Mr. and Mrs. Beaver give the Pevensies some advice in this still from the special. Note Mr. Beaver’s pipe and the gold ashtray on the table which was common for kaffeklatsches in the 1970s. Or are they having tea in those tiny cups, not espresso?
More educator’s notes / press releases. The first is a character and plot sheet.
Not bad in how everything was reduced to its basics. I wonder if AI could write the same thing today? Let’s find out.
| Aslan | The great Lion and true king of Narnia, Aslan embodies courage, sacrifice, and creation itself. He guides the Pevensie children, gives his life to save Edmund, and ultimately returns to defeat the Witch and restore Narnia. |
| The White Witch | Also known as Jadis, she rules Narnia through fear and enchantment, keeping the land in “always winter and never Christmas.” Her power is immense but rooted in cruelty and deception. |
| Peter Pevensie | The eldest sibling, noble and brave. He grows into a battlefield leader and becomes High King Peter the Magnificent. |
| Susan Pevensie | Practical, thoughtful, and gentle. She excels in diplomacy and archery, becoming Queen Susan the Gentle. |
| Edmund Pevensie | Initially resentful and easily swayed, Edmund’s betrayal drives the plot. His redemption is one of the story’s emotional cores, and he becomes King Edmund the Just. |
| Lucy Pevensie | The youngest and most open-hearted. Her faith in Narnia and Aslan never wavers, earning her the title Queen Lucy the Valiant. |
| Mr. Tumnus | A faun who befriends Lucy. His moral struggle—serving the Witch yet wanting to protect Lucy—sets the tone for Narnia’s oppression. |
| Mr. and Mrs. Beaver | Steadfast, warm, and practical. They guide the children to Aslan and help them understand Narnia’s prophecy. |
| Maugrim | Captain of the Witch’s secret police, a vicious Talking Wolf who enforces her rule through terror. |
| The Dwarf | The Witch’s driver and assistant, loyal to her cruelty and present during Edmund’s captivity. |
| Dryads and Naiads | Tree and water spirits who awaken when Aslan returns, symbolizing nature restored. |
| The Stone Table Creatures | Mythic beings who witness Aslan’s sacrifice and the breaking of the Deep Magic. |
The four Pevensie children discover a magical world called Narnia inside an old wardrobe while hiding during a game. They learn that Narnia has been frozen in eternal winter under the tyranny of the White Witch, who fears a prophecy that humans will end her rule. Edmund is lured into betrayal by the Witch’s promises, while Peter, Susan, and Lucy seek help from Aslan, the great lion and true king of Narnia. Aslan sacrifices himself to save Edmund, but deeper magic restores him to life. A great battle follows in which Aslan’s forces defeat the Witch and free Narnia from her enchantment. The children are crowned as kings and queens, ruling for years before returning to their own world as children once again.
Huh. Well. The AI — Microsoft Copilot — gets a little too talky here about themes and symbolism. I didn’t ask for any of that, just the basics.
It also skipped the characters of The Professor and The White Stag, who serve as bookends for the story.
Worst of all, however, is the ambiguously defined “Stone Table Creatures.” They’re THE WITCH’S EVIL FLUNKIES. Got it, AI? I also take issue with the idea of Aslan being the true king of Narnia. Lewis himself never defined him that way.
Below are two visual references which, though B&W, are clear and of high quality. I’m pretty sure they were meant to go along with the press releases for newspaper reproduction. Which meant, in the 1970s, setting up each page by hand with typeset text and halftones of the photos (photographic process that turns the gray tones of the pictures into little dots for the ink-thirsty printed page.) All of that a thing of the past.
Note how similar the character design of the witch is to the Evil Queen in the Disney version of Snow White.
This animated still depicts the moment after Edmund has been rescued from the witch’s clutches but before Aslan’s sacrifice. I wouldn’t call Edmund “mischievous” here. He knows he was traitor. Glum, he hangs his head with shame as his siblings evince a preternatural cheerfulness I can’t help feel is forced.
Aslan looks annoyed. He’s probably thinking “Oh shit. I have to sacrifice myself for this kid?”
