The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe

[poliphilo]

The first movie in the Narnia cycle is a whole lot better than the second.

But there are still problems

1. The Bad guy is so much cooler than the Good guy. Tilda Swinton v a pompous CGI lion: no contest.

2. Child actors. The little girl playing Lucy is a delight. The others not so much.

3. Violence for its own sake. I'll bet Lewis dismisses the climactic battle in a page. Here it goes on and on and on. 

Back to Aslan. If fictional characters who embody virtue are almost always boring- and they are- then our conception of virtue must be wrong.  

Comments

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

If fictional characters who embody virtue are almost always boring- and they are- then our conception of virtue must be wrong.

I should suggest that our notions of virtue are just fine; what is wrong is the idea that Aslan -- or rather the gaseous invertebrate he represents -- embodies meaningful virtue.

I accept what you are saying, but I think we are not so much wrong as we are dishonest in what we label "virtuous". Virtue must include some idea of courage and strength. Aslan has all the courage of a school boy playing at tin soldiers. He is an embodiment of virtue by convention, not conviction.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Not just courage and strength- also humility and humour.

Aslan comes across as smug and self-satisfied. No truly virtuous person would be able to stomach all the knee-bending and sucking up that goes on around him.

[haikujaguar.livejournal.com]

I don't know that I agree with that. There is graciousness in accepting the praise, admiration and fealty of others with respect and love for them. Not all people are suited to such relationships, but where they exist there's a way to do them well and a way to do them badly. I'd like to think an incarnation of the godhead would be generous with those who felt compelled to honor him/her that way.

In the book, Aslan was playful, and not at all mindful of himself. There was no "him" to be self-satisfied with. He just Was. :)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I am reminded of something William Blake said ( I quote from memory)

"Of course Jesus was the Son of God. And so am I and so are you".

I believe we are all incarnations of the godhead...

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

"Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods?"

Two-thousand years on and they still don't get it.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The secrets of the universe are hidden in plain view.

[michaleen.livejournal.com]

Indeed.