Speaking as an avid fan of the book series itself, I still do maintain certain holds on how I would like to see the film interpret the precious words JK Rowling "magic-ed" to life. However, with the sixth installment to a movie series nearly 10 years in the making, I decided to take a "chill pill" elixir and actually NOT re-read Half-Blood Prince so I could actually enjoy the movie for a change, instead of just pointing out how they didn't include Snape actually teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts or that Harry is now the master of Kreacher the house elf.BUT....the film did include quite a bit more than I had expected (and truthfully, my expectations were just relying on what I could remember from the novel). First of all, cinematically the movie was impressive. The scenes within and around the cave for the climax were dark and elusive, skillfully mastering the uncertainty and danger of Harry and Dumbledore as they test their faith in one another whilst searching for the horcrux. Perhaps like many other HP fans, I was glad to see another Quidditch game in its full arena-like viewing. Another small, yet cleverly amusing, use of the camera was the long shot of the Weasleys peaking over the staircase to answer Ginny whether or not Harry was at their home. I just thought that perfectly encompassed the Weasleys and their house (which is practically like another character).
Speaking of characters, while the actors who play the young wizards and witches may not be the best in the biz, they've still played these roles for so long that it's hard for me to even tell if their acting is bad or not. It's how Harry, Hermione, and Ron have always been played! I've also heard some negative opinions on the young actress playing Lavender Brown being far too overdramatic. Yet, isn't she supposed to be this huge bimbo obnoxiously enraptured with Ron? She WAS annoying, but that was the whole point! And besides, I felt it was to the extent that it was rather humorous.
Okay, now down to meaty parts of the plot (and this is directed at HP fans outraged at how much was put on the chopping block): do you really expect anything else, this far in the series, but a partly embellished version of your favorite wizarding book? I completely understand the few upsets in the movie, particularily the Weasley house catching fire, the Death Eater chase in the fields that brought back weird memories of "Signs," Tonks not finding Harry in the train after Malfoy smashes his nose, and plenty others because they were enough for me to mentally say, "Hey! Wait a minute!" But if I've learned anything in my Film/Literature class, it's that identical adaptations are almost always a complete and utter failure. You can still fail with untruthful representations, but sometimes it is better to allow the screenwriter a little freedom and wiggle room in order to prep the intricacies of a novel to its cinematic form.
Thus, with Half-Blood Prince, I did take note that it included all the major scenes, plus imperative sub-plots that helped the story progress rather than dance around aimlessly (where novels have that power and get away with it), were included in the movie. Following Malfoy into Knockturn Alley, Slughorn's party, Ron & Lavendar's love-sickening relationship, Ron making the Quidditch team, etc.--the film did include quite bit while trying to shrink everything down to under 3 hours (and the filmmakers were really pushing it!)
I think the only disappointment I really had with the movie were the lack of Tom Riddle flashbacks and (SPOILER) Dumbledore's execution. From the trailer, it made it really look like Dumbledore was going to give Harry an extensive lesson on the history of He-Who-Must-Not-Be----oh hell, Voldemort!---but instead there were only about two, maybe three (I'm stretching my memory a bit) scenes that revealed the young Riddle. But I suppose if we wanted all those juicy scenes about Voldemort's scruffy mum and insane family, as well as the murders at the Riddle mansion, the movie would need to tack on at least another hour to give complete satisfaction. As well, Dumbledore's death just seemed....anti-climactic. Plus, weren't the Death Eaters supposed to be running around Hogwarts terrorizing the students? That gave the book a more immediate sense of danger, and I don't see why the movie couldn't have done the same. Instead, Dumbledore's death felt far too rushed, and we didn't even get to see his awesome funeral where his white sepulcher bursts into flames. All that would have to follow would be to cue Harry talking about not returning to Hogwarts to his besties and how he and Ginny need to split up in order to keep her safe....whoa, that sounded kind of Twilight-ish there....JK Rowling called it first! Nevertheless, I think that would've made for a better ending rather than Harry, Ron, and Hermione just sitting in the castle recapping what just happened.
BOTTOM LINE: Yes, Half-Blood Prince left out things and indulged a bit here and there, but I felt it was still a good tale with what it had. The screenwriter put together as many possible scenes that they deemed important to the progression of the plot, and the director performed a magnificent job in setting this film up for the darkest--The Deadly Hallows--yet to come. So....whether you hate the movies or not, you know you're going to see it anyway ;)
PROS:
1. Luna Lovegood -- I was so glad there was more of her in this film than I thought would be included.
2. Ginny...is kind of growing on me -- I still think she looks like a twelve-year old with boobs, but her voice is maturing so I was able to handle her relationship with Harry a bit easier.
3. Fred & George's Joke Shop -- Soooo glad the movie included it.
4. Tom Riddle flashbacks -- As few and far between as they came, I still immensely enjoyed them.
5. Felix Felicis -- Quite a funny scene. I love how Harry seems almost loopy.
CONS:
1. Not enough Lupin & Tonks -- I don't think the last movie explained how they got together, so seeing them at the Weasley's probably didn't make an impression on non-HP fans.
2. Anti-climatic end battle -- Hey, Bellatrix. Instead of kicking food off a table why don't you fight some of the students to get some real action going, huh?
3. Weasley house catching fire -- Was that REALLY necessary?
RATING:
out of FIVE
I also thought the actor who played Draco's performance was outstanding. They did a really good job of humanizing him, and even though they didn't have him say a lot, you knew exactly what was going through his mind. Very well done!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you almost completely. I did not understand the outrage so many HP fans stormed into. DIDN'T THEY WATCH THE FIRST FIVE MOVIES? What the heck were they expecting, for the characters to read line for line what was written in the book? As you said, that "adaptation" of the film would have been a complete failure. Over all, I really enjoyed the film and I, like you, chose to opt out of re-reading HBP just before watching the film so I wouldn't be upset about every little detail that was slightly different from the novel.
ReplyDeleteI was disappointed in the end battle scene and Dumbledore's death. I read that Yates didn't want it to seem "too repetitive", you know with the battle of the HPB followed by (but uh, not directly, seeing as how it's going to be in two parts) the Battle of Hogwarts at the end of The Deathly Hallows. *eye roll* Sounds like a pretty poor excuse to me, but I suppose even a few more minutes of action would've taken the film's time over the line. I can't think of any reason Dumbledore's funeral was left out, I would have rather seen less of Ron and Lavender and more of Dumbledore's death and funeral, but oh well. The raising of the wands in tribute to him was well done, it definitely brought tears to my eyes.
Anyway I'll wrap this up- great post, and overall a pretty great movie if you ask me. Dark, yet balanced by a surprising amount of humor (Felix Felicis, lol), and visually stunning throughout.
Beth -- Tom Felton really got the screen time he deserved. I thought he really brought a lot of breath into Draco. He probably shined the most out of his contemporaries.
ReplyDeleteCourtney -- Thank you! Yeah, I think Ron and Lavender could've had some of the time cut down a bit. And no matter how fast Dumbledore's death went, it was still pretty sorrowful.