The Golden Compass

The other night I was a bad bad Catholic and went and saw a sneak preview of "The Golden Compass"(I'm hoping that the fact I didn't actually pay for it will save my lapsed butt on a technicality) and after seeing the movie I have to say there's nothing in it for zealous religious types to get upset over (not that that usually stops them). In order to appeal to the widest possible audience the filmmakers have defanged the atheism in Philip Pullman's book, which is rather like making a new version of "Gone With the Wind" and not citing the Yankees as the enemy. Instead of the evil church in the book, the movie bad guys are a government agency which I think might confuse movie viewers who haven't read the book when they get to the parts about 'Dust' which is understood to be Original Sin in the books.

This defanging also brings in the possibility of another interpretation which strictly contridicts the author's intention. Not to give too much away, but part of the story deals with this mysterious government agency attempting to seperate children from their deamon, which is an animal representation of the soul which accompanies a human everywhere. (Again something that makes more sense when it's a church-churches being more in the business of human souls.) I think one of the best parts of Pullman's premise is the concept of the deamon-it's the deepest wish of every child (and adult children!) to have a totally loving being always with you, one who will never, ever leave you and by removing the church of the book the movie allows the interpretation of the deamon as savior, which would likely rankle Pullman to say the least.

Due to this defanging and the necessary pruning to produce a 2 hour movie, "The Golden Compass" the movie comes across as a kind of Classic Illustrated comic book version-great visuals and the basic story but lacking the theme that made the book great. It wasn't bad by any means-the casting is spot on (Daniel Craig looks as good in a parka with a snow leopard by his side as he does in a tux or a Speedo) and the CGI effects are used well. (Of course, Hoyden me would probably go for any movie with a plucky heroine on a daring Northern adventure.) Many people will see and enjoy it as just a good yarn, which is fine, but the reader in me wishes the filmmakers had followed Pullman's book (forgive me) more religiously.


**If you too are facinated by the concept of the deamon but can't decide which animal form yours would take you can go to goldencompassmovie.com and take a test which will pick one for you. According to the site mine is a snow leopard named Archeleron because I am (and I quote) "modest, inquisitive, flexiable, softly spoken and spontaneous".