The Golden Compass

Just been to see the Golden Compass so thought I'd join the discussion on the whole religion/church thing surrounding it – for whatever my opinion is worth. First, though, as a film I thought it wasn't actually that amazing – some great moments but overall it didn't really get me that excited.

The whole theocracy element to the books by Philip Pullman seems to have actually been really played down in the film – apart from a few hints in uniforms and other bits and pieces there's no explicit connection drawn between the Magisterium – who are the government leaders – and the church. My little brother and sister (11 and 9) didn't make the connection watching the film until I mentioned it afterwards.

One of the huge themes at least at the beginning of the film pits the censorship, dictatorship and paternalism of the Magisterium against freedom of information, free will and the pursuit of knowledge, which the Oxford Scholars at the beginning of the film represent. I think that these are godly values – especially free will, which our God has given so much to preserve for us. It seems to me that any movement to subdue the Golden Compass for its anti-religiosity would be in danger of portraying itself much like the totalitarian theocracy in the film itself – this portrayal of a religious movement would become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Beyond everything else, the film follows the story of a small girl driven by childhood curiosity and simple determination to challenge the circumstances and the system that has been placed around her. Something that Jesus himself pursued?

He did say something about becoming like children, I think.

"It is the Alethiometer. It tells the truth. As for how to read it, you'll have to learn by yourself."