Aslan, the lion in C. S. Lewis’s “The Narnia Chronicles”, is a Christ figure. As Mr. Tumnus points out, he’s not a tame lion which is more than can be said for the actor, Liam Neeson whose voice plays him. Neeson is only too tame when he grovels before the altar of political correctness by saying that Aslan also symbolises Mohammed and Buddha:
Ahead of the release of The Voyage of the Dawn Treader next Thursday, Neeson said: ‘Aslan symbolises a Christ-like figure but he also symbolises for me Mohammed, Buddha and all the great spiritual leaders and prophets over the centuries.
‘That’s who Aslan stands for as well as a mentor figure for kids – that’s what he means for me.’
Don’t you think C. S. Lewis might be a tad upset at that?
On first reading this I was outraged. But then it occured to me that Aslan and C.S.Lewis will be remembered, loved, and appreciated for what they truly stood for long after Liam whomever has died and been forgotten (probably not in that order).
Surely it wasn’t beyond them to find at least one Christian actor who could have done the voice (well, maybe … Hollywood …)
Liam Neeson is wrong. Truth is not relative, and that is not what Aslan symbolizes. Doesn’t mean that the movie cannot be enjoyed on its own merits.