to the Harry Potter series because it poses more interesting questions for the reader.
He said: "While Harry Potter is essentially about the battle between good and evil, Northern Lights and the other two books are about how organised religion (represented in the books by the Magisterium) tries to control the way the world and people work."
As far as the films are concerned, Tom hopes the makers will be able to capture the depth of the books. "But since I understand they have taken away the religious aspects of the series I worry I may be slightly disappointed with the result," he said.
"Also, the film-makers have made it a lot more difficult for themselves since the next two books rely on creatures such as angels."
And for anyone who hasn't yet read the books, Tom said they would appeal to anyone who likes to ask questions about the world we live in and what things mean.
"It's not just an adventure/fantasy story," he said. "It's much more philosophical than that."
Natalie Gordon, from Broadway, Farcet, is 19-years-old, and discovered the His Dark Materials trilogy when she was 14. She fell in love with Lyra's world instantly.
She said: "I liked the idea that your soul is shown as an animal that can change form to protect you, and found it inspirational. I was gripped right from the first sentence."I'm so excited that they have made it into a film, although I'm slightly miffed that they've changed the name from Northern Lights to The Golden Compass.
"But from various trailers and interviews I'm glad to see my favourite characters brought to life in what I'm sure will be an amazing adaptation of a fabulous children's classic."
And yet not everyone is thrilled with Mr Pullman's efforts, or looking forward to buying a bucket of popcorn and watching the film.
Because the trilogy has some controversial things to say about religion, which has angered Christians, such as Captain Carol Baker, a member of the Salvation Army in the Ortons.
She said: "Both the book and the movie introduce atheism to children.
"The author of the book the film is based on, Philip Pullman, is a militant atheist, and his main objective is always to bash Christianity and promote atheism.
"While The Golden Compass movie may seem mild and innocent, the books are a much different story. In the trilogy, a young streetwise girl becomes enmeshed in an epic struggle to ultimately defeat the oppressive forces of a senile God."
Captain Baker is worried that The Golden Compass is opening during the run-up to Christmas season and that youngsters will see the film and then want the books for Christmas.
She said: "We live in a very secular world and I believe we need to remember the main focus of Christmas is Christian and about Jesus coming to earth as a baby to save us.
"We live in a dark world that very much needs to know the God of love found in Jesus Christ."
FACTFILE: His Dark Materials trilogy
His Dark Materials is a trilogy of novels by the fantasy fiction author Philip Pullman, comprising Northern Lights, which was published in 1995, The Subtle Knife, published in 1997 and The Amber Spyglass, released in 2000.
The trilogy follows the coming of age of two characters, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, as they wander through parallel universes.
The film
version of the first book has caused controversy before it even opens as there have been calls from some sections of the Christian community for the film to be boycotted because of its perceived attacks on organised religion.
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