Archbishop Charles Chaput, OFM Cap. (Order of Friars Minor, Capuchin), of the Denver Archdiocese, reviews The Golden Compass.
I saw it at an 8:30 evening showing on Dec. 8. The theater was largely deserted. That may be a trend. While "The Golden Compass," released by New Line Cinema, ranked No. 1 in box office revenues on its opening weekend, it took in only a modest $26.1 million. The three "Ring Trilogy" movies grossed between $47 and $72 million on their respective opening weekends, and "The Chronicles of Narnia" had opening revenues of more than $65 million. In fact, secular critics have been less than kind to the movie, and for good reason. It's long, complicated, and despite a very gifted supporting cast and wonderful special effects, the story is finally lifeless. Much of the movie takes place in the polar north, and the iciness of the setting is a perfect metaphor for the chilly, sterile spirit at the heart of the story. Anyone expecting a playful children's fantasy would do well to look elsewhere. There is nothing remotely "playful" about this movie.As many readers will already know, Philip Pullman is an atheist, and "The Golden Compass"--the first book in his trilogy "His Dark Materials"--is a calculated counter-story to Christian-based fantasies like "The Lord of the Rings" and "Narnia." "The Golden Compass" takes place in a parallel world similar to earth, but dominated by a sinister quasi-religious authority known as the Magisterium. This powerful elite seeks to "protect" people--for their own good--by shielding them from scientific knowledge, represented by the movie's mysterious cosmic dust and a truth-telling piece of technology called an "alethiometer" (or golden compass). More specifically, the Magisterium abducts young children and literally kills their souls, thereby extinguishing the spirit of free thought and inquiry.
The aggressively anti-religious, anti-Christian undercurrent in "The Golden Compass" is unmistakable and at times undisguised. The wicked Mrs. Coulter alludes approvingly to a fictional version of the doctrine of Original Sin. When a warrior Ice Bear--one of the heroes of the story--breaks into the local Magisterium headquarters to take back the armor stolen from him, the exterior walls of the evil building are covered with Eastern Christian icons. And for Catholics in our own world, of course, "Magisterium" refers to the teaching authority of the Church--hardly a literary coincidence. The idea that any Christian film critics could overlook or downplay these negative elements, as some have seemed to do, is simply baffling.
I am always heartened when I see a Bishop with the initials of a religious order after his name, especially one known for its strict fidelity like the Capuchins. While St. Francis could not have envisioned that his acolytes would one day be pressed into service as film critics, it is always good to see our current culture subjected to scrutiny by the serious minded.
Hat tip to Carl Olson at Ignatius Insight.