The Golden Compass
The Golden Compass
Movie Review: The Golden Compass
"The much-hyped movie The Golden Compass has finally arrived in movie theaters
across America. Christians
are being encouraged to keep themselves and their children away from the film
and denounce its message. In
the space below I have attempted to give a concise summary of the movie along with
some pastoral thoughts
that I pray will be of some help to the church. Obviously, these are my own personal
opinions, observations and
conclusions and I realize that not all will agree with my sentiments.
The Messenger
It is always important to consider the background and worldview of any author to help
one understand his/her
work. In this case, let me introduce you to a man named Philip Pullman, the creator
of a well known trilogy of
children's books called His Dark Materials. This trilogy, which has sold over
15 million copies and achieved
award-winning status in the literary world, begins with a book called The
Golden Compass� now a motion
picture. His Dark Materials are very similar in genre to the well-known work of
C.S. Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia.
Pullman was raised in England under the influence of the Anglican Church of which
his grandfather was a
parish priest. As far as where he stands spiritually, Pullman says this of himself
in an interview with the Sydney
Morning Herald: "If we're talking on the scale of human life and the things we
see around us, I'm an atheist.
There's no God here. There never was. But if you go out in the vastness of
space, well, I'm not so sure. On that level, I'm an agnostic."
The Message
First of all, I should mention that I did see the film. By doing so I am not
advocating that others do likewise, but
I felt I had a responsibility to personally evaluate the film from first-hand
knowledge and not solely on what others have written or said about it.
In the movie the words "church" or "God" are never used�not once.
However, this does not mean that God
and the church are not clearly represented in the film. In fact, it is unmistakable
that The Golden Compass, at its
core, is a movie about the church and God. The film uses the terms "the
Magisterium" and "the Authority"
countless times. These are obvious code words for the church and God respectively.
I cannot go into every detail and nuance of the film here. Nevertheless, let me try
to summarize the message of
the movie as I saw it. The message of The Golden Compass is this: The Magisterium,
who serve the Authority,
is on a mission to destroy truth and free will so it can retain its power over
the people. However, there remains
one key obstacle to fulfilling this mission� a golden compass. This golden compass
has the power to "tell the
truth"� something that poses a great threat to the Magisterium. Throughout history
the Magisterium has found a
way to destroy every golden compass except one. It just so happens that this one
golden compass, which
resembles a ouija board, finds its way into the hands of an eleven year-old girl
named Lyra. The movie is
basically a tale of the Magisterium trying to capture Lyra and, thus, destroy the
truth. There is one other sub-plot worth mentioning. The Magisterium is in the
business of kidnapping children and killing their souls (called
"daemons" which take the form of animals). There is an uprising of the
masses who are tired of having their
children kidnapped as well as living under the tyranny of the Magisterium. There is
only one solution� war!
Remember, The Golden Compass is the first episode of Pullman's trilogy. Those familiar
with the next two
episodes tell of the ultimate war where the people kill the Authority once and for
all. Thus, in Pullman's ideal
world, truth and free-will prevail and people are finally safe and can enjoy life.
My Response
Admittedly, I have seen other films that have been much more offensive to me as
a Christian. Still, I believe
that there is justifiable reason for concern. Below, I have listed only two of my
main concerns.
The depiction of the church:
My Recommendations:
Pray:
Proclaim:
Give the ultimate golden compass!
"In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be
persecuted, while evil men and impostors
will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue
in what you have learned
and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and
how from infancy you
have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation
through faith in Christ Jesus. All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, so that
the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good
work"
Written by Pastor M. B.
The depiction of God:
It is obvious that the movie makes a point to depict God
as a cruel, impersonal
authority figure who cares nothing for people. His assigned name, the
Authority, communicates that
God's sole concern is securing his own power by forcing people to submit to him.
The author and directors could not paint a more
negative picture of the
church. The church is seen as a heartless, manipulative, oppressive, and
abusive force intent on retaining
its power over the people. The portrayal of the church engaging in prolific
child kidnapping and
experimentation was very disturbing to me. Granted, in recent years we have
all been sickened by
reports of Roman Catholic priests molesting innocent children, but the
movie, in my opinion, goes too
far. Children will walk away from the movie (and the books) with a very
dark view of the church and
God. In fact, the clear message of the movie is that the church will hurt
you� even abuse you. Fight
against it. Resist it. At all costs. This, I am afraid, is the very
intention of Pullman. It is a sad and troubling message.
These are troubled times we live in. Our culture continues to drift farther and
farther away from
absolute truth and our nation's foundation. If there is any time where God's
people should fervently pray
for themselves, their children, their church, and their nation� it is now. This
movie is just another
reminder that there is an obvious spiritual conflict that pervades our society.
Let us pray� both
independently and corporately for strength, boldness, and discernment.
I find that hyped-up movies like The Golden Compass actually provide great ways to engage
people in conversation about spiritual things. As I was leaving the theater
a man asked me what movie I
just came out of. I was able to briefly talk to him about my impressions.
Again, I am not advocating
going to see The Golden Compass, but I do suggest that people make an effort
to learn about the things
that are going on in the world of art, film, literature, and entertainment
so they may be equipped to share
their thoughts with their non-Christian neighbors, friends, co-workers, and
family members.
As I watched the movie I couldn't help but think what the plot would
have looked like if it were reversed. Instead of the church trying to wipe
out truth by destroying the
golden compass, what if it was promoting it by handing out Bibles! As
Christians we have the wonderful
Word of God in our possession. The Bible contains God's truth for all
humanity. It's not something to
hide from people; it's something to share with the world!
Don't hesitate to get the Word
of God into the hands of those who are desperately searching for truth in
this life!"
(2 Timothy 3:13-17).
First Baptist Church
Stockton, CA
