Search - The Secrets of the Golden Compass on DVD

The Secrets of the Golden Compass

F. Simons | Surrey, England | 10/17/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Having been privileged to preview this programme in a classroom environment, I can only say that I wish that the majorty of what I see came up to this standard in terms of information and entertainment value. Every aspect of the book is dealt with, including a detailed review of the narrative intercut with insights from the critic and screenwriter Nick Tucker, who I understand is a friend of Philip Pullman. Visually is held the interest using a mix of re-enactment, 3D illusions and animation, together with a great deal of location shooting that helps to place the book in its true geographic locations. What is more, given the furore that the Golden Compass trilogy, His Dark Materials, has generated, it is interesting to see the point of view of the English Church as represented by the Bishop of Oxford. (Oxford is of course the home city of Lyra, the heroine of the novel). But for me the best thing of all was the comments of Philip Pullman himself, in a detailed interview, where he makes explicit some of his own political and religious views as well as providing insights into what led him to write the books in the first place. Finally, the books themselves are placed in context in an accompanying programme, The World of Philip Pullman, a visual autobiography where the writer also discusses his other works. I strongly recommend this dvd."

Close as you will get to a visual biography

bernie | Arlington, Texas | 02/03/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This presentation is the closest I have come to finding a video biography of Philip Pullman. It also includes a very comprehensive anthology of many of his other works.

Produced in 2007 this presentation is 81 minutes long.



In this presentation we get an overview of Pullman's life and a good visualization his Oxford and that of the Oxford the Lyra had her adventures in.



Some of the extras are specials on this disk are really rehashing the main points and sometimes even copying the main presentation.



The real advantage in this presentation is for people like me who don't know their shoes are untied until somebody says something, can miss a lot of the story by just reading it straight through and not realizing some of the meanings are inferences that are really being placed on the characters their actions.



This presentation makes a good supplement to the books, especially "His Dark Materials."

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