When I read Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, I was amazed by the intricacy of his plot, the emotional depth of his characters and the fluidity of his language. One of the reasons why I love fantasy books is the way they work my imagination and in that respect, Pullman’s mastery won me over.
When I heard the news that Northern Lights was going to be be adapted for the silver screen, I was elated. There is nothing better than seeing the worlds that you had created in your mind using imagination and words “alive” in such magnitude. And once I saw the list of cast members, I realised that it wouldn’t be merely loud booms and crashes.
It thus totally boggles my mind when I read that Christians in the US were raising a ruckus about the movie, claiming that it “bashes Christianity“.
Seriously, it’s a piece of fiction. The church that Pullman writes about may just be a symbol of an institution. The church in his book is cruel and autocratic, yes. Instead of calling for people to boycott the movie (which, really, just goes to show how narrow-minded people can be), why don’t they encourage consumers to watch the movie and then learn to draw the distinction between reality and fiction? Let them decide for themselves whether the content is truly promoting atheism. If they are afraid of children being misled by the movie, isn’t it the duty of these parents to a) simply not let them watch it or b) educate them on what is right and wrong?
These people should learn that the bigger the fuss they create, the more aware others will be of the movie. Human beings are inquisitive creatures and those who have never heard of it will be tempted to check it out to see what the fuss is all about.
Yannisms 