Monday, November 22, 2010

Hallows and Horcruxes

Saturday night Big Chimp took me to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One. I don't normally enjoy the film versions of my favorite books, but the Harry Potter series has always been an exception. And while I've enjoyed all of the Harry Potter films, none have impressed me as much as Deathly Hallows: Part One.

The film for the most part stays true to the novel, capturing all of the darkness, the despair, the frustration, the hope, and the fear that the characters experience. It feels by far the most serious of the films, as it is the most serious of the novels in the series. It doesn't shy away from pain and loss, but still manages to remain wonderfully magical.

What I find particularly interesting is that the film delves more deeply into the relationships between the characters, especially between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. One particularly poignant scene shows Harry persuading a despairing Hermione to dance with him, alone in their tent in the woods. It's just such a great illustration of love between friends, especially between two who have been through so much together.

Another part I love in the film is the animation that plays as Hermione reads the story of the three brothers from The Tales of Beedle the Bard. The style of the drawing is just spot-on, and Emma Watson's voice complements it beautifully.

It's not often that a movie can make you actually laugh or cry, but I did both during this film. That's one of the things I love about this series: the perfect balance between humor and darkness, between gravity and whimsy.

Thank you JK Rowling, for writing the Harry Potter series. I sort of love you.

And thank you Warner Brothers for doing the story justice.

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