See this:
forums.catholic-questions.org/showpost.php?p=2920880&postcount=70
hecd2;2920880:
Of course, Pullman excoriates hypocrisy, authoritarianism and the kind of religious observance that diminishes life to a collection of ‘thou shalt nots’. He attacks self-righteousness, sanctimonious cant,
and that species of overbearing moral superiority that never admits the possibility of being wrong and which is prepared to destroy individual lives in pursuit of a ‘big idea’.
Alec
Alec
evolutionpages.com
I have heard that the Golden Compass movie is supposed to be really bad and anti-religious. I haven’t quite picked up why. Does anyone know about this? Thanks and God bless.
Hi Montie, I think it’s “ok” to watch the flick. Check-out the article.
And Alec, Pullman likes the mighty $$$$. Whatever values you may think Pullman has doesn’t erase the fact that according to the article below, he is willing to compromise for the sake of fame and fortune.
I do plan on seeing the movie since Nicole Kidman will be featured in it.
Seems like that little Catholic girlie got her way!.
**Dark Materials movie softens book’s attacks on Catholic church
Vanessa Thorpe, arts and media correspondent
Sunday October 14, 2007
The Observer**
*One of the key religious themes of Philip Pullman’s award-winning series of children’s novels, His Dark Materials, has been watered down to appeal to a wider audience in the new Hollywood film version of the first book. The original story’s rejection of organised religion, and in particular of the historic abuse of power in the Catholic Church, has been altered to avoid offending followers of the faith in the UK and in America.
The film, which stars Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig, is called The Golden Compass after the American title of Pullman’s novel Northern Lights and has followed his magical narrative very closely in most respects. The characterisation of the sinister organisation known as the Magisterium has, however, been changed, so that the film will now appear to be a more general attack on dogmatic authorities of every kind.
Northern Lights, the book which first introduced readers to Pullman’s 12-year-old heroine, Lyra, is as dear to its many fans as JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and JK Rowling’s Harry Potter saga, so tampering with the philosophical content is not likely to be welcomed when the film is released before Christmas. While Pullman himself has said he believes ‘the outline of the story is faithful to what I wrote, given my knowledge of what they have done’, the National Secular Society - of which the author is an honorary associate - has now spoken out against the changes.
‘It was clear right from the start that the makers of this film intended to take out the anti-religious elements of Pullman’s book,’ said Terry Sanderson, president of the society. ‘In doing that they are taking the heart out of it, losing the point of it, castrating it. It seems that religion has now completely conquered America’s cultural life and it is much the poorer for it. What a shame that we have to endure such censorship here too.’
Kidman has said the critical stance of the film ‘has been watered down a little … I was raised Catholic, the Catholic Church is part of my essence,’ she told film journalists in Australia in the summer. *
‘I wouldn’t be able to do this film if I thought it were at all anti-Catholic.’ ** (article continues)
guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,2190947,00.html#article_continue
Dark Materials movie softens book's attacks on Catholic church.
www.theguardian.com
