Renowned for the sequence of Narnia novels, C.S.Lewis was in truth a far more complex character. His mother died when he was a child; and throughout the rest of his life he was searching for surrogate mother- figures. He made a pact with a close friend before going to fight in the First World War that, if either one of them were to perish in the forthcoming conflict, the other would look after the dead person's family. Lewis' friend died; and from 1917 until her death in 1951, Lewis looked after the friend's mother, in a relationship so close that they lived together for several years, even though Lewis was running a considerable risk by doing so. In mid-century Oxford University, an undergraduate could be sacked for spending even one night out of his or her college. Lewis managed to evade discovery, and embarked on a life as a don, writing about religion, myth and the medieval period. He underwent at least two spiritual conversions; brought up a Protestant, he at first became an atheist, but during his early Oxford career he eventually understood what religion meant to him. Most of his subsequent work was informed by this religious spirit, even the Narnia books. Illustrated with reminiscences from those who knew Lewis, either socially or as a student, this documentary suggests that he was an incredibly private person looking for some form of stability through women, to compensate for his childhood loss. He found it, not only through his friend's mother, but through Joy Davidman (the American divorcée whom he married just before her death from cancer in 1960). Most of his relationships were platonic, but they were of deep spiritual significance to him. Although a talented novelist, Lewis did have his foibles; try as he might, he could not write coherent poetry. But he more than compensated for this deficiency by cultivating a successful career as a writer and broadcaster. THE C.S. LEWIS STORY is a low-key documentary, but gives a penetrating insight into the mind of a complex character,
