His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass
Before I talk about the movie, I want to say that exams are finally over!
GOOD RIDDANCE.
No rest for the weary though, FYP begins on Monday.
My 6th post on this blog back in the May of 2006 was titled His Dark Materials. I have waited for almost a year and a half, and I finally managed to catch the first part of the trilogy, The Golden Compass today.
There will be spoilers in here, for those who have not seen the movie, as well as spoilers for those who have not read the book.
Firstly, how can one squeeze so much material into a 2 hours movie? And as mentioned in the post of 29th May 2006, I had expected the movie would not be able to explain and portray well the relationship between a person and his/her daemon. The books went to great lengths to do this, how a human and a daemon can never travel too far apart, how it is a taboo for a human to touch another's daemon, and the companionship, trust and love a human and daemon share. The movie tried, however, but it was lacking. I don't blame the movie though, it is hard to put into picture the subtleties that can be explained by words. Who says a picture paints a thousand words right? And this relationship plays much important roles in the 2nd and 3rd books, like the betrayal of Lyra and the contact of Will and Pantalaimon.
Secondly, alot of material from the book is missing and a good example of this is the discussion of Lyra's betrayal. The book was very dark. But the movie was so family orientated. There was a scene where Mrs Coulter promised a child she would send the letters that he wrote to his parents, and thereafter she got the trust of the boy, she burnt the letters away. Then there was Billy Costa in the hut. He was hugging a dead fish in the book, treating it as his daemon. The book managed to portray the lost of his spirit, the emptiness of his soul after he lost his daemon. In the movie, he just looked like a zombie.
Thirdly, as mentioned, a 2 hours movie was probably too short. Serafina Pekkala and Lee Scoresby were not well characterised. Lyra's discovery of Mrs Coulter's involvement with the "Magisterium" and Gobblers seemed too contrived and too quick. One moment she was enthralled by Coulter, and next she says she hates her. Many things happened too quickly and without much reason. After Lyra deceived (Iofur) Ragnar into fighting Iorek, Lyra suddenly cries and starts to regret her decision. We didn't get to see the bond she had forged with Iorek in the movie. We are just told suddenly of this bond she has with him. Characters will also suddenly seem to know things. Even the "plot twist" they created in the movie seemed so forced and unbelievable. In the book, Lyra actually know about her parents very early on, and was told by the gyptians. The main "plot twist" actually comes at the end of the book.
Which brings me to my fourth point. They removed the last 3 chapters of the book. The movie wasn't dark enough. It was too "kids-friendly". Whatever Lyra did, she succeeded. There were no points of happiness, nor were there any of saddness. Perhaps if the last 3 chapters were thrown in. And Roger would die, and Lord Asriel did not seem that good of a person as he opened the gate to another world, then it might have made the story more "mature". It might give the story a bit more heart. "So Lyra and her daemon turned away from the world they were born in, and looked toward the sun, and walked into the sky." I think this ending would look so much nicer than the generic riding off into the sunset ending in the movie.
I have more to say, but I think I gone on long enough on my opinions of the film. I love the book, and hence, even after all the bad things I had mentioned, I find it hard to say that this movie is bad. I would love to say that it is quite enjoyable, maybe. Just a bit. I guess.
Book 2 is the shortest, so maybe they'll be able to go more into depth with the characters and the world. But then book 3 is the longest, and a thousand and one things are going on altogether at once. So, well, I'll will wait and see. That is, if they are really going to make the rest of the series.
Oh well. Read the books.
Okay. I shall shut up now.
GOOD RIDDANCE.
No rest for the weary though, FYP begins on Monday.
My 6th post on this blog back in the May of 2006 was titled His Dark Materials. I have waited for almost a year and a half, and I finally managed to catch the first part of the trilogy, The Golden Compass today.
There will be spoilers in here, for those who have not seen the movie, as well as spoilers for those who have not read the book.
Firstly, how can one squeeze so much material into a 2 hours movie? And as mentioned in the post of 29th May 2006, I had expected the movie would not be able to explain and portray well the relationship between a person and his/her daemon. The books went to great lengths to do this, how a human and a daemon can never travel too far apart, how it is a taboo for a human to touch another's daemon, and the companionship, trust and love a human and daemon share. The movie tried, however, but it was lacking. I don't blame the movie though, it is hard to put into picture the subtleties that can be explained by words. Who says a picture paints a thousand words right? And this relationship plays much important roles in the 2nd and 3rd books, like the betrayal of Lyra and the contact of Will and Pantalaimon.
Secondly, alot of material from the book is missing and a good example of this is the discussion of Lyra's betrayal. The book was very dark. But the movie was so family orientated. There was a scene where Mrs Coulter promised a child she would send the letters that he wrote to his parents, and thereafter she got the trust of the boy, she burnt the letters away. Then there was Billy Costa in the hut. He was hugging a dead fish in the book, treating it as his daemon. The book managed to portray the lost of his spirit, the emptiness of his soul after he lost his daemon. In the movie, he just looked like a zombie.
Thirdly, as mentioned, a 2 hours movie was probably too short. Serafina Pekkala and Lee Scoresby were not well characterised. Lyra's discovery of Mrs Coulter's involvement with the "Magisterium" and Gobblers seemed too contrived and too quick. One moment she was enthralled by Coulter, and next she says she hates her. Many things happened too quickly and without much reason. After Lyra deceived (Iofur) Ragnar into fighting Iorek, Lyra suddenly cries and starts to regret her decision. We didn't get to see the bond she had forged with Iorek in the movie. We are just told suddenly of this bond she has with him. Characters will also suddenly seem to know things. Even the "plot twist" they created in the movie seemed so forced and unbelievable. In the book, Lyra actually know about her parents very early on, and was told by the gyptians. The main "plot twist" actually comes at the end of the book.
Which brings me to my fourth point. They removed the last 3 chapters of the book. The movie wasn't dark enough. It was too "kids-friendly". Whatever Lyra did, she succeeded. There were no points of happiness, nor were there any of saddness. Perhaps if the last 3 chapters were thrown in. And Roger would die, and Lord Asriel did not seem that good of a person as he opened the gate to another world, then it might have made the story more "mature". It might give the story a bit more heart. "So Lyra and her daemon turned away from the world they were born in, and looked toward the sun, and walked into the sky." I think this ending would look so much nicer than the generic riding off into the sunset ending in the movie.
I have more to say, but I think I gone on long enough on my opinions of the film. I love the book, and hence, even after all the bad things I had mentioned, I find it hard to say that this movie is bad. I would love to say that it is quite enjoyable, maybe. Just a bit. I guess.
Book 2 is the shortest, so maybe they'll be able to go more into depth with the characters and the world. But then book 3 is the longest, and a thousand and one things are going on altogether at once. So, well, I'll will wait and see. That is, if they are really going to make the rest of the series.
Oh well. Read the books.
Okay. I shall shut up now.
posted by The Jabberwocky at 12:08 AM
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