tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9396860.post110927229262254207..comments2024-03-28T08:41:17.341-04:00Comments on <center> Ralph the Sacred River </center>: Narnia and Disney: Aslan the Pooh?Edhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05188482189638751204noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9396860.post-1109408250293207022005-02-26T03:57:00.000-05:002005-02-26T03:57:00.000-05:00>>>>>Michael: maybe if the Chinese were more famil...>>>>>Michael: maybe if the Chinese were more familiar with Lewis's theological writings, they would have a more accurate view of Christianity.>>>>>><br /><br />My impression is that people here simply aren't interested in Christianity, accurate or not. Most of the Christians I know converted because they lived in the US, and did so mostly to fit in. The greatest missionary success has been among the aborigines, whose native cultures have been destroyed by Dutch, Chinese and Japanese colonialism, modernization, and finally, missionaries. <br /><br />You have to really live in a place where Christian religious ideas are taken seriously as religious ideas, like the US, in order to...take them seriously. One of the things I've learned in Taiwan, really learned, not just intellectually, is how little impact the Christian stories themselves have if your culture does not prepare you for them. Really, I doubt accuracy is an issue. The whole mythoreligious thrust of the culture is different. So Christianity doesn't press any emotional buttons for the locals.<br /><br />I suppose we could also wrestle over whether Lewis' portrayal of Christianity is "accurate" or what an "accurate" view of Christianity would be. Speaking as an atheist and skeptic, I doubt we'd see eye-to-eye on that one! :)<br /><br />MichaelMichael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9396860.post-1109377765024425192005-02-25T19:29:00.000-05:002005-02-25T19:29:00.000-05:00Michael: maybe if the Chinese were more familiar w...Michael: maybe if the Chinese were more familiar with Lewis's theological writings, they would have a more accurate view of Christianity.EMChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02505525490002421093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9396860.post-1109367762200247832005-02-25T16:42:00.000-05:002005-02-25T16:42:00.000-05:00"And the effects firm in charge being part of that..."And the effects firm in charge being part of that trainwreck called the Lord of the Rings does not fill me with confidence on that score either."<br /><br />While LOTR didn't follow the books as faithfully as some would have liked, I don't think you can fault the effects team at WETA for that. If anything I thought the effects were the best part of LOTR, but effects alone won't make it a good movie.<br /><br />Of course, I enjoyed Jackson's version of LOTR.John W Leyshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08001536162463313279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9396860.post-1109347312755103562005-02-25T11:01:00.000-05:002005-02-25T11:01:00.000-05:00>>>>>>However, they are certainly avoiding the top...>>>>>>However, they are certainly avoiding the topic of religion. Check out what this official movie web-site says about Lewis. One would never guess that his fame and popularity had anything to do with his Christian beliefs.>>>>><br /><br /><br />Does it really? For most people he's famous as a fiction writer. His other life as a writer of low-grade apologetics might loom large for many Christians, but few people in the world at large know much about that. For example, here in Taiwan, many of my students have read or at least have heard of his books, but are unaware that they are connected to Christianity, let alone that he is revered by millions of Christians for other kinds of writings. You have to live in a culture like the US, absolutely saturated by Christianity, to catch the allegory.<br /><br /><br />>>>>> There is not the ghost of a whisper of a hint about religion in the entire web-site, although it does provide a link to Harper's site, where Lewis's faith is acknowledged.>>>>>><br /><br /><br />Goes both ways. It is common for movies to downplay any interesting religious commitments or ideas, or eliminate them, or reconfigure them in conventional ways. I could give you a list of atheists similarly downplayed. And you have to remember that Disney is an international marketing firm, and there are countries where Christianity is not a factor, like Taiwan, or is positively discouraged. All across Asia, there are many people who privately consider Christianity to be a form of demon-worship. So Disney has to toe some very uncomfortable lines. You should be glad they are making the movie at all.:)<br /><br />I did find it amusing that Disney said that they would follow the book, though. Since when do movies do that? And the effects firm in charge being part of that trainwreck called the Lord of the Rings does not fill me with confidence on that score either.<br /><br />MichaelMichael Turtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17974403961870976346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9396860.post-1109302482264155952005-02-24T22:34:00.000-05:002005-02-24T22:34:00.000-05:00Thanks, guys. I feel better about the movie. I sti...Thanks, guys. I feel better about the movie. I still want to know if Disney has any rights to the characters themselves, or if their rights extend only to the making of the movies.EMChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02505525490002421093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9396860.post-1109289304047097972005-02-24T18:55:00.000-05:002005-02-24T18:55:00.000-05:00I wouldn't worry too much about the Narnia films, ...I wouldn't worry too much about the Narnia films, since, while funded by Disney, they're being produced by Walden Media (www.walden.com), a company set up to produce entertaining family movies based on childrens' literature. While they butchered Around the World in 80 Days, they made excellent movies in Holes and I Am David - and their newest release, Because of Winn-Dixie, has received excellent reviews which note its unflinching portrayal of Christianity.<br /><br />I had a chance to chat with one of the executives at Walden this past summer, and he was quite clear that Lewis' Christian themes would not be watered down. That, of course, remains to be seen, but based on Walden's previous track record, I would trust that the Christian themes will come through.<br /><br />It will be fascinating to see the reaction to this film. If it's made faithfully, then it might approach The Passion of the Christ's popularity. That would be worth a few Reepicheep Happy Meals!Evanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14752187087963523790noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9396860.post-1109281446184278552005-02-24T16:44:00.000-05:002005-02-24T16:44:00.000-05:00I wouldn't worry too much about the character desi...I wouldn't worry too much about the character designs. While Disney is producing the picture it isn't an animated feature and the visual effects are being handled by Weta Digital, the unit responsible for the effects in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.John W Leyshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08001536162463313279noreply@blogger.com