slideyfoot said:
If a major studio can adapt The Last Battle without delivering an enormous affront to Islamic groups, then I'd love to see it. I wouldn't call the desire to avoid insulting a large percentage of the world's population a 'whim', but a rather sensible perspective for a film studio to hold, particularly if they want to turn a profit. As the Narnia films are very clearly 'blockbusters', in the sense that a major studio is releasing them with serious money behind it, I doubt we'll see a direct adaptation of The Last Battle in the cinema. The Passion of the Christ managed it because a wealthy Christian fundamentalist stumped up a significant amount of cash himself; the film was successful, but certainly angered a lot of people, in particular the Jewish community. An accurate adaptation of The Last Battle would be equally if not more offensive to the Islamic community as The Passion of the Christ was to the Jewish.
I think PotW addresses your thoughts very well. While perhaps the majority of Jewish communities were not offended, as PotW points out, there were those who did voice their vehemence against The Passion because somehow they believed this was painting a portrait of them in a negative light: they were responsible for the death of Jesus Christ. To address their unfounded arguments that the movie was anti-Semitic, I will quote their forefathers who stood outside of Pontius Pilate's embassy:
When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: you see to it. Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. (Mt. 27:24-25)
This was not a movie about anti-Semitism. The Jews made a choice to kill Jesus. If anything, they're calling their forefathers "anti-Semitic."
Also, I'm not saying it's the Jew's fault that Jesus died, because I realize that it is the fault of
every living human being, past, present and future. Because of our sin, we put Him to death on the cross.
As far as the idea that Muslims will be offended, I've learned an old proverb: You can please some of the people some of the time, but you can't please all of the people all of the time. It's not necessarily Lewis intent to bash Muslims, when all he does is paint a portrait of the ancient Persians/Ottomans. After all, they were a bloody people, just as much as the Assyrians, the Chaldeans, the Babylonians, the Syrians, the Greeks, the Romans, and a host of others, were.
slideyfoot said:
Its not impossible that Disney would risk widespread outrage - after all, The Passion of the Christ made money - but I think its unlikely. Nevertheless, I would be interested to see what choices a studio might make in adapting The Last Battle - I'm not a Muslim, so it wouldn't personally offend me either way, although I would be disappointed if a studio felt the Islamic audience was irrelevant. Like The Passion of the Christ, it would certainly produce a lot of free publicity.
When it comes to The Passion, I know the truth of the history is going to offend many. But when it comes to The Last Battle, if there are people who are so shallow as to take personal offense, then it's quite a shame. But it would be an outrage to allow for a liberal film adaptation of Lewis' work: perhaps the Calormenes should be men dressed in pink tutus? That certainly wouldn't offend the said audience you mention.
I am rather struck, though, by your self-contradiction, for you write:
slideyfoot said:
If a major studio can adapt The Last Battle without delivering an enormous affront to Islamic groups, then I'd love to see it.
But, almost in the same breath, you write:
slideyfoot said:
I'm not a Muslim, so it wouldn't personally offend me either way
What choice will you make? You can't be one and the other.
