Golden Compass

[kempermentor]

> Tonks:
> 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. What did it 
> all mean?? Why is it controversial? Someone told me that there were 
> post about it on the net from the same sorts of people who are opposed 
> to HP. Maybe I should start looking around the net. Has anyone here 
> seen the movie?


Kemper now:
I've only read the books.
Others have mentioned that the movie/books are anti-religion, but I
think they're more anti-oppression.  I would say Pullman is
pro-science and pro-spirituality.

I enjoyed the books and could easily see the challenge to religion. 
What I did not like about the books, in the end, was the protagonist.
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Lyra was a strong female character, but in the second third books she
seems to cow tow to a boy, Will. (Who seems to represent Free Will,
iirc.) 

I enjoyed the challenge of faith.  Teen are at an age where they
question, so it makes sense.  Faith strengthens when tempered by
questioning, imo.  Blind faith is weak.  Again, jmo.

What I did not like was the apparent sexism and maintained established
gender roles.
Girl follows boy. Boy touches girl (in non sexual, but still sensual
way) and girl's soul will never change or... remain the same til her
death (the little animals each character has in the books
is/represents their soul, when young the soul changes animal form
until sometime in adolescence/early adulthood)
Boy does not seem changed by girl.

Girl has golden compass which she uses through intuition (feminine trait).
Boy has knife (subtle phallic symbol) that he wields (masculine trait)
can cut/split anything.

I feel as I could go on with some other examples, but the kid is
waking up.

Kemper, who enjoys strong female characters in fantasy (Alice,
Dorothy, and that chic in LotR... oh wait, there wasn't one)