I didn't read The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis as a child like so many other people did. I finally read all seven books in the series in 2002. I'm not a huge fan of fantasy, but I am a fan of Lewis, and when I finally decided to give Chronicles a chance, I quickly realized that they transcend fantasy.
In "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe," Lewis did a masterful job with his allegory about the sacrificial atonement of Christ. I would have never caught such a thing as a child, but at the same time, the Chronicles of Narnia were written for children. Maybe Lewis intended for us to enjoy the best of both worlds by reading them in both childhood and adulthood.
When Focus on the Family produced an audio dramatization of the series on CD a few years ago, I purchased the complete set and have enjoyed listening to them as I travel. You'd think that by now I might be a little tired of the Chronicles, but ever since I heard that "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe" were coming to the big screen, I've been excited to see it. I caught a brief glimpse of the movie while at the International Christian Retail Show in Denver this past July, but not enough to know whether I'd enjoy the movie as much as the book and the audio dramatization.
I'm always going to be partial to books over their movie counterparts, but in this case, the movie comes close. I saw it on Saturday night, and while I'd make a few alterations if I had control over such things, I have no major complaints about the film. Here are a few of my observations:
1. The film accurately captures Aslan's ferociousness, his gentleness, and his majesty. At one point, Mr. Tumnus points out that, "Aslan is not a tame Lion." And Aslan's proclamation that "It is finished" after pouncing on and killing the White Witch was quite moving. As was his roar—especially when he heads into battle with the White Witch. And I loved hearing the fear in the White Witch's voice when she hears that "Aslan is on the move."
2. The Stone Table scene is everything I expected. Aslan slowly makes his way up the stairs, facing ridicule all the way, then has his mane cut off before the White Witch declares victory by plunging the dagger into Aslan's body—a quite moving scene, especially when you know that Aslan paid the ultimate price for Edmund's betrayal.
3. The battle scene towards the end of the movie is thought-provoking. Some on Aslan's side die in the battle and many are injured. Both aspects are part of battle, and while Aslan certainly has the power to win the battle himself, he chooses to display his power through his soldiers.
Sounds like we can look forward to more movies from some of the other books in the Chronicles series and I can't wait—especially if they are done as well as this one.
