It’s hard to believe but it has been 20 years since The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe hit theaters. This was a joint venture between Disney and Walden Media, and in Christian circles, the release of the film was greated with a mixture of apprehension and anticipation. As it turned out, the film was a faithful adaption of C.S. Lewis’ popular children’s book.
In retrospect, this also marked the sunset of Evangelical Christian cultural pull and market power. It seems to be reviving, but it is still just a shadow of its former self. Let’s open the wardrobe doors, push past the coats and see what we can find.
“The Old World in its sunset was fair to see.”
Winston Churchill certainly could turn a phrase or two, and his memorable description of the years just before World War One also apply the fading years of the 20th Century. While the 1990s ofered a preview of the ills that would subsequently torment our society, it was also the Indian Summer of Christian influence.
It was a time when Evengelical power was respected by both politicians and mainstream entertainment. Christian Rock had come into its own, and independent start-up Veggie Tales broke into mainstream consciousness through its humorous and clever Christian allegories. Narnia fit right in.
The film came with plentiful tie-ins, including an album “inspired by” the film from Christian artists. It’s quite good and features a bunch of Christian artists that others will probably remember, but I’d only heard of Rebecca St. James through Veggie Tales.
Keeping The Faith
It is interesting to compare Narnia with the The Lord of the Rings films, which were close contemporaries. The props and special effects for Narnia were done by WETA, the same outfit responsible for the Lord of the Rings movies, and I would argue that they did a much better job here.
Indeed, Narnia as a whole is less washed out, less grimdark, and more vibrant and fantastic than Lord of the Rings. Yes, it has sinister moments, but the color palette is more complete.
In terms of soundtrack, I think the soundtrack Narnia is better than any one of the trilogy films, but if you add them together, obviously Lord of the Rings has the edge.
However the biggest difference is that Narnia Director Andrew Adamson deeply respected the source material. Lewis’ work is handled with reverence, and there is a gut-wrenching opening sequence that explains why the Pevensie children are forced to live in a strange house in the country: London is under sustained bombing attack. In the book, it needed no explanation, but modern audiences (espcially Americans) have no idea what the British people endured, effectively living under siege for the better part of four years.
For Christians like Lewis and his close friend J.R.R. Tolkien, this conflict put questions of faith to the forefront. Both men had fought in the horrific battles of the First World War, and now found a far worse conflict eveloping the globe. How could a loving God allow this to happen? Tolkien’s answer was The Lord of the Rings. Lewis offered the Chroniciles of Narnia along with many other apologetics.
While still wildly popular, I believe that Peter Jackson’s films are deeply flawed because he refused to fully buy into Tolkien’s message and ultimately this undermined the work. In fact, at this late date, I’ll make the case that Ralph Bakshi’s incomplete adaptation is better for the simple reason that there’s no nonsense about elves shield-surfing at Helm’s Deep.
Narnia, on the other hand, is note-perfect. It captures the petty jealousies of sibling rivalries that are balanced by the love they have for each other. It’s a tale of temptation, fall and redemption, and Adamson masterfully evokes the right balance of fear and wonder from the cast. I love the culminating battle sequence, which captures the pageantry and spectacle of pre-modern combat while also emphasizing the human element. Strange to say of a battlefield littered with CGI beavers and centaurs, but it feels more viscerally real than anything Jackson did.
End of the Line
Narnia had a strong opening and pulled in $750 million in global ticket sales, a significant amount back before Bidenflation debased the currency. Moreover, DVD sales, books, and other merchandise flew off the shelves. Disney had found yet another money-maker and with six books left to film, it looked like Harry Potter 2.0.
The two sequels did well, but lacked the same cultural impact. The times were changing. “Nice” Christianity found the repeated battlefield allegories distasteful and Quisling Evangelical leaders argued for retreat from the popular culture rather than trying to contest it. Disney dropped out as a partner after the second film, and so Fox distributed the third. With the licensing agreement now expired, the series ground to a halt.
At the same time, Christianity in the popular culture went from a source of common faith to being leftist a punching bag, and traditional values were replaced with demonic ones.
Related: Faith Escape: Stars Flee Sinking Hollywood
The New Evangelization
The last couple of years have seen a surge of interest in religion on the part of young people. Recent reports indicate unprecedented levels of adult conversions are underway. What is more, celebrities are jumping aboard the nascent movement. The other day I overheard my wife listening to a podcast in the kitchen and it gave me pause. A woman was quoting scripture and discussing the importance of silence to find God. “Is that Gwen Stefani?” I asked.
“Yes. It’s really good stuff.” It was strange to hear the “Hollaback Girl” introduce a religious sister as “Grandmother” and talk with her about quiet prayer and meditation with the saints. My mind was blown.
Back in 2005, it was Alanis Morrissette who dropped her angry bitch-queen persona in favor an homage to Lucy Pevensie that played over the end credits. Of course, Liam Neeson, who provided the voice of Aslan, has since gone on to pray the Rosary on the Hallow app. There may be more crypto-Christians in Hollywood than we thought.
This is why the weird “reimagining” by Netflix is going to be a disaster. No one wants a pagan/demonic version of Narnia. This was already tried with The Golden Compass, which was rushed into production on the heels of Narnia without anyone in Hollywood grasping that it was written by an evangelical atheist and celebrated the entry of sin into world. Gosh, where else have we seen God portrayed as the oppressor and Satan as the good guy?
We can’t go back, but we can create something new that draws from the heritage and wisdom of the past. Revivals can happen, and now is a great time to remind people about Narnia so it can be shared with a new generation. Indeed, I’m sure that not a few of the converts may be reflecting on how a kids’ movie they watched years ago provides answers to life that modern secular society cannot.
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