The Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows movies had a lot to live up to when it came to fan expectations. For the book readers, who had been on the journey much longer than the movie fans, it was the final closing chapter of the Harry Potter series. At that point in 2011, no one knew that Rowling would have an equally hard time letting go of the characters and would end up writing a Broadway show.
The Harry Potter movie series had been an uneven franchise, with both good and silly adaptations,and it was important that David Yates stick the landing with what was clearly the bleakest thickest book in the series.
Fortunately, Yates did not disappoint. The tone, the pacing, the relationships, the action sequences–the movies nailed it.
One of the first thing Yates got right was the decision to adapt Deathly Hallows into a two-part movie allowing the narrative to spend time on plot points and character journeys (literal and metaphorical).
The other thing that was clear was they made the movies for the book fans. People who have lived and breathed these characters for over a decade, in most cases their entire childhood. As one critic pointed out — “Where the film falters is through the calculated exclusion of anyone who is not familiar with the Harry Potter lore’.
I wouldn’t call that faltering. I think it was a mark of respect to the series and the loyal fans who waited year after year for the books and then the movies to be released. The closing chapter of the Harry Potter franchise was for people who didn’t know what the Harry Potter was about. The last book had been out already, everyone already knew how this ended–what really mattered was how loyally and genuinely did the filmmakers wish these characters goodbye.
Unlike the deeply disappointing Half-Blood Prince movie, Yates did not gloss over plot details and enough time was given to build the story and wrap up character arcs.
The Deathly Hallows movies stuck true to the book, did not pander to shipper fantasies and waste valuable screen time and did not explain any context. You were expected to know your Harry Potter!
Source: IMDB.com
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1
Part 1 of Deathly Hallows centers on Harry, Hermione and Ron’s journey to find the Horcruxes — not unlike a coming of age cross country road trip that friends must take before high school is over; though with much larger stakes!
Voldemort’s rule has begun with him taking over the Ministry of Magic, and Harry is the most wanted outlaw. It’s hard to miss the fascist references with the red flyers, uniformed guards and dubious court proceedings against ‘mudbloods’ and ‘halfbloods’.
The war is on. And it’s up to three 17-year-olds to defeat Voldemort.
As Harry is being hunted, his presence only brings dangers to those around him. Harry, Hermione, and Ron leave the safety of the Weasley home behind and start the journey to find and destroy all the horcruxes.
Yates does well in creating a sense of fear in the magical world. Even though our teenage trio spend most of their time outdoors in the open, in beautiful wintry landscapes — the cinematography has a haunting, gloomy, apocalypse-expecting aura. With the constant voiceover of the radio news, announcing the names of the dead/captured in a soft monotone — you realize that this is not a kid’s movie anymore.
Source: IMDB.com
Harry, Hermione and Ron’s friendship formed the heart of the series, and it’s nice to see fitting that the 7th movie be about the ending of their journey fighting Voldemort. Radcliffe and Grint did a remarkable job, but I thought Watson owned the screen. Her face was always an array of expressions that deftly dealt with changing situations. Hermione has always been my favorite character in the book, with more brains and wit than Harry & Ron put together, and I always maintain that she is the true hero of the series.
I don’t always enjoy mix narrative techniques in a movie, but the macabre animation sequence to narrate the story of Deathly Hallows was both artistic and compelling. My favorite three minutes of the movie.
Yates & team also got the action sequences spot on — the mid-air ambush over London, stealing the pendant from Umbridge in the Ministry, getting caught by the Snatchers and the faceoff with the death eaters. Quite perfect.
Source: Wallpaperuse.com
Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 2
Part two released a year after the first half, picks off after the death of Dobby the elf, which without a doubt one of the most tragic scenes in the series (Sorry, Cedric Diggory).
The first thing that hits you is the scale. Everything is larger, darker and scarier. All characters have a permanent expression of impending doom on their face, except for Voldemort, who shows signs of megalomaniacal happiness.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron continue their journey to find the remaining horcruxes. A brilliant scene to watch out for is Hermione impersonating Lestrange (excellent performance by Helena Carter) that really lightens the otherwise dark movie.
Source: IMDB.com
Eventually, the trio makes it to Hogwarts, and it’s here almost after twenty minutes into the movie where the action really begins. It is also the point from which the movie truly belongs to Daniel Radcliffe’s Harry. As an audience we have seen his growth as an actor through the lens of Harry Potter movies, and how has he grown! In an emotionally demanding role, Radcliffe provides an intense and convincing performance without the usual support of more experienced actors in the same frame.
Source: IMDB.com
In the final face-off between Voldemort and Harry is the logical conclusion to all those years of adventure, pain and sacrifice. Even at the end, however, Dumbledore steals the scene from Voldemort.
When Harry ultimately confronts Voldemort it’s a bit of disappointment. In the book, this is a pivotal moment in Harry’s life, where he finally confronts Voldemort in front of everybody but without their help in a very classic “just you and me in this till one of us dies” scene. The movie took away the grandness of the scene by making it a very long chase through Hogwarts, a random free fall and the ending battle which NO ONE WAS WATCHING.
But that’s okay, for there were a lot of other things to cheer for — when Hogwarts’ stone knights come to life and form a battalion against the Death Eaters or when Neville stands up to Voldemort and kills Nagini.
The Deathly Hallows movies provided a satisfying ending to the Potter series in finding that right balance between darkness and hope.
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3 comments
True, pottermore makes it alive forever.. oh no! a real life horcrux!
Aha so you’ve finally posted your review. Well I was not misty-eyed until the scene where Harry meets his deceased parents before leaving for Voldy’s lair. But the whole experience of watching this film was momentous…a long wait that finally ended and ended it all. I’m not sure if I’d dig into Pottermore but for me maybe the journey ends here. 🙂
@Jeyna – That’s hilarious and yes, thanks for visiting!
@Zoya – Yes, I am just curious from a technology point of view of what “pottermore” means in the world of digital publishing – but otherwise – this journey is quite over for me too.