C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia
|
List Price: Our Price: $5.82 You Save: $9.16 (61%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.97 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia
Movie Review: A Captivating Biographical Film
Summary: 5 Stars
I was entranced watching this short (just under 1 hour) film, which traces some of the major events in the life of Christian apologist and author C.S. Lewis. The story is told in flashbacks from the memory of an elderly Lewis, and the exquisite script is mostly culled from his writings. It makes one marvel at the beauty of the English language, and how descriptive it is. The scenes flow well, and though it is a mere sketch of a very complex and full life, one gets the sense of who Lewis was, how he lived, and the friends he knew, like J. R. R. Tolkien. He met Joy Davidman, an American mother of 2, in his later years, and this relationship brought Lewis love, as well as a crisis of faith, which is expressed with depth and sensitivity.
Anton Rodgers as Lewis, and Diane Venora as Joy give remarkable performances. There is an intimacy and realism to their portrayals that make the biography come alive, and stir our emotions. The direction by Norman Stone is excellent, and the production gives one the feel of what the first half of the 20th century in England was like. Co-produced by Faith and Values Media for the Hallmark Channel, and filmed in locations where Lewis worked and lived, "Beyond Narnia" is a gentle film that will be appreciated by anyone who admires his books, or those who enjoy literate scripts and good acting.
Movie Review: Entertaining & Moving
Summary: 5 Stars
I teach Lewis' Space Trilogy and Narnia Chronicles in different college courses and have, in the past, shown _The Magic Never Ends_ as an introduction to Lewis' life and beliefs. _The Magic Never Ends_ is very good, but a bit long and in need of some editing. I do value its unflinching declaration of Lewis' beliefs and clear articulation of the gospel.
_Beyond Narnia_ is dramatized - narrated by an older Lewis and complemented with flashbacks. It is a wonderful overview of Lewis' life and struggles - entertaining and accessible, engaging and moving. It wraps you into his life and makes you care about his struggles and triumphs. At the same time it presents his faith clearly, though it doesn't discuss Christianity with as much force as _The Magic Never Ends_. I especially appreciate that, though _Beyond Narnia_ deals with Joy's death and Lewis' reaction as outlined in _A Grief Observed_ it, unlike _Shadowlands_, clearly shows that Lewis returned to his faith in God.
My class of adult degree-completion students absolutely loved this film, and I did too. It's a basic, clear depiction with great emotional impact that stays very true to who Lewis was and the life he lived.
Movie Review: Lewis according to Lewis
Summary: 5 Stars
The trouble with many documentaries on religious figures or events is that in our era of religious suspicion much of the spirituality is washed out to make a movie more "accessible" to a wide audience. In doing this these documentaries miss the mark, and create a figure or event entirely unhistorical. The reality about C.S. Lewis is he was a Christian. Not only this, he was a Christian apologist, a man who spent a significant part of his life convincing others about Christianity.
That core reality is found in this documentary. Indeed, this movie may have been better titled, "In His Own Words", for having read the bulk of Lewis' writings I recognized significant parts. Think of this movie as a very uncluttered dramatization of Surprised by Joy, A Grief Observed, and a selection of his letters.
C.S. Lewis saw his own identity being defined by his faith. He was fascinating, he himself argued, precisely because of his Christianity. This movie, without holding back, gets right to the heart of Lewis' own self-understanding, and as such is a wonderful hour spent with a very intriguing and influential scholar, writer, theologian, and evangelist.
Movie Review: A Look at Lewis
Summary: 5 Stars
C.S. Lewis is my favorite author, bar none. I have never read anything by Lewis that I didn't like and I always learn something from reading his writings. He forces you to think. But who was the man behind the writings? That's what BEYOND NARNIA explores. This short DVD (about 55 minutes) examines key experiences from Lewis' life by having Lewis himself (portrayed by an actor) tell us through a series of reenacted scenes from his life. The idyllic early years of his childhood, the death of his mother, his years at boarding school, the tutelage under the Great Knock, the Great War, his years of teaching, his friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien, and his relationship with his eventual wife, Joy, are all discussed. More time is spent on some of these areas than others, but each of them provides insight who Lewis was. Even though I knew most of the information and had read most of the stories, I really enjoyed BEYOND NARNIA. It's short, but quite accurate. It's educational and entertaining without being dry. Highly recommended for fans of Lewis, fans of Narnia, or as a way to introduce people to who Lewis was.Movie Review: Understand the Narnia Context
Summary: 5 Stars
Beyond Narnia is a captivating movie where C. S. Lewis is presented as an older man looking back and telling the story of his life. There are cuts back and forth from the autobiographical narrator and those acting out the scenes.
Over the years I have seen several videos about C. S. Lewis. I have read many hundreds of pages. And here are all the facts told in an orderly way. The film is easy to understand and very engaging. The sets and costumes help tell the visual story as the narrator talks.
This movie is recommended for all those who want to understand the live of C S Lewis both as the writer of the Narnia Chronicles as well as his many other books. Understanding his spiritual pilgrimage can provide a greater context to more fully appreciate the soil of his life that the fruits of his labors came from in his complex walk with God.