The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

(L-R) Anna Popplewell, William Moseley, Georgie Henley. Photo Credit: Phil Bray.
© 2005 Disney Enterprises, Inc. and Walden Media, LLC. All rights reserved.

 
My childhood memories of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe evoke two different emotions in me: first, I remember my second grade teacher (and first love) reading to us after lunch time…so I was of course doubly enthralled by the experience. My second, and most vivid memory, is of crying my eyes out while watching the animated version on television. I guess what I remember most was the how wondrous it all seemed and how much I, as a youngster, felt engaged by the story.

Given the enduring appeal of the source material and the unbelievable success of “The Lord of the Rings” films, it was only a matter of time before C.S. Lewis’s seminal works received a big budget production. When I saw the first preview for “The Chronicles of Narnia” I was intrigued to discover that the book was being made into film, but even more intrigued by all of the hub-bub surrounding the film’s Christian themes. I certainly don’t remember ever being beaten over the head with religious symbolism as a child, but then again I was just a kid enjoying a well-told story. Unfortunately, we adults bring all sorts of personal baggage with us into a movie theater that a child would never bother with – and bless their little hearts and chocolate-smeared faces for possessing the kind of truly open minds that we’ve all lost over the years.

The film adaptation of “The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” introduces us to the Pevensie children who are struggling to live somewhat normal lives in the chaotic World War II-ravaged United Kingdom. The war, unfortunately, is nearer to them than their own father who has gone off to fight in it. When the German bombings have London too dangerous for them to stay, the children are sent away to live with a stranger, the eccentric and little-seen Professor Kirke (Jim Broadbent). The Professor lives on a stately manner in the country, and his home contains plenty of suits of armor and stained glass windows for the children to cast asunder. It also contains a wardrobe that leads to the magical world of Narnia, but we’ll get to that in a bit…

When they arrive at Professor Kirke’s home the children are of course saddened to be away from their mother, and frightened by Kirke’s crotchety housekeeper Mrs. Macready. The eldest child, Peter (William Moseley) struggles to be both a brother as well as the man of the family. His troublesome brother Edmund (Skander Keynes) and sister Susan (an eerily Chelsea-Clinton-like Anna Popplewell) alternate between questioning his authority and blaming him for everything bad that happens to them or their younger sister Lucy (Georgie Henley). Lucy is the least conflicted of the children, the most warmhearted of the bunch, and unfortunately as the youngest, the least likely to be believed.

The boredom of their isolation ultimately gets the better of the children, and one day they play a game of hide-and-go-seek to pass their time. Edmund and Susan take the most obvious hiding places first, so Lucy is forced to find another place to hide. She enters a room with nothing in it, save a gigantic wardrobe covered by a dustcloth. As she backs into the wardrobe to conceal herself amongst the fur coats she understandably amazed to turn around and find herself in a snow covered pine forest. Rather than being afraid, Lucy is intrigued and she wanders further into the forest to explore. Once inside she happens upon Mr. Tumnus (Jame McAvoy), a kind young man who just happens to have a set of horns on his head and hooves for feet. Again rather than being afraid, Lucy befriends Mr. Tomnus and accompanies him to his home for a tea. Mr. Tomnus is very kind to her, and he explains to Lucy that she is now in the land of Narnia. He also seems afraid of being with her, and despite his friendly nature Mr. Tomnus attempts to kidnap poor Lucy. Mr Tomnus explains that there are no humans in Narnia and if a human is ever spotted they are to be reported immediately…for fear of a visit from the dreaded White Witch. However, Mr. Tomnus is no kiddnapper, so he hurriedly leads Lucy back to where she entered Narnia.

When Lucy emerges from the wardrobe she is stunned to find that no time has past since she left. Peter, Edmund, and Susan are not frantically searching for her, but instead they are just where they were when she went into the wardrobe. She excitedly ends the game by telling them all about her adventures in Narnia with Mr. Tomnus, and her siblings dismiss her story as an attempt to gain their attention. When the children search the wardrobe the find nothing more than dustry old fur coats – yet still Lucy maintains that her story is true.

Later that night, Lucy wishes to see her friend Mr. Tomnus again she sneaks into the wardrobe while she thinks the others are asleep…except Edmund has gotten out of bed and he follows Lucy into the room that contains the wardrobe. When he enters the room Lucy is nowhere to be seen, so he too enters the wardrobe – and this time he also visits Narnia. Unfortunately for Edmund (and all of Narnia) he does not find a friend like Mr. Tomnus in Narnia, instead he meets the White Witch (Tilda Swinton) and her diminutive lackey Ginnarrbrik (Kiran Shah). The White Witch plies Edmund for information about himself and his family by providing him with sweets that she conjures out of nowhere – and the unruly Edmund predictably squeals like a stuck pig. The White Witch offers to make him a prince of Narnia if he promises to lead his brother and sisters to her castle. Edmund is so amazed at the thought of unlimited sweets and unlimited power that he agrees – talk about brotherly love.

When the White Witch has left him ,Edmund eventually finds Lucy and the both exit the wardrobe. Lucy is thrilled that Edmund now knows that Narnia is real, but her excitement is short-lived when Edmund denies ever having been to Narnia when Lucy tells Peter and Susan. Lucy is devastated that Edmund has lied and that because of this Peter and Susan still do not believe her.

But of course we know that both Peter and Susan must enter Narnia at some point, and they are eventually led into the wardrobe by Lucy in an attempt to escape Mrs. Macready’s wrath over a broken window.

Upon entering Narnia the children are torn between leaving and staying. Lucy wants only to introduce them to Mr. Tomnus. Fearing the consequences of the broken window they stay and Lucy leads them to her friend’s home…only to find that Mr. Tomnus’s home has been ransacked and that he has been arrested for consorting with a human. Soon after the children also find a talking beaver who informs them that they are all also in grave danger.

While Lucy is afraid for her friend, Edmund knows that his blabbering has caused Mr. Tomnus to be arrested. He eventually decides to leave on his own to find the witch to inform her that he has brought his siblings, and also to inquire whether or not he can have some more sweets. Instead of sweets, Edmund is given nothing but torment by the White Witch, as she at last shows him her true, treacherous side.

Meanwhile, Peter, Susan and Lucy wish to go after their brother but they are stopped by the new friend, Mr. Beaver, who informs them that their best chance of saving their brother is to find Aslan – a powerful and wise lion who has come to save Narnia from the evil of the White Witch. The children embark on a treacherous journey to find Aslan, and along the way they find a talking fox, vicious wolves, brave centaurs, and many other strange creatures of Narnia.

Okay…now we’re really getting somewhere, and we’re only about an hour into the film.

The remainder of the film deals mainly with the children wanting to fulfill their destiny to bring peace to Narnia and just wanting to go home and forget about the struggle between good and evil that has unfolded due to their presence. The White Witch wishes to see them be crushed along with her mortal enemy, the benevolent leader of the forces of good, Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson). Aslan hopes to teach the children to be strong and wise and good – and he even helps to redeem Edmund, who at this point has done nothing but betray his family.

It is at this point of the film that any adult in the audience with even the slightest knowledge of the New Testament of the bible will see the religious undertones. The White Witch is clearly Satan, and Aslan is clearly a representation of Jesus Christ. To those parents in the audience who are unfamiliar with the story, this revelation will become obvious during the point of the film at which their children are likely to be bawling their little eyes out. Suffice it to say that there is at least one moment in the film that is very likely to be both frightening and incredibly sad for the little ones…just be thankful that the film does not develop the character of Aslan as thoroughly as it could have, for it had there probably would not be a dry eye in the entire audience.

But as the old saying goes, it’s always darkest before the dawn. Too bad the kiddies probably aren’t old enough to have heard that old saying, but rest assured that the young ones will be rewarded for their tears by more than one dramatic return and a climactic battle for Narnia. The good guys might be down, but they aren’t out – even when all seems lost.

A sizable percentage of children who see this film won’t pick up of the religious allegory, but in the end, does it really matter if they do? Kids are going to be entertained by this movie because it’s entertaining. Unlike director Andrew Adamson’s films Shrek and Shrek II, this film keeps it’s sights on the target audience for the duration of the film. The only “in-joke” per se for the adult audience is the religious symbolism which we can either take or leave, while children will simply see a fantasy land filled with good and evil. Most children I imagine will be amazed by this film, and in that purpose the film will be a success.

I could begrudge this film for it’s bloodless battles, talking (but, thankfully, not singing) animals, and an overly brisk pace; however, I think that doing so would miss the point. This movie wasn’t made for a 32-year old horror movie fan like myself, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be enjoyed by one. This movie can and will be enjoyed by children everywhere, and I can understand why, because I loved this story as a child as well. Whatever the origins may be, “The Chonicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” is great story—and in it’s latest form, a pretty good film, too.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe • Dolby® Digital surround sound in select theatres • Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1 • Running Time: 140 minutes • MPAA Rating: PG for battle sequences and frightening moments. • Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures