Chronicles of Narnia
The Lion, the Witch,
and the Wardrobe
I chose to compare The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the
Witch, and the Wardrobe to be my movie versus book analysis. I would like to think that I am a book lover
and a movie lover for much of the same reasons. They are a way to escape the perils of everyday and enter a world
of imagination, each character coming alive with each word. A world with no limitations and a way that I
too with the help of the author create characters I fall in love with. While movies allow me to just enjoy someone else’s
imagination through the use of film and computer graphics. Visual effects, music, and the actor/actress
bring to life a book I love.
Personally I find that if I read a book prior to the making
of a film, I almost never like it. In
this case, I loved The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the
Wardrobe. The book and movie were so
similar; it was as if C.S. Lewis himself wrote the screenplay for the
film. Because the film was so parallel
to the book I had a difficult time discerning their differences. So I had to
read the children’s book all over again.
The greatest thing about it was that it was just as good as the first
time I read this series as a child.
One of the differences between the book and the movie is
that the book is a very easy read.
Large print, designed for audiences from ages eight and up, it has a
certain classic appeal to it. The
illustrations were simple, and tasteful, very similar to the illustrations of
Winnie the Pooh.
While the movie was
intense with vivid color, dramatized graphics, creating Narnia as a magical and
surreal world. The cinematography
striking, literally taking you to another place, another world.
One of the parts of the book that was missing from the film
was in a scene when Father Christmas comes to greet the beloved four
characters: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy.
He gives them each their destined weapon. Explaining their role in Narnia and what is expected of
them. After giving their gifts/destined
weapons, Father Christmas pulls out from his red bad, piping hot tea for all to
enjoy before they continue their journey.
In the film, this scene is completely taken out. I believe the screenwriters took it out
because it held no significance to the plot of the film, thus not using the
scene from the book.
In the book C.S. Lewis describes the beloved Aslan, the Lion,
Ruler of all Narnia and known on earth by many names, as so intense, so
radiant, that one trembles in his presence.
That his eyes so penetrating that you could not look into his face. In the film, Aslan the Lion is portrayed as
gentle strength. So gentle that he
often comes to young Lucy because of her unshakable faith. I believe that the film makers made Aslan
come across as gentle strength because had they made Aslan fierce, he would
have come across as evil but since he is a good and righteous character they
made him beautiful, gentle, and a great leader, using the voice of Liam Neeson
to give authority to the character.
There was very few differences between the film and the book
but the differences mentioned above were all necessary on behalf of the film
makers. They created a film the
proceeded the expectations of the book merely by re-creating Narnia. The book is sweet, sincere, and has
beautiful illustrations; but the film helped the book sort of grow up and turn
into something incredible. I love both
the book and the film because they compliment each other and support each
others talents not to mention they are appropriate for all ages and will
continue to influence generations to come.
References:
No comments:
Post a Comment