C. S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia

It is widely accepted that the task of bringing the creative spawn of C. S. Lewis to the silver screen is a daunting one. The Chronicles of Narnia has faced the nuances and criticisms of several generations, and has steadfastly endured as a bestseller for nearly fifty years, yet the question has remained: can it be successfully put on film?

But if taking an artist’s literary creation to the screen is a difficult undertaking, then capturing the life and spirit of the artist—exploring the mind and soul that produced such a work of art—is monumental.

C. S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia attempts such a feat—and succeeds. While docudramas are frequently vague on the “docu� and heavy on the “drama,� Beyond Narnia reveals the character of a real man—one whom we might wish to know better. Contributing significantly to this honest depiction is writer/director Norman Stone’s skillful use of substantial excerpts from Lewis’ non-fiction works as the foundation for the underlying narrative. By using Lewis’ own words, documentary meets drama in a very pleasing, intelligent, and engaging way. Quotes from Mere Christianity, A Grief Observed, Surprised by Joy, and The Four Loves, among others, offer the audience the confidence that what they are hearing is, indeed, Lewis—not a paraphrase, not an interpretation, but his own words, expressing his own thoughts and experiences and feelings. The breadth of Lewis’ work lends itself well to such an approach, and is molded into a beautiful, balanced piece of art and understanding by Stone.

With the strength of Lewis’ own words as the cornerstone of the script, the story of Lewis’ life as expressed in Beyond Narnia finds a resonance and candor that are frequently lacking in biopics. Though the movie itself is only sixty minutes, the audience follows Lewis through numerous influential experiences, beginning with his “idyllic� childhood, which was brutally disrupted by his mother’s death and his father’s subsequent withdrawal. From there we journey with him from his rejection of God through his coming to faith, and finally from his nearly euphoric romance with Joy Davidman through his almost fathomless grief over her death. Without flinching, Beyond Narnia delves into the profound crests and canyons that Lewis traversed, without over- or underplaying any single event. Rather, it is a full depiction of some of the most profound experiences that shaped Lewis into the man he was.

Finally, complementing the strength and depth of Stone’s script is actor Anton Rodgers’ immensely accessible, erudite portrayal of the man Lewis. While Lewis himself may have been somewhat less emotionally available than the depiction in the movie, Rodgers certainly offers a stirring performance of a man whose love and loss the audience intimately shares. Despite the genuine tragedies in Lewis’ life and his subsequent crises of faith (first in the existence and later in the nature of God), Rodgers maintains a sense of British propriety and reserve, while still successfully conveying the intensity of Lewis’ heartache and doubt.

C. S. Lewis: Beyond Narnia brings us “further up and further in� to the life of the creator of Narnia, offering the audience a glimpse into the heart of the man whose wisdom and insight still holds influence in literary, philosophical, and theological discussions forty years after his death.