Categories: uncategorized
Date: 05 December 2007 23:23:15
Ok, first up I'm a geek (as can easily be seen from my buffy/doctor who/H2G2/stargate posters and my hellishly complex dalek gloves). Second up, I'm the kind of geek who sees it as a personal insult when the flim is completely different to the book. So, when I went to see the "Golden Compass" I expected to come out muttering and cursing, in fact, even the small clips on whatever news show I watched about a week ago had me and my housemate simultaneously yelling "It's not a compass! It's an alethiometer." Despite this, I wasn't really expecting the major changes to the film that were actually made.
The removal of the church as the big bad was annoying. Understandable due the fact it is an American film, and they didn't want to piss off the fundies, religion isn't mentioned - the concept of Original Sin which is key to the understanding of the Dust in the first book (from Dust thou were created, to Dust thou shall submit) is completely missing, as is the Witches prophecy of Lyra as the second Eve. All of which are key to the events in the third book.
As it stands, it will only be possible to film the third book if you explain all most of the references in it - Billy's death being the trigger for Lyra's journey to the other world, the battle between the angels and the church, the death of god.
The issue of betrayal isn't even mentioned - one of the key scenes, where the Master of Jordan college poisons the Tokay is twisted, and the Magestarium is responsible. And, to cap it all, despite a wonderful scene where Lyra finds out that she will be taking Lord Asreal what he needs, they never get there, Lyra isn't betrayed, deamons aren't sevred, bridges aren't made and Lyra doesn't walk accross the birdge to another world.
There were any number of other little niggles I had with it - the order was changed, somethings that were explained in the book were not explained in the film, and the wrong questions were aske - but those are the major ones.
As a film it was beatuiful, many of the characters were spot on - Lyra, John Faa, Serefina Pekela, all perfect...the CGI was stunning, the effects amazing. It was richly decorated, and generally a beautiful film - but unfortunaly I'm one of those annoying people that thinks that if you're going to make a film of a book, then you should follow the damn book as closely as possible.
I'm wierd like that.