Forget About What They Say

Monty and I saw The Golden Compass last night. Monty has read the trilogy where I have not. It was visually spectacular, and my friend mentioned it was just about how he had pictured it while reading. He did indicate that the book explained itself better than the film, but that doesn't mean he had to whisper to me what was going on while we were watching. I will say that the end of this movie wasn't and end and all, and that really sucked! But they've already contracted to do the trilogy.

You may have heard about how many people are in an uproar about this film; that it has an anti-god message. You may have heard many people saying they won't go and see it because of this, indeed the people saying those things probably haven't bothered to read the books or watch the movie at all themselves. If either of these two sentences apply to you: you are a fool.

My first point is that those people don't have a problem when a film with a heavy religious message is released, so they should also not have a problem when one without such a message is released. Ah! Intolerance at its finest!

My second point is that I have a real problem with people who can't think for themselves, and with people who listen to the opinion of someone else and don't bother to find out the truth and form their own.

The Golden Compass was fabulous. It didn't have an anti-religious message at all. If anything, the themes were of freedom from oppression and fighting for what you believe is right. There was magic and curiosity and courage and loyalty in it.

The author of this story is an atheist, but that does not mean that his tale is filled with atheist messages (and even if it were, there's nothing wrong with that). If anything, I think he communicates hope. Through his work, he acknowledges that there is something greater out there. He does not know what it is, but he wants to believe that it is something good.

The first part of this adventure told me a story of hope.