PRINCE CASPIAN
US, 2008, 144 minutes, Colour.
Ben Barnes, William Mosley, Sergio Castellito, Peter Dinklager, Warwick Davis, Georgie Henley, Skandar Keens, Anna Popplewell, Vincent Grass, Pierre Francesco Favino.
Directed by Andrew Adamson.
For those who enjoyed the initial film in the Narnia series, this return to Narnia (albeit 1300 years later in Narnia time while only one year in earth time) will be more than welcome. It leaves a kind of Harry Potter world of 1944 behind at the Strand Underground station and sends the four Pevensie children into a beautiful beach and coast of Narnia (courtesy of New Zealand locations). With the range of mythic animals and creatures and warriors, it is akin to Lord of the Rings territory but without the grandeur of Tolkein’s vision. This is four teenagers – rather prissy and plum-in-mouth British teenagers with a heritage of Empire greatness guiding their attitudes towards everyone, especially unworthy enemies – who have been made monarchs of Narnia, who are summoned by the magic horn and join with the ousted Prince Caspian in his battle to regain his kingdom.
Some commentator’s have spoken of a Christian sub-text and many reviewers have repeated this without giving any substance to the claim. While C.S.Lewis had a Christian perspective and some of this may be in his novels, it is very difficult to see any real Christian meaning in the screenplay (unless Aslan, absent for most of the film is a God-figure who comes to help the children and be on the side of the righteous against the usurpers).
Actually, the film is a rather bloodthirsty show, not bloody in the sense of our seeing a lot of blood but full of vigorous and sometimes vicious sword-fights, large scale battles and plenty of arrows, especially from Suzy – with TV interviewers joking with the actress, Anna Popplewell, that she scored the highest body count in the film.
While the locations, computer work and stunts and effects are top of the range, the difficulty with the film is that William Moseley, who comes across more strongly in TV interviews than he does as Peter in the film, does not exude the leadership that the screenplay says he has. Often he seems merely petulant, at other times not strong enough for us to believe that he could be, in his own words, King Peter the Magnificent. The two younger stars bring more oomph to their characters, especially Georgie Henley as Lucy whose mission it is to bring Aslan (voiced with great decorum again by Liam Neeson) back to the fray.
Ben Barnes (affecting a foreign accent) is stronger as Caspian but the acting honours go to Peter Dinklage as Trumpkin the dwarf Narnian hero and Italy’s Sergio Castellitto who makes a suitably villainous King Miraz.
Spectacle, battles between good and evil, muscular righteousness.
1.The popularity of the Narnia stories? C.S. Lewis’s imaginary world? Expectations of this film? Adaptation, changes?
2.The world of C.S. Lewis, mythology, religious overtones? The era of chivalry?
3.The locations, Britain in 1944? Narnia: the mountains, the woods, the river? The castles?
4.The special effects, the variety of creatures, the battle sequences, the magic, the musical score?
5.The introduction, the birth of the child, the anguish of the mother, the reaction of Miraz, an heir, his sending the general to get rid of Caspian? Caspian, sleeping, warned by the professor, fleeing? The general and the pursuit? Caspian, falling from the horse, surrounded by the Narnians? Blowing the horn? The tone of the film?
6.The children, 1944, Susan and her reading, the young boy talking to her, Peter fighting on the platform, Edmund trying to help, the break-up of the fight? The characters as they had developed from the first film? Suddenly going to Narnia, the train going past, going into the tunnel?
7.Rediscovering Narnia, its beauty, the beaches, the surf, the discovery of the ruins, the time passing, examining the vault, the statues of themselves? The treasure? Knowing that they had lived in those ruins? The sense of wonder? The encounter with the bear, Trumkin shooting the bear with the arrow? Susan’s failure? With Trumkin, the trek? The cliff, finding the soldiers at the river and the war preparations? Lucy and her fall, finding the track down? The encounter with Caspian?
8.The Narnians, their history, thought to be extinct? Nikabrik and his discussions with the beaver? Trumkin’s return? Caspian, his suspicions, fighting with Peter? The animals in the kingdom, the mouse, the beaver?
9.The clash between Peter and Caspian, identifying the kings, the horn and the call, the kingdom, the minotaurs, the variety of types in the kingdom?
10.Miraz, the general, the attempt to kill Caspian, saying it was an abduction, the council meeting and the criticisms? The professor, Miraz learning about the four kings, sending the professor to prison? Galvanising his army? The large number of forces, their training, the building and fortifications of the river?
11.The build-up to going to the castle, the mouse and the trapping of the soldiers, their collapse? Peter’s plan? Entering the castle, Edmund and the torch and the signals, Caspian and his going to Miraz’s room, the confrontation? The battle of wits between Caspian and Miraz? Peter and his being upset, the plan, the gate, the troops coming through, the closing of the gate, the creature holding it up, the attack, the fighting, the retreat, the members of the army trapped in the castle?
12.Regrouping, Lucy going to see Aslan (and the previous sequence of her meeting Aslan in the dream)? Her journey, Susan going with her, the attacks, Caspian rescuing her? Lucy finding Aslan, the reunion, the discussions? Aslan and his power? The contrast with Caspian, the temptation by the Ice Queen? Peter thwarting it?
13.The idea of the confrontation between Peter and Miraz to delay? Peter and his confrontation, his skills in swordplay? Miraz, crowned king, wanting the general to shoot if he was in danger? The general not shooting? The fight, intercutting with Lucy’s journey? The paws, the wounds? Fighting again, Miraz’s defeat? Peter not wanting to kill him, offering the sword to Caspian, Caspian unable to kill him? The councillor killing Miraz?
14.The ensuing battle, the huge rocks and boulders fired through the air, the underground caves and the horsemen falling in, the archers, Aslan and his appearance, his power, the defeat? The trees advancing and destroying the troops?
15.The river, the councillor attempting to cross the bridge, the water god and his appearance, breaking the bridge?
16.The end, Aslan, the pardon and the general and the queen and others going into the new world? The mice volunteering to go?
17.The children having to go back, Trumkin and Aslan? The mouse? The farewells, Susan kissing Caspian?
18.Back in London? Back to the real world? Susan and Peter not going back? The battle between good and evil, the religious overtones or not? The very British tone of the film – and the echoes of empire and superiority? The universal appeal.
