The Golden Compass (film)
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | The Golden Compass |
| Original title | The Golden Compass |
| Country of production |
USA United Kingdom |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 2007 |
| length | 109 minutes |
| Age rating |
FSK 12 JMK 10 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Chris Weitz |
| script | Chris Weitz |
| production |
Bill Carraro , Deborah Forte |
| music | Alexandre Desplat |
| camera | Henry Braham |
| cut |
Anne V. Coates , Peter Honess , Kevin Tent |
| occupation | |
Be right:
| |
The Golden Compass is the film adaptation of the first part of the fantasy trilogy His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman . The film was made by New Line Cinema in 2006 and 2007 and is their most expensive production to date , with a budget of 180 million US dollars. The international theatrical release was announced for December 5, 2007; in Germany the film was officially released one day later.
In the USA, the country of production, the film brought in far less than half of its cost at 70 million US dollars. Despite global revenues of over 300 million US dollars, the implementation of the planned parts two and three of the trilogy was therefore stopped.
On 3. November 2019 launched on HBO series His Dark Materials .
action
In a parallel world to ours, humans have so-called dæmons, who represent the soul in animal form and act as friends and protectors.
Lyra Belacqua, a twelve year old girl, lives with her dæmon Pantalaimon as an orphan girl at Jordan College in Oxford. At first she helps her "uncle" Lord Asriel, who is said to be poisoned by Fra Pavel, a representative of the Magisterium. Asriel is planning a trip to the Arctic to investigate the phenomenon of "dust" that is supposed to allow a trip to other parallel worlds. After the college has agreed to finance Asriel's trip, the opaque Mrs. Coulter appears, who is also planning a trip to the north and wants to be accompanied by Lyra. Before she leaves , Lyra receives an alethiometer , the golden compass from which she is entitled , from the college's principal . The principal tells her that the compass will always show her the truth.
At the same time Lyra's best friend Roger Parslow and another boy, Billy Costa, are caught by the gobblers who kidnap children all over the country and take them north to Bolvangar for mysterious experiments. Lyra discovers that Mrs. Coulter and her "General Oblation Authority" are behind the gobblers. She escapes, is pursued by the Gobblers and freed by the Egyptians, including Billy Costa's mother. On the ship of the Egyptians Lyra learns from the witch queen Serafina Pekkala that she has a destiny that nobody knows exactly what it is. Lyra also learns to read the alethiometer: the device shows the truth and can answer any question.
Together with the Egyptians, Lyra lands in the far north, where she meets new allies: the aeronaut Lee Scoresby and the armored bear Iorek Byrnison. Lyra helps Iorek regain his armor, whereupon he promises her to help her until her mission is successful or until his death. In a hut in the middle of the ice, Lyra and Iorek find Billy Costa, who apparently managed to escape Bolvangar without his dæmon and bring him to his mother. When Lyra is captured by the Samoyed and brought to Svalbard to see the king of the armored bears, Ragnar Sturlusson, she is able to convince him (since she knows from Mrs. Coulter that he wants nothing more than his own demon) that she is Iorek's demon and Ragnar has to defeat Iorek in a duel in order for her to become his daemon. Iorek wins the duel and becomes king of the armored bears, but continues to accompany Lyra on her journey. She is now on her way to Bolvangar, since she now knows what is being done there with the children kidnapped by the Gobblers: their daemons are experimentally cut off in a laboratory, so they are separated from their souls. The whole thing is part of a plan by the Magisterium to remove the influence of the "dust".
Shortly after Lyra arrives in Bolvangar without Iorek, who cannot follow her over an ice bridge, Mrs. Coulter also appears. Lyra overhears them and learns that Lord Asriel is about to be captured and executed by the magisterium. Shortly afterwards, Lyra is discovered and brought to the laboratory by the guards to separate her from her dæmon. At the last second, Mrs. Coulter can prevent that; Lyra then learns from her that her "uncle" Asriel is really her father and Mrs. Coulter is her mother. When Mrs. Coulter asks Lyra about the alethiometer, Lyra tricked her mother and destroys the laboratory, only to flee with the other children.
In the fight with (in the German version Russian speaking) Tatars who Bolvangar guard on behalf of the Magisterium, the children come first Iorek, then a flying witches army and finally the gyptians and Scoresby to help. After the battle is won, Lyra, her found friend Roger and Iorek fly back to Svalbard with Scoresby and his airship to free Lord Asriel.
background
Emergence
On February 11, 2002, New Line Cinema acquired the filming rights to Philip Pullman's literary trilogy. The film directors Brett Ratner and Sam Mendes were initially interested in leading the project. In July 2003 Tom Stoppard started work on the script . A year later, Chris Weitz turned to the film studio with a 40-page application, whereupon he was accepted. Weitz rejected the script, which had meanwhile been completed by Stoppard, in order to rewrite it himself. He named Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (1975) and Star Wars as stylistic influences . Peter Jackson invited him to the King Kong film set in 2004 to give Weitz an insight into the production of a blockbuster . However, Weitz left the project because at first he did not feel up to the high demands of the project.
“Two reasons I stepped off the film […] (1) I had never made a film involving so much CGI and, to be honest, I wasn't sure that I would be up to the logistical task. (2) I had a feeling that, one way or the other, I might get stuck between a rock and a hard place, with some people hating me for doing a work that they imagined offended their religious beliefs, and some people hating me for doing a work that they imagined did an injustice to the book that they loved. "
On August 9, 2005, it was announced that British director Anand Tucker Weitz would take over. On May 8, 2006, Tucker got out of the project because of “different opinions” and Weitz came back as head of production, since he now saw a realization of the film without his participation as endangered.
The film grossed only $ 70 million in the US and Canada, which is a failure based on the budget; The flick was significantly more successful outside of North America ($ 302 million in box office income).
controversy
Pullman's book, which provided the template for the film, was heavily criticized by Christian associations at the time because of its critical content . The author had emphasized several times that his trilogy was an alternative to C. S. Lewis ' The Chronicles of Narnia . As a result, the Catholic League of the United States called for a boycott of the film in October 2007 .
Age rating
The Golden Compass received PG-13 clearance from the Motion Picture Association of America . The reason for this are "sequences with fantasy violence". The voluntary self-regulation of the film industry responsible in Germany has given the film an FSK 12 rating. In Switzerland there are different age limits depending on the canton, some of them are allowed from 6 years if accompanied by an adult.
Differences to the book template
- The book ends with the liberation of Lord Asriel and the transition into a parallel world. The film was chosen to end before Asriel's liberation in order to have a better cliffhanger ; some of the scenes already filmed for the final part now only appear in the trailer, but not in the film.
- In the book, Lyra causes the explosion in Bolvangar with a flour dust explosion . In the film, however, through overloading and the destruction of the machine with which the children are separated from their demons.
- In the book, the rector of Jordan College tries to kill Lord Asriel; Fra Pavel is only briefly introduced in the second book.
- In the book version, Lord Asriel convinces the council at Jordan College by hitting the supposed head of scholar Dr. Grumman shows. At this point he does not even say that his goal is to create a passage between the worlds.
- In the book, first Billy Costa and then Roger are kidnapped. In the film, both of them are taken along by the Gobblers.
- One difference to the book is the fact that the bear Iorek Byrnison was banned in the film because he lost in a duel against another bear. In the book he killed the other bear, which, according to the Bear Code, leads to banishment. Since this was also an intrigue of the Bear King, he becomes a tragic hero in the literature. In the film, he only acts as a loser who wants to save his reputation.
- In the book, Iorek Byrnison only becomes the bear king after the attack on Bolvangar and the flight with the airship, in the film there is a fight and the appointment of the new king even before these events.
- In the book, not Billy Costa is separated from his demon, but Tony Makarios, who is not mentioned in the film. Furthermore, Ratter is the name of Tony's demon, not Billy's.
- In the book, Lyra learns from Lord Faa that her parents are Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter, but in the movie, she learns from Mrs. Coulter.
- In the book, Mrs. Coulter is described as a woman with long, straight black hair, while in the film, her hair is blonde, short, and curly. It is similar with Serafina Pekkala, she has black hair in the film. In the second book of the novel ( The Magic Knife ), however, she is described as blond.
- In the book, the bear king is called Iofur Raknison, but in the film it is Ragnar Sturlusson. In the German dubbing, however, the renaming was reversed. However, the American version of the name was used in the subtitles of the German DVD.
- In the book, Lyra only has to balance over the thin, porous ice bridge just before the end of the book in order to catch up with Lord Asriel, who kidnapped Roger for his project. In the film, however, this scene was simply used in the middle of the film to explain why Iorek Byrnison cannot come straight to Bolvangar with Lyra.
- In the book, Lyra was brought by her Samoyed kidnappers in the ice not to the tank bears (who actually live far away on Svalbard), as in the film, but to Bolvangar (which is also more logical, since they are paid for by the Oblation Authority).
Soundtrack
The Oscar nominee and Golden Globe winner Alexandre Desplat composed the music; the soundtrack was released on December 7, 2007 on the British record label Decca Records . Among the 26 tracks is the song Lyra , interpreted by Kate Bush , which can be heard during the credits.
Voice actor
The voice actors for the German version:
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Reviews
Tilman Spreckelsen writes in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung that the will to make family films is obvious :
“It is only logical that the darkest sides of the original are sacrificed to this goal (and that the audience does not want to expect the horrible death of a disturbed child, for example). Except that it is easy to imagine a great film that could have been made with the same effort, the same template, the same actors, but considerably more courage. "
“'The Golden Compass', the first part of the trilogy, produced by New Line Cinema, the 'Lord of the Rings' company, is more subtle and bolder than the usual holiday fantasy, the output of the Potter machine. In this world, the soul does not reside in the body, but manifests itself in animals that faithfully accompany the associated people, are committed to them, and change shape depending on the mood. A wonderful communication, the cinema as a setting for the psyche. Even the icy beautiful blonde Nicole Kidman suddenly seems vulnerable and in need of protection when she hugs her monkey alone. "
“Excellent cast with Nicole Kidman as the evil Mrs. Coulter and '007' Daniel Craig as Lyra's uncle, the imaginative fable turns into a visually powerful, exciting cinema adventure that finds its dynamic climax in the eternal ice of the far north. The best cinema fantasy since 'The Lord of the Rings'! "
“The way to the truth, which the compass shows Lyra, remains rather closed to the viewer. There is a strange emptiness in the abundance of images, the struggle for free will is more asserted than addressed. And America's fundamental Christians, who fear Pullman's alleged clergy parable, shouldn't worry. The word "church" does not appear anyway, and the gloomy henchmen of the thinking dictators speak a Slavic slang and are so Cossack-like that one thinks more of the tried and tested realm of evil: communism. "
“Based on the first novel in Philip Pullman's trilogy 'His Dark Materials', staged, visually stunning and well-cast fantasy film. Staged too breathlessly, it lacks the depth of the novel and seems rather confusing without knowing it. "
Awards
- Best visual effects for Michael L. Fink , Bill Westenhofer , Ben Morris, and Trevor Wood
- Nomination in the category Best Production Design for Dennis Gassner and Anna Pinnock
- Nomination in the category of best film (animated film or real / animated film) for Bill Carraro and Deborah Forte
- Nomination in the category Best Cinematography for Henry Braham
- Nomination in the category Best Movie Song for Kate Bush ( Lyra )
- Nomination in the category Best Visual Effects for Michael L. Fink, Bill Westenhofer, Ben Morris and Trevor Wood
- Nomination for Best Sound Editing for Mike Prestwood-Smith , Mark Taylor and Glenn Freemantle
- 1 million moviegoers in 10 days
The German Film and Media Assessment FBW in Wiesbaden awarded the film the rating particularly valuable.
literature
Books
- Sibley, Brian: The Golden Compass - The Official Guide to the movie . Carlsen Verlag, October 2007, ISBN 978-3-551-58181-5
Review mirror
positive
-
Cinema No. 1/2008, p. 64, by Heiko Rosner
(best fantasy film since "Lord of the Rings"; exciting, visually stunning, excellent cast) -
epd Film No. 1/2008, p. 38, by Ulrich Sonnenschein
(high-quality family entertainment, more original than the last Harry Potter and Narnia films, terrific animal animations)
Rather positive
-
Filmdienst Nr. 25/2007, p. 38, by Horst Peter Koll
(grandiose visually powerful, rich in visual ideas, efficient figure drawing, mass-compatible, breathlessly told, without the depth of the novel) -
Frankfurter Rundschau , December 5, 2007, p. 27, by Daniel Kothenschulte : Everyone their own demon .
(beautiful, fairytale-like, beginning visually more suggestive than the rest, plot too short, characters more complex than in "Lord of the Rings") -
Der Tagesspiegel , December 5, 2007, p. 21, by Sebastian Handke: Youth without God .
("Worth seeing in spite of everything"; template for banal fantasy goods played down, narrated in a rushed manner, but enchanting imagery, credible friendship story) -
Die Welt , December 5, 2007, p. 27, by Elmar Krekeler: Harry Potter's sister .
(coherent aesthetics, also told understandably for those who are not familiar with Pullman, ideally cast, wants to please many)
Mixed
-
Neue Zürcher Zeitung , December 6, 2007, p. 49, by Michel Bodmer : Exciting adventure - without the Bible-critical ending .
(Partial betrayal of the novel, exciting, great actors, effects mostly successful) -
Focus , December 3, 2007, p. 86, by Harald Pauli: The Virgin of Things .
(suitable for families, philosophical essence of the template is missing, overwhelming tricks)
negative
-
Berliner Zeitung , December 5, 2007, p. 27, by Anke Westphal: My friend, the drinking polar bear!
("Quite uninteresting"; visually beautiful, adults lack the depth of the book, polar bear fight too brutal for children) -
Die Presse , December 1, 2007, by Markus Keuschnigg: The lost paradise .
(intellectual substance and dramaturgy of the novel lost, so the film becomes a fantasy bombast) -
Brief review . In: Der Spiegel . No. 49 , 2007, p. 210 ( online ). ("A botch"; humorless material battle, too brutal for children)
Web links
- The Golden Compass in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- The Golden Compass at Rotten Tomatoes (English)
- The Golden Compass in the online film database
- Official website
- Give the sea monkey sugar . Spiegel Online , December 5, 2007; review
Individual evidence
- ↑ Release certificate for The Golden Compass . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry , February 2008 (PDF; test number: 112 318 DVD).
- ↑ Age rating for The Golden Compass . Youth Media Commission .
- ↑ Pamela McClintock: The maverick mogul. ( Page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Variety , January 28, 2007 (English).
- ↑ Pamela McClintock: 'Compass' charts not-so-golden bow. ( Memento of the original from December 29, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. In: Variety , September 12, 2007 (English).
- ↑ http://www.moviegod.de/kino/meldung/15492/der-goldene-kompass-fortigung-das-magische-messer-iziert-auf-eis
- ↑ Michael Cieply: Fate of the Cosmos (and of a Studio) Hangs in the Balance . In: The New York Times , August 30, 2007.
- ↑ a b Dark Material . In: Empire , September 29, 2006, pp. 56-57 (English).
- ↑ a b Brian Jacks: 'Golden Compass' Director Chris Weitz Answers Your Questions: Part I. In: MTV , November 14, 2007 (interview with Chris Weitz , English).
- ^ A Labor of Loathing . ( Memento of the original from September 3, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. lewrockwell.com, 2003
- ↑ movie Sells Atheism to kids; Major Protest Launched . ( Memento of the original from October 11, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. catholicleague.org, October 2007
- ↑ Some Catholic Leaders Upset Over New Nicole Kidman Movie. ( Memento of November 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) In: Fox News , October 10, 2007 (English).
- ↑ Film receives PG-13 rating . movie-infos.net, November 29, 2007
- ↑ synchronkartei.de: The Golden Compass. Retrieved November 1, 2015 .
- ↑ Tilman Spreckelsen: Polar bears are not problem bears. In: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung , December 6, 2007.
- ^ Fritz Göttler: Watch out in Oxford! In: Süddeutsche Zeitung , May 17, 2010.
- ↑ suche.cinema.de ( Memento of the original dated December 7, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Cinema , January 2008, p. 64
- ↑ Harald Pauli: The virgin of things. In: Focus , December 3, 2007.
- ^ Journal film-dienst and Catholic Film Commission for Germany (eds.), Horst Peter Koll, Hans Messias (ed.): Lexikon des Internationale Films - Filmjahr 2007 . Schüren Verlag, Marburg 2008. ISBN 978-3-89472-624-9
