He was only a little taller than Lucy herself and he carried over his head an umbrella, white with snow. From the waist upward he was like a man, but his legs were shaped like a goat’s (the hair on them was glossy black) and instead of feet he had goat’s hoofs. He also had a tail, but Lucy did not notice this at first because it was neatly caught up over the arm that held the umbrella so as to keep it from trailing in the snow.
He had a red woolen muffler round his neck and his skin was rather reddish too. He had a strange, but pleasant little face, with a short pointed beard and curly hair, and out of the hair there stuck two horns, one in each side of his forehead. One of his hands, as I have said, held the umbrella; in the other arm he carried several brown-paper parcels. What with the parcels and the snow it looked just as if he had been doing his Christmas shopping.
He was a Faun. And when he saw Lucy he gave such a start of surprise that he dropped all his parcels. “Goodness gracious me!” exclaimed the Faun.
By now, many of you will have recognized the above passage from “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe” as the moment where Lucy meets Mr. Tumnus. Perhaps you read this book to your children. Perhaps your parents read it to you.
C.S. Lewis’ 1950 story is a much-beloved vestige of our collective youth, a living, breathing piece of nostalgia. It is also a very loosely disguised Christian allegory.
Some readers may consider it odd that j. devoted its cover this week to the cinematic adaptation of a kid’s story. On the face of it, yes, it is odd. But enough worrisome factors are in place that we feel theatergoers should at least know what’s going on when they attend — and, quite possibly, enjoy — this film.
This film was produced by Walden Media, a holding of Philip Anschutz, an avowed evangelical who, through his massive donations to religious and conservative causes and politicians, has demonstrated the wish to have a transformative effect on society.
Lewis was also an outspoken Christian, and his “Narnia” tales reflect the New Testament, down to the End of Days in the seven-book series’ finale.
So, when an evangelical film producer adapts a Christian allegory penned by a renowned religious writer (and promotes it to Christian groups as such), we feel Jewish audience members ought to know that going in. No more, and no less.
Finally, just because Lewis wrote from a Christian point of view doesn’t mean his work can only be enjoyed by like-minded individuals. Far from it.
Perhaps the author himself put it best: “Art can teach without at all ceasing to be art.”