Movies: Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows, Part One

Score: ****1/2 out of *****

Long Story Short: Here it is, the "beginning of the end" of the Harry Potter saga. Boy, does it deliver. The tension is there throughout the film; sometimes subdued, as the young stars sit around in frustration, sometimes red-hot, as the Death Eaters blast away at them and their friends. Given the extra time to develop these intriguing characters and the clever plot, as well as add in some much-needed comic relief and lighter moments, Deathly Hallows Part One succeeds brilliantly, both satisfying the audience and making them crave the finale.


At last, another movie review! It's been far too long. Fortunately, my first trip back to the theater was a very good one. This is a review of part 1 of the film adaptation of the book "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows"; and unless you've been living under a rock for the last decade, you are probably familiar with the series. The penultimate Potter film is directed by David Yates, who also directed the previous two films. All the series regulars are back, and I think no further introduction is necessary for this blockbuster.

Although I can't remember the book perfectly, I believe that the film follows it quite closely; splitting the book into two films obviously gave the screenwriter(s) more room with which to work. For those who have not read the book, I'll give a synopsis while trying not give away too much. The film starts with Bill Nighy (remember Davy Jones in the Pirates movies?) as a grizzled-looking Minister of Magic and the trio (by which I'll refer to Harry, Ron and Hermione as) not exactly preparing to go back to Hogwarts. The action picks up quickly, as Hagrid, Lupin, and other friends use a familiar and amusing trick to bring Harry to safety via convoy. Not all goes perfectly, but the trio arrives safely intact. At Ron's place, the trio get a visit from the Minister and attend Ron's brother's wedding (briefly).

The wedding comes under attack, the Ministry of Magic having fallen to the Death Eaters (bad guys, of course). The trio apparates (teleports) away, and Harry decides it's time to take care of Voldemort's horcruxes (random items that contain pieces of his soul, making him immortal). They sneak their way into the Ministry to steal the first horcrux, and barely escape. Following their escape is an extended stretch in which the trio is on the run whilst attempting to destroy the sturdy (and One Ring-like) horcrux; Ron even leaves for a time. A strange symbol that the trio keeps finding leads them to Luna Lovegood's (a classmate) home, where they learn of a strange tale (involving the titular Deathly Hallows). However, the meeting is a set up and the trio is captured. While they manage to escape, they do so at great personal cost, and the film ends with Voldemort capturing a very powerful object.

The Deathly Hallows, Part One puts the young trio into their most difficult acting roles yet, and they show how much they've learned over the last decade of work. Each one of them shows considerable improvement. I always thought Rupert Grint did the best job, and he continues to do quite well here as Ron. Daniel Radcliffe has also improved steadily in the last few films, and feels more comfortable than ever in his role as the main character. Even Emma Watson, who I feel has overacted significantly in earlier films, is much, much improved. The plot of this story demanded that the trio raise their performances significantly, and overall they were able to do so. Of course, the supporting cast is superb as it has been throughout the series, filled with some of the best British actors. Unfortunately, most of them get little screen time; most notably, Voldemort at last gets to do more than just hiss, and Ralph Fiennes plays him with a perfect combination of creepiness and power.

The structure of this film, as mentioned, is far different from any of the other Potter films. Hogwarts is nowhere to be seen, and other series symbols are gone as well. And it continues the trend of the previous two films of a descent into darkness; the kids (young adults?) are now on their own. A scene with Voldemort and his Death Eaters at the beginning, along with a reptilian encounter near the end, shocked me by how far the director was willing to take a Potter film. However, there are still plenty of light moments to get a chuckle or lift the spirits a bit. The trio's polyjuice disguise in the Ministry is particularly delightful; and there's even a spontaneous little Harry-Hermione dance in the depths of their despair evading capture. The suspense holds up well through most of the movie - though it's a little slow in a few places - despite not a lot of direct action. It's the fear of failure, or capture, that keeps the trio, and the audience, on edge.

***

It's pretty amusing to read some critics who call The Deathly Hallows Part One boring, when they're usually the ones who criticize blockbuster movies for having too much action. I suppose you might be bored with this if you haven't seen the other Potter films; but then, I wouldn't really recommend this one until you have seen them. The bottom line is, money grab or not, I now completely agree that it was the right decision to split the last Potter book into two films. There was so much more room for this film not only to touch on more parts of the book, but also to dig deeper into the three main characters. This is by far the closest that one of the movies has come to truly capturing the spirit of the novels, and that is high praise in my book.