C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia
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Movie Reviews of C.S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia
Movie Review: "I always believed that miracles can happen. You just have to be at the right place at the right time"
Summary: 4 Stars
It's remarkable how ordinary and seemingly insignificant events prove pivotal, and in God's economy part of his grand design. Such is the case in the life of C.S. Lewis. He wrote, "I always believed that miracles can happen. You just have to be at the right place at the right time."
The tragic loss of his mother led to a cruel English boarding school experience. Begging to leave, he came out into the spacious freedom of a demanding but beloved tutor, who inspired a love of learning and knowledge. It served as preparation for Oxford University.
His education was interrupted by what was called "The Great War." Did the tragedy and horror of it confirm his atheism? Wounded in battle, he returned to his studies and Christian friends like J.R.R. Tolkien, who challenged his atheistic assumptions.
His defenses began to crumble when he realized that not only were his best friends Christian, his favorite books were written by Christian authors. He could no longer deny God's existence and felt the pressure of God's pursuit.
He had been filled with trepidation at the thought of becoming a believer, but in 1929 he reluctantly surrendered. It was anything but joyous.
But years later, after a career in writing had emerged, he agreed to meet with an American woman who had written him. This seemingly insignificant event would forever change his life. He was at the right place at the right time. Joy Gresham would become his friend, and later to make it possible for her to stay in England, Lewis agreed to a hasty "paper" marriage.
It was the tragedy of Joy's cancer that brought their love to the surface, which led to a real marriage before God. At last Lewis would know the joy in his sixties that he had been denied in his twenties. This pleasure would prove to be fleeting, as Joy's recovery was only temporary.
She eventually succumbed leaving Lewis to question the faith he had espoused and defended. In back of all the twists and turns in his life, stood the God who helped Lewis and his stepchildren carry on.
All of these scenes and more are beautifully depicted in this dramatic presentation. Amazingly, it condenses into 54 minutes all the periods and highlights of his life. The pacing is even and relaxed; it never feels rushed.
This is not a documentary. An assortment of actors, including a man who looks like an older Lewis, vividly and expertly recreate his life.
The promotional DVD copy opens with an advertisement for this production and did not have any of the bonus features listed on the box. This includes Lewis and Narnia trivia, information about Lewis and a few other items related to the Narnia books.
The presentation opens with Lewis as a child exploring an old cottage. Then it flashes forward to 1963 with the older Lewis narrating his story. The different episodes are played out in between narration and commentary. Lewis serves as a guide; everything comes to us from his perspective.
As you might expect, this is more realistic and less dramatic than "Shadowlands," the popular Hollywood version of his life. It also has a warmth and production that exceeds the PBS story. This may be the best and is probably the most concise depiction of Lewis on film.
Those who know his story may not learn anything new, but this works because it's well-done, entertaining and realistic. It's a loving depiction that serves as a great follow-up to the "Narnia" movie. It takes us beyond Narnia to show us the miracle of the life behind it.
Movie Review: Great Introduction to C.S. Lewis
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a summary of the life of C.S. Lewis in the style of a narrative/flashback told by Mr. Lewis near the end of his life.
When I first popped in the disc and saw "BBC," I was preparing myself for the below-par quality that I've come to expect from U.K. comedies on late-night PBS specials. But within five minutes, I was hooked. Being an avid C.S. Lewis fan myself, I was pleased that nearly all of the monologue from the actor who played the older Mr. Lewis was taken word-for-word from the works and letters of C.S. Lewis and arranged in such a way as to give explain the life of Lewis to the viewer. Even the dialogue in the flashbacks appears to be inspired by the real words and letters of Lewis.
The actors did a superb job. The older Mr. Lewis, who also appears in the flashbacks, did an excellent job at times describing and other times depicting the range of emotions the real Lewis went through: happiness, love, sadness, wonder, apathy, all of these were captured in his voice and his expressions. The director also did a wonderful job depicting scenes from World War I while Lewis describes how the war cemented his Atheism as a young man.
Three other scenes in particular stood out to me. The first was shortly after the death of the young Lewis' mother and depicts his father alone in a study, debilitated by his grief and unable to console his grieving children "who desperately needed their father's love and attention."
The second was the scene of the night on which Lewis converted to belief in God (not Christianity, just Theism). The young Lewis (played by a different actor than the old) is shown in his study, tormented by the pressing reality of God. The acting and directing were superb in capturing the tension that C.S. Lewis described when he said that this was the night he became "the most dejected and reluctant convert in all of England."
The third scene was when Lewis' wife, Joy Gresham Lewis, dies of cancer. The actor who played the older Lewis, who up to this point has seemed quite inspirational, now displays Lewis' anger and apathy toward God that followed his wife's death; as well as his restoration to a more vivid, mature faith in God.
My only complaint with this video is its brevity. At 54 minutes, it does a tremendous job showing the highlights of Lewis' life, but another half hour would have been well received. While the video does contain brief depictions of Lewis' friendship with J.R.R. Tolkien and his involvement with an intellectual club, "The Inklings," I wish the video had spent more time on Lewis' relationship with other friends such as Charles Williams, Owen Barfield, Hugo Dyson, and Lewis life-long friend Arthur Greeves who is never so much as mentioned. The video also never depicts the event that catapulted Lewis fame to new heights as a Christian apologist during the 40's when he was asked to do a series of talks on Christianity for BBC radio that were eventually compiled into one his most popular works, "Mere Christianity." A pivotal event in Lewis' life as a Christian apologist, it is quite neglected.
But with all of these criticisms, it should be noted that with only under an hour, the movie is surprisingly extensive in its breadth of material that is covered.
This video will give any new Lewis initiates a concise, but surprisingly comprehensive overview of his life. And for more mature fans, such as myself, it brings life to Lewis' words. This DVD does not disappoint.
Movie Review: Fireside Chat with C.S. Lewis
Summary: 4 Stars
As a child, my father would read me books by C.S. Lewis that you would assume would be far beyond a child's understanding and yet at a young age, this writer captured my heart. His Narnia books birthed in me a love for reading and his life is an interesting study in soul growth and maturing through life's complexity.
In this brief dramatized introduction to his life, we enter a world where C.S. Lewis talks about his life while sitting by a fireplace. This has the feeling of a fireside chat with portrayals of C.S. Lewis' discovery of true love, his life as a writer and his struggles to accept the reality of God's existence, all while he says he was angry at God for not existing. There are some great moments of humor throughout.
If you have read the work of C.S. Lewis, especially "A Grief Observed," then "Beyond Narnia" presents a deeper understanding of how C.S. Lewis lost the woman he loved. I found myself caught up in the tragic romance, the intimacy of the conversations and the stories of his life in Oxford.
The filming locations are beautiful, libraries and historic settings add intrigue. I suppose the only thing I felt a little distracted by was how C.S. Lewis' beliefs about God were presented. While most of the aspects of his conversion from atheism to Christianity seem correct, I think at the point at which he would have been telling his story, he would have been less critical of God. Reading Mere Christianity gives a much more in depth look at his true feelings.
It seems true to say that the more you learn about C.S. Lewis, the more fascinated you become. This docudrama doesn't really address the Chronicles of Narnia in detail, nor does it really explore any of C.S. Lewis' writing. This is more about his childhood, his personal relationship with God and his understanding of grief. When you think about, how many authors could so influence a life? Not only are his children's books completely fascinating, his writings on spirituality are some of the most profound literary moments I've ever encountered. Each time I take time to study more about C.S. Lewis, I find myself even more curious about this fascinating author who has so influenced my life.
So, I can recommend this to you if you are studying C.S. Lewis' life or you are curious about his childhood, marriage and emotional life. If you are looking for extensive details about the Chronicles of Narnia, you may be disappointed.
~The Rebecca Review
Movie Review: Well made and on location
Summary: 4 Stars
This was professionally made and the footage appears to be mostly on locations where CS Lewis lived and worked. Most of the lines delivered by the actor portraying Jack were right out of his written works. Only one puzzle hit me and that was the abreviated approach to his conversion. It seemed to skip over which books and discussions had a great influence on him. It suggested his change of mind occurred in his room while I have often heard it happened while traveling one day, but maybe this was a different issue. Overall, this is a nice summary of his life.Movie Review: Actual Quotes From His Books
Summary: 4 Stars
What is best about this DVD is that character of C.S. Lewis protrayed said exactly what C.S. Lewis would say, because they were word for word quotes from his books, mostly from his autobiography Surprised by Joy: The Shape of My Early Life published by C. S. Lewis in 1955.
The worst about this DVD was the very distracting artificial flickering from an unseen fireplace while Lewis was chatting in his armchair in his living room.