A new trailer for “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” film has been released, and it looks fantastic. Based on the third book written in C.S. Lewis’ “Chronicles of Narnia” series, the story bears strong religious themes surrounding the spiritual journey, conversion, and the wonder of God’s world.
This particular story holds one of my favorite scenes in any tale. Eustace, a stubborn, curious boy sneaks into a dragon’s lair and steals a gold bracelet. As he puts it on his wrist, he is transformed into a dragon, experiencing the effects of his greed. The transformation is uncomfortable as Eustace scales upward in size, and the small bracelet begins to choke his huge dragon-arm. Soon after, Eustace encounters Aslan, the lion–who is Narnia’s great Christ-figure–and he cries out, begging the lion to make him a boy once more.
Aslan agrees, but tells Eustace that the change will be painful. He explains that he must use his claws to scrape the dragon skin off of Eustace’s body. Though reluctant, Eustace agrees, and through pain and anguish he is transformed back into a boy.
This scene presents such a great metaphor for the Christian life. Our relentless God scrapes, rips, and sheds our deformations and sin. Does it hurt? Yes. Is it uncomfortable? Yes. But is it worth it? Oh, yes. This is the only way we end up fully ourselves, the only way we inhabit our own true skin.
(Lewis carries this same theme of ‘painful sanctification’ in “The Great Divorce” where an angel sears a particular sin from a man’s soul . Both of these scenes portray Lewis’ strong conviction of Purgatory’s existence.)
C.S. Lewis was a genius at using fantasy to explain spiritual realities, just as Mozart used music and Michelangelo used frescoes. His Chronicles are windows to another world, helping us glimpse God’s realm through the imaginative lands of Narnia.
Be sure to check out “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader” when it hits theaters in December 2010.