Of Birdhouses, Wardrobes and Wuchak
Sister took her kids and I off to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo’s Electric Safari last night. Really cool, walking through the zoo keeping the animals up late (or seeing the ones that sleep all day actually moving) while there are thousands of strings of Christmas lights strung around all over the place.
Was especially fun watching my lil’ niece (somewhere between 3 and 5yrs old) running around oohing and aahing. However, in typical fashion I couldn’t let the night go by without making a fool of myself. And so when my niece ran up to a bird house and ever so eagerly opened the door and peeked in side, I let out a little “Raarrwrrr!”
Poor, girl. I think I have given her a permanent fear of birdhouses.
Anyway, on to the thing about that movie that had a very big closet thing in it.
It’s been a few years since I last read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe so my memory is a bit fuzzy on the specifics, but from what I could tell the movie is indeed a fairly faithful adaptation, incredibly well done if you compare other book > movie translations.
Over all I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and thought that the additional scenes helped flesh the narration out so it flowed well as a movie.
Things I enjoyed:
Things that Irked:
One thing that watching this movie did help reassert for me is just how much a person’s world view can shape their understanding and watching/reading of a movie or book.
The same way Christians can find Christian themes in things like The Matrix or Star Wars, is the same way non-Christians totally miss those themes in works like The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia. Our central beliefs, and the things we are most familiar with are the correlations that will jump out at us from the pages/screen and touch our core.
For instance, to someone not that familiar with Christianity, Aslan’s line of “It is finished.” May hold no more weight than any other line in the story. But to a Christian who is intimate with the story of Christ’s passion, it resonates and communicates much more than just those three words mean.
It’s something I’ve tried to keep in mind in my own writing. Always looking at each scene and character not only from where a reader might be coming from with a worldview, but also making sure that the characters stay true to their own worldviews.
Something to think about, and to maybe expound more on later.
Anyway time for today’s “Learn to Speak Saurian”:
I’m sure lots of you will be having guests drop by your house this Christmas. You’re going to need a way to greet them! And so here is how you say:
“Welcome, friends, to my home!”
Remember sound this out in English phonetics:
“Shnakvorum, reekoeyoech, cheechae votae dinevee.”
Also, with all those wondrous gifts you’re going to need to say “Thankyou!”
Which is simply: “Wuchak”.
Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!
Was especially fun watching my lil’ niece (somewhere between 3 and 5yrs old) running around oohing and aahing. However, in typical fashion I couldn’t let the night go by without making a fool of myself. And so when my niece ran up to a bird house and ever so eagerly opened the door and peeked in side, I let out a little “Raarrwrrr!”
Poor, girl. I think I have given her a permanent fear of birdhouses.
Anyway, on to the thing about that movie that had a very big closet thing in it.
It’s been a few years since I last read The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe so my memory is a bit fuzzy on the specifics, but from what I could tell the movie is indeed a fairly faithful adaptation, incredibly well done if you compare other book > movie translations.
Over all I thoroughly enjoyed the movie, and thought that the additional scenes helped flesh the narration out so it flowed well as a movie.
Things I enjoyed:
- The kids were very well cast and nicely acted (as if you haven't read that in every review out there)
- Loved the battle :)
- Minotaurs rocked!
- Beavers rocked!
- Rocks rocked!
Things that Irked:
- Alsan felt diminished to me, not quite as majestic and powerful as he could have been. Kept waiting for a roar that would totally shake the theater.
- Peter’s reluctance to lead.
- No reference to the deeper magic.
- At least a year until Prince Caspian shows up.
One thing that watching this movie did help reassert for me is just how much a person’s world view can shape their understanding and watching/reading of a movie or book.
The same way Christians can find Christian themes in things like The Matrix or Star Wars, is the same way non-Christians totally miss those themes in works like The Lord of the Rings or The Chronicles of Narnia. Our central beliefs, and the things we are most familiar with are the correlations that will jump out at us from the pages/screen and touch our core.
For instance, to someone not that familiar with Christianity, Aslan’s line of “It is finished.” May hold no more weight than any other line in the story. But to a Christian who is intimate with the story of Christ’s passion, it resonates and communicates much more than just those three words mean.
It’s something I’ve tried to keep in mind in my own writing. Always looking at each scene and character not only from where a reader might be coming from with a worldview, but also making sure that the characters stay true to their own worldviews.
Something to think about, and to maybe expound more on later.
Anyway time for today’s “Learn to Speak Saurian”:
I’m sure lots of you will be having guests drop by your house this Christmas. You’re going to need a way to greet them! And so here is how you say:
“Welcome, friends, to my home!”
Remember sound this out in English phonetics:
“Shnakvorum, reekoeyoech, cheechae votae dinevee.”
Also, with all those wondrous gifts you’re going to need to say “Thankyou!”
Which is simply: “Wuchak”.
Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!
posted by Stuart at 8:38 AM
5 Comments:
Holy smokey cow! 3 alphabets and 50+ races? Very, very cool! I'm working on my own hieroglyphics and 1 language for my world. I like your blog.
Is dinevee pronounced din-ay-vee? or din-ee-vee? or dyne-vee?
That also sounds way long to just say, Welcome to my pad. But I guess Saurian culture isn't into cutting verbal corners, eh? :)
Camy
It is pronounced iwth a long I
the first e is silent, the second E is long
Dine - Vee
Hope everyone has had a merry Christmas!
In the immortal words of Spongebob Squarepants...Well, good luck with that. *grin*
And to add a comment on the more philosophical vein... *grin*
I like what you had to say about how a person's worldview is shaped or how it shapes perception. It's true. I enjoy approaching so many things from my worldview, reading faith elements into so much of what I see and hear. Helps reaffirm my faith and find new ways of depicting or explaining it.
But there's also the flip side of those coming at something you write from the other perspective. Excellent rule of thumb to keep that in mind when writing. Because if you take it for granted that everyone reading has the same worldview, you'll lose a significant potential audience. That's why it's good to have a balance in your characters.
Good one.
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