I wouldn’t normally have any interest in a movie companion (and I don’t mean the human variety eating pop corn in the seat next to me), however official and illustrated it may be. But as with all things Pullman, I found it very easy to make an exception for The Golden Compass Official Illustrated Movie Companion.
This companion could take the place of several magazine articles of the best kind, about a favourite subject. And you get the stills from the film, and photos of things and people to do with the filming. With a book you have time to look at and appreciate it properly.
And there’s lots more on the technical background to the film. Everyone involved with the making of the film gets their say, and for someone like me who doesn’t know that much about film making, it’s quite interesting in a general way, too.
Just as with the film itself, the photos are beautiful, and as far as clothes are concerned, they “stand still” so you can admire them.
Nicole Kidman gives me the creeps, which is as it should be, and I still feel I want to be Serafina Pekkala in my next life.
4 responses so far ↓
Nick // April 3, 2008 at 12:45
It’s interesting; I see the Golden Compass movie as the ‘book companion’. As a standalone film it doesn’t really hang together (tries to cram in too much and loses both character and logic to some extent) but it’s wonderful to view the book or the film in the context of the other.
I remember that being true of 2001: A Space Odyssey, which is beautiful nonsense without the book and prosaic enlightenment without the film. They were actively designed to work together.
bookwitch // April 3, 2008 at 15:24
Oh, that explains why I never understood 2001, which surprised me a great deal at the time.
Nick // April 4, 2008 at 16:01
I did my thesis on it! Misspent youth.
The Golden Compass | Win a Golden Compass Movie Companion | His Dark Materials | BridgeToTheStars.Net // April 5, 2008 at 14:36
[...] not just for children and quite certainly one for all His Dark Materials fans! Amongst critics, the Bookwitch gives the book high praise. To be in with a chance of winning, simply answer the following [...]
Leave a Comment