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How different should the new LWW film or series be from the previous adaptations

Jasmine
(@jasmine_tarkheena)
NarniaWeb Guru

As The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe is perhaps the best known book of the Narnia series (if you ask anyone if they've ever read The Chronicles of Narnia, about 80% or 75% would say they have read The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe), there's no way around it will get a new screen adaptation.

But how should it be different than the past adaptations? Each of those screen adaptations were pretty unique each in their own way, even though non of them were done perfectly. Then of course, I think we can all agree that no company is perfect.

Here's some I could think of how a new LWW film or series be different than the previous ones:

1. Edmund's inner monologue. This is especially a hard one to visualize on screen. The way the BBC have done it is by having Edmund disembody from himself and talking to himself. Now I could see what they were trying to do, but reckon it's probably not the best way to depict something like that. In the Walden film, it did pretty clever job of visualizing it by having Edmund sitting on the White Witch's throne one moment then the next where he's in a dungeon. It was like he was seeing the results of his actions. So how can new film do Edmund's inner monologue? Perhaps as he's walking towards the White Witch's castle, we hear his conscious in voice-over and we could even see a close up of a look on Edmund's face, "I want to be king and more Turkish Delight" "No, this is wrong." So I think it will be interesting to see how a new LWW film or series will depict Edmund's inner monologue.

2. Father Christmas's Arrival. In the book, it's actually pretty suspenseful. Mr. Beaver goes out to investigate when he, Mrs. Beaver, and three of the Pevensies' hear sleigh bells, to see if it was the White Witch. Then of course, it turns out it's not her, but Father Christmas. In the Walden film, they kind of made into a chase scene where there's a close up of the reindeer making the audience think they're the whites but turned to be brown covered in snow (which it was a pretty clever depiction, I'll give it that). Perhaps, instead of a chase scene, there can still be that suspenseful moment but when Mr. Beaver goes out to investigate from their hiding place like in the book , maybe there can be a close up of the reindeer covered in snow, making us think, "Is the White Witch going to get them?" Then cut Mr. Beaver calling Mrs. Beaver and three of the Pevensies' out of their hiding place, and Father Christmas is revealed.

Those are some I could think of. Any other ideas on how a new LWW film or series could be different than the previous adaptations?

"And this is the marvel of marvels, that he called me beloved."
(Emeth, The Last Battle)
https://escapetoreality.files.wordpress.com/2010/03/aslan-and-emeth2.jpg

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Topic starter Posted : January 5, 2025 5:05 pm
meldred
(@meldred)
NarniaWeb Regular

The inner monologue is particularly interesting to me, as this has been a challenge for screen adaptation since the invention of moving pictures.

In my opinion, the success of Edmund's inner monologue will hinge directly upon the director's cues and the actor's skill, rather than reliance upon fancy cinematography or special effects. To make it feel natural, it will need to be all about the camera focus and body language. The furtive look, the cadence, and tone of speech, and what is not said, either in outright silence or in what is suggested between the lines; these will bring the inner monologue out, without the use of awkward close-ups and adding an echo to indicate an inner monologue. 

 

Lost in the woods and weary he looked into the night sky and a voice spoke to him, "As long as the moon shines, I will be with you. The day the moon no longer shines, you will be with Me."

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Posted : January 6, 2025 9:50 am
icarus
(@icarus)
NarniaWeb Guru

@jasmine_tarkheena 

Edmund's inner monologue. This is especially a hard one to visualize on screen.

Whilst narration and inner monologue might be perceived as being difficult to pull off on-screen, once you see it done well by a skilful director you realise how effortless the whole thing can feel.

For example:

  • Terrence Malick uses inner monologues in almost all of his movies to a hauntingly beautiful effect - The Thin Red Line, The New World, and The Tree of Life in particular.
  • Martin Scorsese also uses first-person character narration in a lot of his most critically acclaimed films, such as Goodfellas and Wolf of Wall Street.

Whilst the in-your-face attitude or the latter wouldn't necessarily be the best fit for Narnia, if they could aim for something even 50% as poetic as Malick achieves with his films that could work well.

 

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Posted : January 6, 2025 12:43 pm
Col Klink liked
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