Director: David Yates
Released: November 19, 2010
Based on the novel, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” by J.K. Rowling
Synopsis: Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave behind the comforts of Hogwwarts School and the lives they once knew to set out on a quest to find Voldemort’s remaining horcruxes. The trio race against the clock while the fate of the entire wizarding world rests upon their shoulders. Who can they trust? What will happen since “neither can live while the other survives?”
Review: Love, love, LOVE this movie. I’ll geek out in a moment as to specific high points, but as far as other thematic elements, I was impressed. I may be a bit biased since I’m a diehard Potterhead, but beyond that I do think this film was well made. Past films in this series have failed to demonstrate key points from the novel due to time constraints (case in point: “The Order of the Phoenix”, the WHOLE movie). As this is literally the most important book in this series, I was apprehensive as to how they would get across all of the key moments that make the entre saga what it is. I’m relieved to say that splitting this book into two movies was the best decision this studio could have possibly made. Us lifelong fans of the books deserve to spend five hours watching the entire story wrap up. But, I digress.
From the very beginning, I was enthralled. Right away however, I noticed something from the book that was merely skated over in the first ten minutes that I think would have added to the story immensely. But I guess it wasn’t pivotal plot development, so I can see why they left Harry’s final interaction with the Dursleys out of it. Another concern I had was how the filmmakers were going to handles the many deaths of treasured characters. As most of you know (if you don’t, seriously stop reading or I will literally ruin everything), Hedwig dies in the first ten minutes. Sure, she might just be his owl, but in the book her death was a bit more graphic than in the film. I thought this was a good choice because we see her trying to protect Harry rather than lying dead in the bottom of her cage (that personally would have killed me). Luckily we are only exposed to two more deaths in the remainder of the film (one of which I shall get to later), so if they handle Part 2 the same way, the last film may very well be the best of them all.
I’ve always thought that Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson have acted decently throughout the past films. Not amazing, but I believed in their performances and they became their respective characters. I was shocked to see how well each of them performed in this film. Rupert Grint (who plays Ron Weasely) is usually the comic relief in the scenes, and hasn’t had to show much depth before now. Ron has to come to terms with the fact that he actually loves Hermione and must deal with the reality that the journey they are on is far from over. This scene requires intense emotional range, and also the ability to evoke a feeling loss and anger from the audience. I must say I was surprised by how well he handled himself. Plus, Grint really beefed up from the last movie. It shows the physicals aspects of his maturity that oddly strengthened his storyline.
Emma Watson has always shown strength in her acting. It got a little iffy around the fourth movie, but after Half-Blood Prince, she didn’t really need to prove her acting chops. That being said, I thought she did a great job. In this particular part of the story, Hermione really feels alone-having had to erase herself from her parents’ memories, losing Ron to his emotional immaturity for a short time, and really feeling like she has to be the brains behind the operation. Watson portrayed that well on-screen, and you really began to struggle along with her.
Lastly, Daniel Radcliffe. I always thought he was a good actor, but again not out of this world (but considering he got rave reviews on Broadway and I haven’t seen him in anything else but these films really doesn’t give me anything to go off of). I thought he was spectacular. It didn’t seem like he was trying so hard to be miserable, you really felt like he was. When he is clutching Dobby (tear) and starts to cry, I immediately started to cry (don’t judge me too much). At that specific moment, I felt like I was a part of this story rather than just watching it unfold from the sidelines.
When it comes to plot development, I thought the filmmakers did a pretty good job. However, the movie went by SO fast. I understand that they had a lot to cram into two and a half hours, but if they would have extended the movie by even half an hour, the pacing may not have been so rushed. Scenes from the book, like Bill and Fleur’s wedding and the gang’s time at Grimmauld Place, should have been expounded upon. The preparation for the wedding was the trio’s last time with any semblance of a family, and I think this dynamic would have added not only a bit of light heartedness but also a necessary feeling of dread and fear for going out into the world and knowing there’s a great possibility that they won’t return. As for Grimmauld Place, there are multiple chapters in the book based solely around their time and discoveries in Sirius’ old home. Something I would have liked to have seen shown was where Harry finds a baby picture of himself and half of a letter written by his mother to Sirius thanking him for Harry’s birthday present. Especially since Harry spends a lot of time referring back to this letter, not to mention its significance towards the very end; it would have been worth spending an extra 10 cumulative minutes on this small detail.
Another part I unexpectedly enjoyed was the telling of “The Three Brothers,” from which the Deathly Hallows originated. I hadn’t really even thought about how this would transition to the screen, and I was taken aback by how well they did it. For those reading this that have NO clue what I’m talking about, the basis for our story stems from a children’s fable about three brothers who cheat death and are given one gift a piece: a wand that will destroy anyone in its path, a resurrection stone to bring back loved ones lost, and an invisibility cloak to shield ones self from death. The first brother uses this wand at unnecessary times, thus death greets him after a careless encounter. The second brother brings back the girl he had hoped to marry. He realizes she is no longer meant for this world, and commits suicide to be with her again. The third brother lives a happy and healthy life underneath the invisibility cloak. When he is old and satisfied with his life, he removes the cloak and welcomes death “like an old friend.” What many believe is that the Deathly Hallows originates from this story, but most see it as a children’s fairy tale. However the story itself is a dark one, so the filmmakers needed to be careful in how the portrayed this particular sequence. It was animated, which I was definitely not expecting, but the animation itself was dark, much like its content matter, and really gave us in the audience an unexpected twist to this beloved book.
There was much speculation as to where the studio would decide to split the two movies, because any fan of the book would agree there is no good spot. We’re going to be waiting for resolution eight months as it is. Some people I’ve talked to thought it would have been good to split the story in Godric’s Hollow, but I personally felt it would have left too many loose ends untied. It would have also been torture to end the movie with Ron in the picture. Industry insiders speculated the film would end upon their capture and short lived imprisonment in Malfoy Manor. As those of you who have seen the film know, it ends with the death of Dobby and Voldemort’s taking of the Elder Wand. Personally, I think this was a great spot to end at. If the next movie would have started off with Dobby being killed, I would have been beside myself! However, I think it gave a sense of vengeance for loved ones lost in Harry’s mind. Dobby dying only solidifies what he must do and why he must do it. Even though I just read the book in September, I can’t seem to remember the timeline for when Voldemort actually takes possession of the wand. I feel like it was before the trio was captured, but in any case it was good to end the film on a cliff hanger moment like that rather than a terribly solemn one.
Whether you are a die-hard fan like me or not, this movie is absolutely worth seeing. The elements of surprise and of course, the magic, is as entertaining as ever. If you aren’t a fan of the books, go see this film with someone who is. I can guarantee it will provide a much different experience for you than if you were to go by yourself. I went to the midnight showing full of Potterheads, and the sense of anticipation and love towards the telling of this story was palpable.
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