War games

Narnia film plays down Lewis’ culture conflict | Gene Edward Veith

In a letter to a young girl named Anne, C.S. Lewis explained that his novel Prince Caspian is about the "restoration of the true religion after corruption." The story takes place 1,300 years after Aslan defeated the White Witch. Now Narnia has forgotten Aslan, most of the animals have stopped talking, and a rigid, freedom-denying materialism rules. The Pevensie children and a motley crew of "Old Narnians" are charged with restoring the old ways. That is to say, Prince Caspian is about the challenge that faces Christians today: bringing Christianity back to a civilization that has forgotten Christ.

The movie version of Prince Caspian has its charms, and viewers should generally tolerate cinematic additions to written works (see WORLD, May 31/June 7). But the movie replaces Lewis' culture war with just regular war, omits the key symbolic episodes, and plays down the story's meaning.