Golden Compass--wimp out?

Does anyone else think THE GOLDEN COMPASS wouldn't have been such a flop if it had actually been a faithful adaptation--if it hadn't soft-pedalled the author's anti-religious stance for the family trade, but had confronted it head-on? There probably would have been a full-scale protest by the Catholic Church (instead of the token one that happened) resulting in people standing outside theatres with signs and handing out flyers. This would have raised curiosity (it always does--religious right-wingers never learn) and made the movie a conversation piece you just HAD to see--a cultural touchstone. It might have really MATTERED, instead of fading so soon without leaving an imprint.

The movie as it was had many things to recommend it--almost all the performances, the production design, and Chris Weitz's direction, which was surprisingly empathic and detailed for a fantasy spectacle (you remembered the actors instead of the effects.) All it lacked was coherence--and nerve. What has happened to the artists who used to court controversy? Movies don't fail because they're too "daring" or "go too far" (what was the last movie you saw that did that, anyway?) They fail because studio executives dither around trying to please this or that demographic, terrified of giving offense to anyone. Then they wonder why their movies turn out incoherent and uninteresting.

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From what I understand, and I have not read the books or seen the movie, the author is really anti-organized religion and not pro-atheism.

But I could be wrong.

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Oops! Wrong thread!

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Updated On: 12/31/07 at 10:20 PM

I'm sorry, papa - who are you, anyway?

nitusa - there are a couple of articles which refer to Pullman as being 'an outspoken atheist' among many things.

Here is something from The New Yorker:
http://www.newyorker.com/archive/2005/12/26/051226fa_fact

The term anti-organised religion encompasses alot more then just atheists - alot of people who are religous can also be anti-organised religion.

I am in the middle of the third book and as a Christian I think that it is ridiculous that they had to dodge around the main point. The whole movie was ruined for me when they didn't show the end of the book at the end of the movie.

I teach at a Christian school and as a school the book has been banned. I had to explain to my students why they school chose to do this and I wanted to scream for joy when one kid looked at me and said, "Don't they think that we are smart enough to realize that its just fiction and not think that it is real? We're not that stupid and easily manipulated by a book." (I love this student) I just shrugged and said that it is up to their parents to decide what they should read and that if their parents want them to have access that that is up to them, but the school won't allow them in the building.

I hate to jump on a bandwagon uninformed so I have seen the movie and am reading the whole trilogy and frankly I think the whole upset is stupid. We don't believe everything we read so why should be worry about a series of books that have characters who walk around with talking animals, armored fighting polar bears, witches, weird elephant type things that travel on wheels etc...

The movie would have done better if they had just been up front about the intention of the series and not dodged it. We're not that simple minded that we can't decide what to watch or read or more importantly believe.

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simple, kel would be fired, her husband would leave her and the state would take her child.

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too late, ivan the wonderful, your hatred for kel has already reared its ugly head and shown itself to be as virulent as your racism.

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The movie obviously didn't perform up to expectations domestically, but thanks to the international market, it has now grossed a little over 313 million. This probably means that the next ones will get green-lit - as soon as someone can write them, of course.

The criticisms of the film weren't that it was watered down, but overstuffed and incoherent.

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The thing that made me rather pissy about the film was they cut out the original ending. I don't want to give it way for those who have not read the books, but in the novel the ending of The Golden Compass basically sets up the next book. I didn't understand why they would cut that out...unless it's going to be in the Subtle Knife (if they every make it)?

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Thanks for the info Pippin! I personally think that it be a really stupid idea NOT to include the real ending at all; but if they do continue with the films then adding the book ending to 'The Subtle Knife' could work.

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No kidding roquat! I just hope they get to continue with the films; it really stink if they only made Compass and left it hanging.

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