Beyond the Golden Compass: The Magic of Philip Pullman
by Jean-Pierre Isbouts
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DVD details
Actor: James Hayward Brinkley, Marcus HarrisDirector: Jean-Pierre Isbouts
Brand: Koch International
Producer: Jean-Pierre Isbouts
Writer: Jean-Pierre Isbouts
Producer: Bill Schwartz
Producer: Cathie Labrador
Producer: Michael Rosenberg
Producer: William A. Schwartz
Writer: William A. Schwartz
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.77:1
Running Time: 70 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-11-20
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Koch Vision
Product features:
- Concepts developed in Philip Pullman's book THE GOLDEN COMPASS are discussed and analyzed in this film. BEYOND THE GOLDEN COMPASS has been released to coincide with the big-budget film adaptation of Pullman's book. Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DOCUMENTARIES Rating: NR Age: 741952650799 UPC: 741952650799 Manufacturer No: KOC-DV6507
DVD Reviews of Beyond the Golden Compass: The Magic of Philip Pullman
DVD Review: Worth it or not ?
Summary: 3 Stars
I rented this dvd because I was afraid to waste 10 bucks buying it if it was horrible. Well, it was worth the rental but (for me) not worth owning. First, there is no footage from the movie. There are actors portraying the material, but I don't know them from anywhere else. That must be the way they avoided the copyright infringement. While there is nothing really wrong with these actors, for those of us in love with the movie, it doesn't feel right to see other people playing the roles defined by Dakota Blue Richards, Nicole Kidman, Daniel Craig, Sam Elliot, etc. The production is pretty cheesy. What I give the stars for at all is Philip Pullman, who is interviewed extensively and who offers relevant and cogent commentary on the books, the story, the characters and the meanings implicit or implied. He is worth listening to, and it makes the time spent worthwhile. The other compelling element is the video footage used while explaining things. It is interesting for the most part, and lends a kind of visual history to the whole experience. It's sort of like reading the illustrated or annotated version of something - you are shown back story, history and deeper levels of meaning.
Something important to note is that this presentation presents the whole Pullman against the Church aspect, and doesn't quail in portraying the Church as a controlling and mostly bad organization. If you are a fundamentalist Christian who thinks Pullman is corrupting youth with his satanic agenda, you probably won't like seeing him telling kids about how the Church has persecuted free thinkers for centuries and so on. But for those with ears to hear ... listen!
So, overall not great, but interesting enough to watch. If you are really into the story and the meaning behind everything, this is worthwhile. If you just like the movie, Nicole Kidman and polar bears, probably skip it. And if you are a real scholar who has studied Milton and history and religious texts, you will most likely find this dvd pedestrian and lacking.
Description of Beyond the Golden Compass: The Magic of Philip Pullman
BEYOND THE GOLDEN COMPASS - DVD MovieSeparated into short segments that would be perfectly suited to a classroom setting, Beyond the Golden Compass not only serves as plot explication for the one third of Philip Pullman's sci-fi trilogy, His Dark Materials, but also introduces scientific, religious, and historical background that will enhance one's understanding of the book's themes. Though cheesy special effects litter the documentary, this filmic guide contains interviews with Pullman, British literature professors, and with Golden Compass expert Laurie Frost, spliced between scenes from the upcoming film and related archival footage and photographs, such as that of zeppelins, aurora borealis, and the Industrial Revolution. Focusing in the beginning on character and plot, one wonders if this film will spoil imagined visions constructed from reading the book, though later forays into the principles Pullman aims to discuss, such as the difference between corrupt organized religion and spirituality, serve to clarify tension developed in his epic story. Helpful background information, for example the history of astrolabs and compasses, offers learning material to those who are already expert, though one needn't have read the book to benefit from viewing. Towards the end of the film, the trilogy's themes are contextualized in a fascinating section about the history of Oxford University, which inspired so many great fantasy stories, such as Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Beyond the Golden Compass, though slightly dry at times, does a good job of showing how Pullman's conflation of good and evil transforms the archetypal format into something that urges children to make their own informed decisions in an increasingly complex world. ?Trinie Dalton
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