6 replies to this topic

[Qwerty]

Now on the CBn main page...

Eva Green Joins 'The Golden Compass'

_{Bond girl to play Queen of the witches}

[DamnCoffee]

is this the year of Horror

weve got Craig playing the devil and Green playing a witch lol

[marktmurphy]

Is it called Golden Compass? Is that some kind of 'Sorceror's Stone'-esque dumbing down of the title?

[Captain Grimes]

Is it called Golden Compass? Is that some kind of 'Sorceror's Stone'-esque dumbing down of the title?

As a matter of fact, I think I remember reading that the person who changed "Philosopher's Stone" to "Sorcerer's Stone" is the same one who changed "Northern Lights" to "Golden Compass."

In this case, however, I think it was a change for the better. "The Golden Compass" fits the titles of the other two books, which are obviously the names of tools (or "dark materials") preceded by an adjective. Plus, it's not as if they chose "golden compass" at random; it comes out of Book VII of Paradise Lost, which of course is the source of the phrase "his dark materials." Makes for a more fitting and allusive title, in my opinion.

But changing "Philosopher's Stone" was a travesty.

[marktmurphy]

Oddly there was a book entitled 'Indiana Jones and the Philosopher's Stone' a while back. American kiddies seemed to be able to grab that title!

[JCRendle]

Except "The Subtle knife" had a Knife in it and "The Amber Spyglass" had a Spyglass in it - but "The Golden Compass" doesn't have a compass in it.

[Captain Grimes]

Except "The Subtle knife" had a Knife in it and "The Amber Spyglass" had a Spyglass in it - but "The Golden Compass" doesn't have a compass in it.

It has the Alethiometer, which is compass-like. The compass in Paradise Lost isn't a normal compass, either: the word is used to give an idea of an instrument that we don't have in our world. Just as the amber spyglass isn't a spyglass like we have in our world--the term is an approximation.

Granted, it isn't a perfect title, but it's much better in my opinion than "Northern Lights," which is pedestrian and out of sync with the other titles.