From Page To Screen (30) The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
For this weeks From Page To Screen, I have decided to cover C.S. Lewis's The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe.
First, let's discuss the book. Below is the cover.
Now for a little back story in case some of you aren't familiar with the Novel. The Chronicles Of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is a Novel written by Author C.S. Lewis. The book was originally published October 16,1950 by Geoffrey Bles. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe is the first book in a seven part series and is widely held as the favorite of all the Authors books. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe began as an essay titled It All Began With A Picture. The Author has been quoted as saying that the idea began with a picture he'd seen around sixteen years of age of a Faun carrying an umbrella and parcels in a snowy wood. It however wasn't until he turned 40 that he figured out what that picture represented thus The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe was born. Since original publication the book has been published in over 47 languages, won numerous awards, and has cemented itself as one of the most beloved Children's books of all time.
Let's look at some of the characters now shall we.
Main Protagonists
Lucy Pevensie- Youngest of the Pevensie children, she is the first to discover the land of Narnia. Lucy is said to be a courageous child with a love for animals. Lucy has a great desire to help others which is probably why she is also the most faithful to the Narnians in their hour of need.
Edmund Pevensie- Second youngest of the Pevensie children. Edmund is described as being spiteful and mean-spirited. He also enjoys ridiculing his youngest sister Lucy.
Susan Pevensie- Second Oldest of the Pevensie children. She does not believe Lucy's story concerning the existence of Narnia. Susan is most content in positions of ease and comfort. She is a very cautious person and tends to advise her siblings to avoid anything unpleasant or untoward.
Peter Pevensie- Eldest of the Pevensie children. Loyal and devoted to his siblings he tends to act more like a young adult than a boy just 13 years of age. While he does not believe Lucy when she tells him about Narnia, he also defends her when Edmund starts teasing her.
Aslan The Lion- True ruler of Narnia. He enlists the help of the Pevensie children to overthrow the rule of the tyrannical ruler Jadis.
Now let's discuss the movie below is the poster:
In case some of you aren't familiar with the Movie here is a bit of back story. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is an epic fantasy adventure film directed by Andrew Adamson. The movie was released December 9,2005 by Walt Disney Pictures. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has made almost a billion dollars since its release and is in the Top 50 of Highest Grossing Films of all time.
Major Differences Between The Book and the Film
Book | Film |
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In the book the beavers realize they've been betrayed by Edmund when they find him missing. | In the Film the Beavers follow Edmund and when they see him go into the castle its confirmed he betrayed them. |
In the book the children have been sent to the countryside and briefly mention the bombings in London. | In the Film the bombing of London is in full swing and is shown in quite graphic detail. |
In the book while trying to stay out of the way of guests the children find the room that contains the magical wardrobe leading to Narnia. | In the Film Peter accidentally sends a cricket ball through a window. While trying to avoid the wrath of the housekeeper they find the room with the wardrobe in it. |
In the book after Edmund is captured the witch and dwarf both escape using camouflage to evade their captors. | In the Film after Edmund is captured the group leave the Dwarf tied to the tree in his place. |
In the book the white witch turns a group of Narnians to stone after learning about Father Christmas by the Fox. | In the Film Edmund tells the white witch that the Fox has been dealing with Aslan so she turns the Fox to stone. |
In the book after Edmund is injured Lucy wants to stay by his side but Alsan encourages her to help others. | In the Film while Lucy is concerned about her brothers injuries she is able to focus on others as well. |
In the book while playing hide and seek Lucy enters the wardrobe and Edmund follows. | In the Film Lucy sneaks into the wardrobe at night and Edmund follows her. |
In the book after returning from Narnia the children tell the professor of their adventures. | In the Film the kids come tumbling out of the wardrobe and the housekeeper throws them ball from the beginning of the film. |
In the book Susan and Lucy are told that girls should not fight but be prepared to defend themselves. | In the Film the girls are told that war is ugly business but it isn't outwardly expressed that they aren't capable of fighting. |
In the book Lucy is blond with long hair. | In the Film Lucy is brunette with short bobbed hair. |
The above mentioned are the most significant changes I felt between the book and film though I'm sure I missed a few. I guess the question that remains is which do I prefer? This one is tough because the book goes into such great detail it feels very cinematic while reading it. On the other hand the film is just shot beautifully and the acting is quite good overall. In the end though by the slimmest of margins I enjoy the book a bit more. It really is hard condensing so much information into the format of film and some lovely details were left by the wayside in order for it to be a reasonable length on screen. Definitely read the book if you haven't already same goes for the film.
Want to see for yourself? Check out the Trailer below!
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Well that about wraps up this weeks From Page To Screen. Have a recommendation for an upcoming From Page To Screen, let me know in the comments below! Have you read the book or watched the film? Which did you like better? Why? Which is your favorite book in the Narnia series?
Leave your answers in the comments below, I love to read your responses.Like what you see? Please share!
Great post. As soon as I finish a book I always tend to go and watch the movie (when one is available). Personally, my favorite Narnia is the Magician's Nephew. I was happy they at least did this one.
ReplyDeleteNice!
DeleteOne of my favorite childhood books! So were you reading the book while watching it? I don't think I would have picked up this little differences. I do love the books and was happy with how they did the movie.
ReplyDeleteI'm not that talented, lol. I just read then watch (next to books movie are my passion) and anything I notice different I will checklist and research. It's a tedious process that's for sure. Still I love my meme and hope people like you appreciate the effort I put into it.
DeleteWow! I never picked up on a lot of these differences. My favorite is either The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe or The Voyage Of The Dawn Treader. I really wish they would make more Narnia films.
ReplyDelete