Post by Rob W. Case on May 19, 2008 15:43:32 GMT -6
The Story:
In England, in the midst of dark times, the Pevensie children wait for the train that will take them to boarding school. While talking about Narnia, the train station starts to "tear apart" as the four are once again transported into the world of Narnia. The Pevensie children learn that they are called back to Narnia at the summons of Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), a Prince who’s deceiving Uncle Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) occupies Caspian’s predestined throne. As Miraz becomes a father, he makes an attempt to secure a future spot for his newborn son on the throne by ordering Prince Caspian killed. Caspian’s escape leads him deep into the woods where he meets Narnians in hiding. All is not well in Narnia. 1,300 years after the events in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the Narnians find themselves in a very dark, savage, and hard-hearted world. It’s almost as if the Narians have all but barely lost their souls. In fact, Trumpkin (Peter Dinklage), the dwarf that the Pevensies encounter at first, says "[when you] get treated like a dumb animal long enough, that's what you become. You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember." Many have lost hope and faith. Some think Aslan has abandoned them, or is dead. Others are toying with the dangerous idea of summoning the White Witch (representative of the Devil in the first film) by connotations and a drop of human blood, and many are fighting amongst themselves as they are in many ways, divided. Caspian must rally the Narnians for battle so that he can take back what rightfully belongs to him, and restore peace to Narnia….. but this task isn’t easy. What the result of the movie leads to is a lesson in faith in dark and evil times.
The book Prince Caspian was written by C.S. Lewis, a world renowned intellectual thinker of the 20th Century, and one of the most influential Christians in History. His Narnia series was intended to put forth deep spiritual messages within the structure of an epic fantasy series and provoke deep reflection on the dynamics instilled in them. For Christians receptive to the message, one will learn about faith in trying times. For non-Christians, they will simply enjoy an epic, action-adventure film. For those in search of deeper answers, one cannot deny this truth; “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 4:23).
The Two-Track System:
Christians live their lives in two-tracks; a spiritual track, and a physical worldly track. C.S. Lewis’s stories appeal to both. Viewing this film from a Christian perspective, I noticed that as the world grows darker and heavier, and when faith and hope appear to be jagged in society, the one who is left with true faith not only perseveres, but is revitalized and encouraged as the source meets them where they are. That said, such person has also been made more powerful and stronger than anything and everything offered by the world. One of the parts that pierced my heart the most was the scene where Lucy (Georgie Henley) meets Aslan the Lion (representing Jesus Christ) in the woods and she makes a comment on how much bigger he got since the last time she saw him. "You've grown," she says. Aslan (Liam Neeson) replies, "Every year you grow, so shall I". meaning that as she grows in hope and faith in Him His presence and influence grows, thus invoking him to meet her and deliver.
There are many ways you can take the overall meaning of this film. My Dad saw Narnia as a metaphor for Israel from a biblical prophetic standpoint, when all of the armies go against her, and the possibility for her survival will only rest in one solution, one that can be seen towards the end of the movie. I saw it as a metaphor for the reality of how difficult it can be to have perseverance in uncertain times and situations.
Prince Caspian is a much darker and grittier story than The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. As the events in the film unfold, you witness conflicts, doubt, loss of hope, loss of hope in faith, and human nature’s appeal to be in control of everything, thus, in short, leading things into chaos. But amidst all of the turbulent events within it, you are taken to light, then get thrown back into darkness again, and then taken to light. This constant transitioning back and forth like that, to me anyway, exhibits the struggles, hardships, and tests we go through on a daily basis. There is a lot of testing in this film. The Narnians are tested. Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, and Caspian are tested, and the fate of Narnia rests on the resolve of one… the one who understands it most.
I highly recommend this film as it prompted me to question my own spiritual resolve. Sometimes it takes a story, or a simple picture to unleash a meaning that can transform the rest of your life. And that is what the Narnia stories do for me.
The film is rated PG and runs 2 hours and 30 minutes.
To view the first trailer for the film, visit:
To view the second trailer for the film, visit:
"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" is available to own on DVD and Blu-Ray.
In England, in the midst of dark times, the Pevensie children wait for the train that will take them to boarding school. While talking about Narnia, the train station starts to "tear apart" as the four are once again transported into the world of Narnia. The Pevensie children learn that they are called back to Narnia at the summons of Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes), a Prince who’s deceiving Uncle Miraz (Sergio Castellitto) occupies Caspian’s predestined throne. As Miraz becomes a father, he makes an attempt to secure a future spot for his newborn son on the throne by ordering Prince Caspian killed. Caspian’s escape leads him deep into the woods where he meets Narnians in hiding. All is not well in Narnia. 1,300 years after the events in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the Narnians find themselves in a very dark, savage, and hard-hearted world. It’s almost as if the Narians have all but barely lost their souls. In fact, Trumpkin (Peter Dinklage), the dwarf that the Pevensies encounter at first, says "[when you] get treated like a dumb animal long enough, that's what you become. You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember." Many have lost hope and faith. Some think Aslan has abandoned them, or is dead. Others are toying with the dangerous idea of summoning the White Witch (representative of the Devil in the first film) by connotations and a drop of human blood, and many are fighting amongst themselves as they are in many ways, divided. Caspian must rally the Narnians for battle so that he can take back what rightfully belongs to him, and restore peace to Narnia….. but this task isn’t easy. What the result of the movie leads to is a lesson in faith in dark and evil times.
The book Prince Caspian was written by C.S. Lewis, a world renowned intellectual thinker of the 20th Century, and one of the most influential Christians in History. His Narnia series was intended to put forth deep spiritual messages within the structure of an epic fantasy series and provoke deep reflection on the dynamics instilled in them. For Christians receptive to the message, one will learn about faith in trying times. For non-Christians, they will simply enjoy an epic, action-adventure film. For those in search of deeper answers, one cannot deny this truth; “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 4:23).
The Two-Track System:
Christians live their lives in two-tracks; a spiritual track, and a physical worldly track. C.S. Lewis’s stories appeal to both. Viewing this film from a Christian perspective, I noticed that as the world grows darker and heavier, and when faith and hope appear to be jagged in society, the one who is left with true faith not only perseveres, but is revitalized and encouraged as the source meets them where they are. That said, such person has also been made more powerful and stronger than anything and everything offered by the world. One of the parts that pierced my heart the most was the scene where Lucy (Georgie Henley) meets Aslan the Lion (representing Jesus Christ) in the woods and she makes a comment on how much bigger he got since the last time she saw him. "You've grown," she says. Aslan (Liam Neeson) replies, "Every year you grow, so shall I". meaning that as she grows in hope and faith in Him His presence and influence grows, thus invoking him to meet her and deliver.
There are many ways you can take the overall meaning of this film. My Dad saw Narnia as a metaphor for Israel from a biblical prophetic standpoint, when all of the armies go against her, and the possibility for her survival will only rest in one solution, one that can be seen towards the end of the movie. I saw it as a metaphor for the reality of how difficult it can be to have perseverance in uncertain times and situations.
Prince Caspian is a much darker and grittier story than The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. As the events in the film unfold, you witness conflicts, doubt, loss of hope, loss of hope in faith, and human nature’s appeal to be in control of everything, thus, in short, leading things into chaos. But amidst all of the turbulent events within it, you are taken to light, then get thrown back into darkness again, and then taken to light. This constant transitioning back and forth like that, to me anyway, exhibits the struggles, hardships, and tests we go through on a daily basis. There is a lot of testing in this film. The Narnians are tested. Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, and Caspian are tested, and the fate of Narnia rests on the resolve of one… the one who understands it most.
I highly recommend this film as it prompted me to question my own spiritual resolve. Sometimes it takes a story, or a simple picture to unleash a meaning that can transform the rest of your life. And that is what the Narnia stories do for me.
The film is rated PG and runs 2 hours and 30 minutes.
To view the first trailer for the film, visit:
To view the second trailer for the film, visit:
"The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" is available to own on DVD and Blu-Ray.