Golden Compass

[or.phan_ann]

> Tonks wrote:
>
> Speaking of movies. Does anyone know what this movie means? I heard 
> that it was controversial, so naturally I had to see it. I sensed     
> some sort of religious theme, and maybe a slam against the RC church 
> structure, but other than that I just came away confused.

Ann:
To add to what Goddlefrood said, the trilogy is anti-authoritatian, and 
in particular anti-religious. The Magisterium is the Church, which in 
Lyra's world is a combination of the Protestant and Catholic churches 
(I think in her history Martin Luther became Pope.) In the film, I 
think this is mentioned once: in the town where they meet the bear 
Iorek, a "Magisterium branch office" turned out to be a church.

So the controversy is mostly that it's seen as anti-Christian, though 
there's the usual kind of book-of-the-film stuff as well. Personally, I 
didn't think much of it, apart from the CGI London.

Ann