Review of “Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows”
Finally – yet not quite completely finally – the Harry Potter movie series gets to the seventh book, and the much awaited conclusion to the tale of the reluctant boy wizard battling the dark forces of He-who-should-not-be-named. With much left out (or crammed into) the film adaptations of the first six novels, the decision to split the 759 page-long final instalment into two films is well justified. Half a story it may be, but there are huge benefits: a steady and brooding pace, time to linger cinematically on the beauty and menace of the magical world, and time for us to properly reacquaint ourselves with the emotional side of the main characters, now nearly adults. For purists it’s also satisfyingly close to the plot of the written version.
Following the death of Dumbledore at the end of the previous film, Voldemort (Ralph Fienes) secures his grip on power by attacking and dispersing the Potter supporters and taking over the Ministry of Magic. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) & Hermione (Emma Watson) decide they cannot return to Hogwarts but must search for the fragments of Voldemort’s soul that have been hidden to make him immortal. In self-imposed exile they wander across the bleak English countryside, awkwardly skirting their adolescent feelings for each other and occasionally making frightening side-trips to engage the enemy. It’s an ominous world without Hogwarts, Harry’s dreams frequently invaded by Voldemort’s mind, but a world kept warm by the affection and humour shared between the three young adults on the run.
Director David Yates (who took over the franchise when it entered its dark phase in Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix) is at his best, extracting some much needed subtlety from the leads, whilst continuing to plumb the talents of great British actors like Bill Nighy (a wonderful cameo as the Minister of Magic), Alan Rickman (as the darkly compromised Professor Snape) and Helena Bonham-Carter (the deliciously deranged Bellatrix Lestrange). Taking his time to build the mood, Yates carefully mixes high-flying action, pure and terrifying suspense, and an intimacy that’s been missing for many films. And he finds a way for Emma Watson to shine as the troubled and resourceful young woman caught between her two male friends.
Of course it’s unlikely that the uninitiated will rush to see this movie – it’s clearly made for the millions of fans around the world who’ve grown up with both the story and the child actors who’ve brought it to life. Most will buy a ticket knowing full well that this is only half a film, and that the real ending is another eight months away.
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