CS Weekly Archive > DVD of the Day > 04/07/06

Fleshing Out the Text

by jason davis

Based on C.S. Lewis' beloved fantasy novels, Disney's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe brings the magical land of Narnia to the big screen staying true to the text while using the new medium to elaborate the tale.

The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
(Special Two-Disc Collector's Edition)

Ann Peacock and Andrew Adamson and Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely
Based on the book by C.S. Lewis

During World War II, British siblings Lucy (Georgie Henley), Edmund (Skandar Keynes), Susan (Anna Popplewell), and Peter Pevensie (William Moseley) are evacuated from Blitz-ridden London to the home of Professor Kirk (Jim Broadbent) in the English countryside. There, in a forgotten wardrobe, Lucy discovers the entrance to the world of Narnia. Together, the Pevensies join the army of the noble lion Aslan (voiced by Liam Neeson) to battle the cruel White Witch (Tilda Swinton) who has oppressed Narnia with 100 years of winter.

Much discussion has been given to the influence of C.S. Lewis' Christianity on the seven novels comprising The Chronicles of Narnia. Aslan, a Christ figure in anthropomorphic lion form, is a principal figure in this religious reading of the film, which finds more obvious expression in the White Witch's designation of the Pevensies as "Sons of Adam" and "Daughters of Eve." Though the underlying ideas of Christianity are woven into the basic fabric of the tale, these elements never become obtrusive in the drama of the film, but remain accessible to those seeking them out much as they do in the novels. The movie, as with the book, is a delightful adventure first and foremost.

As director/co-writer Andrew Adamson explains in his commentary, the dramatic license taken with Lewis' novel was for the sake of creating a cinematic moment from sparing text that left much to the reader's imagination. Thus, the opening sequence of London being bombed was extrapolated from the first paragraph of the novel and created a context for the modern audience who might find children being shipped off to the countryside to reside with strangers a bit peculiar. Similar motivations created the epic battle at the film's finale, a moment described in retrospect by the book.

With the spirit of elaboration expanding upon Lewis' plain literary style, the characters of the Pevensie children are brought to life by thoughtful casting and a screenplay that carefully differentiates each child's place in the story, from Lucy's sense of wonder to Susan's pragmatic appreciation of the situation. Similarly, the anthropomorphic animals of Narnia are treated as if each were a distinct person in his or her own right. Mr. Beaver (voiced by Ray Winstone) is not merely a talking rodent, but a being with a life and history all his own. Throughout the story, the screenplay metaphorically paints color and texture onto Lewis' staid pencil sketches to create a density of reality only hinted at in the prose.

- Commentary by director/co-writer Andrew Adamson and actors Geogie Henley, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley, and Anna Popplewell
- Commentary by director/co-writer Andrew Adamson, production designer Roger Ford, and producer Mark Johnson
- Text trivia by co-producer Douglas Gresham
- Bloopers
- Chronicles of a Director
- The Children's Magical Journey
- Evolution of an Epic
- From One Man's Mind
- Cinematic Storytellers
- Creating Creatures
- Anatomy of a Scene: The Melting River
- Creatures of the World
- Explore Narnia
- Legends in Time

A wealth of featurettes expound upon how each department contributed to the creation of Narnia and the telling of Lewis' story. From a segment on the history of the wardrobe itself and how the prequel novel, The Magician's Nephew, is recounted upon its wooden panels, to a text commentary by Lewis' step-son detailing the evolution of the story and its adaptation to film, the DVD offers a complete picture of the journey from page to screen.

Faithfully adapted and formidably presented, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe takes C.S. Lewis' novel and embellishes it for the modern movie audience with sensitivity and imagination. The DVD presentation spares no detail of the book's transition to celluloid and offers an interesting look behind the scenes of a fantasy epic.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
(Special Two-Disc Collector's Edition)
Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Rated PG; 134 min.
$34.99

Buy it now

At the age of 21, Jason Davis was hit in the face with a car. He has since devoted his life to writing. His words have appeared on TBS, MSN.com, and CS Weekly, where he serves as DVD manager. He lives in Burbank.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Special Two-Disc Collector's Edition) art courtesy Buena Vista Home Entertainment

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