The Chronicles of Narnia:
 Prince Caspian

Disney 2008, PG-13
 

For the first time in recent memory, Hollywood has finally figured out how to portray a multifaceted, nuanced portrayal of a crisis of faith suitable for young viewers. What Chocolat does for adults, the newest film by Walden Media, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian does for the tween and older set. It infuses our lives with a little bit of the magical that brings us face to face with our assumptions. At a time when doubt and skepticism seem to have been elevated to religious epiphany by disgruntled evangelicals, Prince Caspian moves us beyond uncertainty to discovering the fulfillment of one’s faith.

Fans of C. S. Lewis’ original series will find that the movie departs from the series in somewhat the same way as the Wonderworks version, telling the story chronologically rather than as an expository flashback, but with far more skill. Some of the most amusing parts of the book have been removed altogether like the Parliament of Owls, while other events have been invented to heighten the character development. If one goes to the movie with the expectation that it will be treated in much the same way Peter Jackson handled The Lord of the Rings, that is, with great respect for the original, but adapting as necessary for the very different medium of film, the movie doesn’t disappoint. However, for viewers who have never read the books, the movie may not provide the kind of character development one would like to see. I assured my children that we would likely learn more about Prince Caspian in the next Narnia move: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader. Additionally, one should expect to see far more violence than is customary for a children’s fantasy. If you keep in mind that there is a war on, both in England and Narnia, then it sets the violence in context. However, this is no movie for the very young.

The violence, however, is just the overlay for the conflict of faith that forms the major theme of the movie. Nearly every character involved has to come to grips with their own doubts and each of them confronts those doubts with a different strategy. For Lucy, the plucky youngster who never doubts the existence of Aslan, the story’s Christ figure, she must confront her inability to convince the others that she has actually seen him. Peter and Susan have both grown up substantially since the last story and, even though they have been transported back to the magical land of Narnia where it is common to converse with animals, dwarves, centaurs, fauns, and satyrs, they are still cautiously skeptical about Aslan’s presence. It isn’t so much that they doubt Aslan’s existence as much as they doubt his involvement in the affairs of the world, much like many Christians today who still believe in Jesus but see no evidence that He is at work. Lucy’s younger brother Edmund takes a different approach by doubting his doubt. He comments that the last time he didn’t believe Lucy things turned out very badly for him.

However, it is not just the Pevensie children who have to confront doubt. The Telmarines, the bad guys in this film, have banished the Narnians so deep into the forest that most don’t believe they ever really existed. Some, like Caspian, desperately believe in the hopes that they exist, while other Telmarines disbelieve, even when confronted with proof. But the movie does not stop here when it comes to the subject of religious doubt. Caspian confronts the Narnians about their own lack of faith in Aslan, many of whom range from the cautiously agnostic to the militantly atheistic. There are a few who still remain faithful to the faith, but they too are puzzled by the great lion’s lack of involvement over the centuries and even in the current situation.

By movie’s end the warfare is resolved, but even then, we see the faith of others  sustained and strengthened, while others still doubt. Much like real life, the movie points to the human propensity to disbelieve no matter how strong the evidence might be. While the children will take delight in a film that once again transports us into the country of Narnia and enjoys a liberal sprinkling of comedic one-liners, the parents will be pondering the meaning of faith in an age of uncertainty. This is truly a film for all ages and I anticipate that youngsters who view the film as tweens and teens will be amazed to discover a completely different movie when they view it as adults.

Prince Caspian provides a refreshing respite to the spate of books published on “spiritual formation” that offer lots of questions and few answers. Just seeing the various kinds of doubt, both Christian and non-Christian, help to frame the conversation. While many of us long for a childlike faith just like Lucy’s, so we can see Jesus plainly, we seem to find ourselves like Peter, stuck with the question, “Why can’t I see him?” The challenge to us is mirrored in Lucy’s reply, “Maybe it’s because you’re not looking for him.”

by Rick Presley