I had the wonderful opportunity to see the latest installment in The Chronicles of Narnia today...
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Yes, I cried.
I cried for
Prince Caspian as well, but that was because
Prince Caspian was the first time I had extensively followed a film making process - from casting to completion. When I cried, it was because after all these months of waiting, I was finally getting to see the film. When I cried today,
for
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, it wasn't because I had been waiting for months. No, I cried because for once they got something so beautifully and amazingly right that I couldn't help myself. I cried because it was beautiful. I know I already said that, but I can't describe it any other way.
There were a few things that I wasn't as fond of. The green mist was a little bizzare and felt just a bit un-Narnian... okay, it felt rather un-Narnian, especially the first time you see it. But it blended into the story well, and it gave some great moments for the characters, especially Edmund. Who, by the way gets a wonderfully important role and SO much more screen time than in
Prince Caspian. Caspian was actually less of a main character than I thought he would be, but he was wonderful as well... and is he gorgeous or WHAT? Lucy has definitely matured into a young lady, and she plays the role of Lucy just as wonderfully as ever. She gets to be in a few fight scenes now and then, she is tempted, but in the end she's still the sweet, lovely girl who introduced her family to Narnia.
And Eustace. All I can say is, they made a wonderful choice when they picked Will Poulter to play him and Will Poulter was outstanding. The moment I heard him say his first line, I knew that they got him right. I wasn't disappointed later on either. He stayed Eustace Clarence Scrubb for the whole film and absolutely deserved that name. I just loved the relationship that he and Reepicheep develop... oh, and yes. Eustace stays a dragon for much longer than in the book.
There were changes from book to film, as we all knew there would be, but actually a good deal of it stayed very much the same. It might appear to be quite different when you first see it... but when you pay attention, all that they did was add a few minor things (okay, the green mist wasn't minor) and move things around. I think the shuffled scenes was one of the larger changes, but even though they are shuffled around, each island is still the same as it was in the book.
None of the things that I've just talked about is what made me cry, however. I suppose they all built up to it, but the part that made me cry was the ending. No matter what you think of the rest of the film, you. will. love. the end. People say good-bye, they leave or they stay, and it really is sad knowing that Lucy and Edmund and Reepicheep will never be back and that kept the tears going, but what started me crying was Aslan. People have been worried for months about how the ending would turn out... how well those important lines of Aslan's would be preserved. So I will tell you now, you don't have to worry about that line.
"But there I have another name. You must learn to know me by that name. This was the very reason why you were brought to Narnia, that by knowing me here for a little, you may know me better there."
That is how he says it in the book, and that is how he says it in the film. When I heard him say it, I knew how true it was and my heart felt so full and loved and I knew that Alsan was in this world and that I was blessed to know him by his other name.
And that is why I cried.
