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Protecting children from controversial books and movies is doomed to fail. That's because protesting a movie only results in free publicity and heightened curiosity, which are counter productive. Book and movie banners never seem to learn.

I went to view "The Golden Compass" here in Mexico, and while my experience may not apply to all of Mexico, I can say there was absolutely nothing unusual about the experience. I'm using events surrounding the "The Golden Compass" as a vehicle to discuss our topic because this controversial film just opened this month in Mexico. The film has been vigorously attacked in the United States by conservative Catholics and evangelicals. The attacks directly motivated me to see for myself what upsets these people so much. In addition, I wanted to assess the reaction in one city in this heavily Catholic country that is slowly and surely moving out of the grip of the church, or should I say the Magisterium.

As far as I can tell it was a big yawn. If the film is controversial in Mexico you could not prove it by me. Xalapa, the capital of Veracruz, has three multi-screen Cineopolis theaters. On opening night I went to the biggest out at Americas Plaza. The seating, the sound and the projection were all great. I watched an English language version that had Spanish subtitles and easily became engrossed in this film.

To me there was nothing overtly anti-Christian in this first film in the trilogy. Yes, the bad guys (read Christian meanies) did a really bad thing to small children. If Christian protesters had prepared you for the film, you could easily discern that the Christians in their mad-scientist laboratory at the North Pole ran a program to kidnap and strip kids of their souls. However, unless children have been systematically warned this was happening, the significance of the scene where a soul is ripped from a child would have sailed right over the heads of most children aged 6 to 16. Ironically, the church ladies back in the United States who are gnashing their dentures and handing out pamphlets are really making the film much more effective in delivering the anti Magisterium (read organized religion) message.

For their effort, the protesters will make fair minded movie goers more likely to diligently look with sharpened senses at this lavish production. Supposedly, this first film pulls its punches and all the major criticisms Pullman levels against organized religion are reserved for the last book (The Amber Spyglass) after he has

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