"This is an awfully big wardrobe." You don't say...!
It's not that I am a staunch book purist or anything like that. I used to be, way back in the day, but I have since learned that sometimes adaptations do have to make changes and cuts and, if they are done correctly and with love, they can actually enhance the storytelling and keep the original themes and messages of the book while beautifully changing the medium from book to screen. Sometimes changes have to be made. I get that and I'm not one of the people who rant and rave about Tom Bombadil being cut out of The Fellowship of the Ring. (Or at least I don't any-more...)But I am always nervous whenever a part of my childhood is going to be given an adaptation. Whenever I think about all the horrible misinterpretations that have been made of The Secret Garden, I still break out in hives. So was The Chronicles of Narnia: LWW as bad as I feared it would be?
NO! As a matter of fact, I think that this is by far my favorite film adaptation of C.S. Lewis' Narnia tales out of all of them. And, trust me, I've seen 'em all.
It got the emotion and the raw humanity of the story in a way that no adaptation since has been able to capture. They had Douglas Gresham (C.S. Lewis' stepson) on the board as a consultant and it really shows through the attention to theme and detail that shines in this film. They even got the bluebottle fly that was buzzing on the windowsill of the spare room, and if you look at the carvings on the wardrobe you can see that there is a panel for each of the other Narnia books.
Whenever the film started out with the bombers, I honestly thought that either the projectionist was drunk or that I had walked into the wrong theater. Then it dawned on me...DUH! The story is set during WWII, of course there's going to be the Blitz going on! I love that they included this in the film because it not only sets up the family situation, but it also adds some gritty reality into this fantasy film to help ground it in some semblance of reality and make it easier to relate to.
This film really nails the sibling dynamic between Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. I like how the introduction with the Blitz and then the evacuation set up each of their characters and the situation they were living in without the need for a lot of exposition. It helps that all four siblings are perfectly cast and really work together well. William Mosely is the perfect big brother - supportive and protective while Anna Popplewell balances him out as the logical, caring older sister. Skandar Keynes and Georgie Henley play the younger siblings very well and help to flesh out the family dynamic and bond. Because the children auditioned together and were given time to become friends and get to know each other before filming started, the chemistry and rapport between them is spot on and really translates over to their characters.And can we talk about how perfect James McAvoy was as Mr. Tumnus? I haven't seen him in many things (I think the only other big role was in the X-Men franchise) but I feel that he is a vastly underrated actor. Certainly he embodied what I had always visualized when I thought about Tumnus and he just threw his heart into the project and acted his hooves off. (Haha.)
Something needs to be said about the musical score too. From the use of 'Oh, Johnny' to the darkly haunting 'Narnian Lullaby', this is a score that takes me right back to childhood every time I hear it. It is beautiful and wondrous and extremely well-blended in to all of the themes.
Looking back, that scene where Mr. Tumnus lures Lucy back to his cave and lulls her to sleep with tea and music is slightly disturbing...anyway! Moving on!
I feel like this film really handled the more religious undertones of the story too. There is no getting around it - the Narnia tales are essentially allegories. Lewis himself described them as 'what if' stories detailing what the Christian faith would look like if it took place in another world. So in order to tell the story right, you really have to include those elements. The trick is to do it without being heavy-handed and letting those tones bog down the story and ram things down viewer's throats. That is not easy to do, but I think they handled it all with grace and respect. The themes are there, but they're never overdone or oversimplified. They don't attempt to explain them away, but instead let the viewer interpret them as they will and, really, the events speak for themselves. Aslan is as much a wise mentor as he is a Christ figure - so, depending on your beliefs, you can look up to him either way. The same goes for Edmund, the traitor, and The White Witch. All of the original elements from Lewis' mythos and stories are presented utterly unapologetically and just as they are. And, as a result, the message and feel of the original shine through despite the minor tweaking.
A lot in this story is devoted to the relationship between the four children and the severing/healing of their bond as they go through the trials and battles of Narnia. It is a learning experience for them and one that they come out the other side of stronger for it. This film portrayed that beautifully. The visuals were stunning and the music perfectly complimented each scene so that I was swept up in the emotion of it every time. The characters were all perfectly cast and were true to their book selves even while they were expanded on. Really it remains one of the best book-to-film adaptations that I have EVER seen. Every time I watch it I am transported back to whenever I was a kid and my mother was reading these books to me and every time I watch it I get that same magical feeling of discovering the land at the back of the wardrobe for the first time. It really is a wonderful film that any fan of fantasy should check out and it is a shame that it is so overlooked. The Chronicles of Narnia: LWW is a 5/5. But the less said about the sequels the better...
What did you think? Do you agree with my rating? If not - what would you say differently?
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