Monday
Jul182011
It All Ends Here
Monday, July 18, 2011 at 10:57PM
Or does it? Because when it was all over, there was a long pause and a black screen, perfect for "The End" to appear. Yet it never did.
Was this producer and writer JK Rowling's way of hinting at more in the future? Who knows. It's certainly a possibility; if there's anything writers do, it's write.
This afternoon I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II with my mum! Fitting that I should end the film series as I began it, though ten years later a new cinema had been constructed. Much has been written about the changes during that time; the rise and development of the young actors, the changing directors and styles of the series, the never ending phenomenon. Even I've touched on this subject before in the short life of my blog, describing my thoughts on the first part of the final book's film adaptation here.
As I make clear in that post, I've never really been a huge fan of the films, too much of a loyal, early convert to the books. Coming out of this final film though, I can honestly say that I think they finally nailed an adaptation. It took them 8 attempts, but this last one really was a good film, and captured almost everything it needed to from the book. For the first time in the series, I came out of the cinema with nothing to complain about.
There were lots of great scenes, very intense, very emotional, and acted extremely well. I used to think that Daniel Radcliffe lacked some acting ability, but I now think that actually it was poor writing and poor directing which caused me to think that. He finally came into his own as Harry in this film, and carried the heaviest, most emotional scenes almost perfectly, especially the walk through the Forbidden Forest which I think was the stand out scene in the film. Him and the other actors of course too, though everyone's role in this film was too short.
I thought we finally got to see what Professor McGonagall is made of in this film, as Maggie Smith got some well deserved screen time, as did some other Hogwarts teachers. Snape's memory scene was done incredibly well, as it is a very complicated back story, and was shortened extremely succinctly. It was very poignant and Alan Rickman got Snape's character spot on.
And then there was the Hogwarts Battle, the big scene everyone has been waiting for. As expected, the special effects were stunning. And the story was very efficiently and effectively told. I have to say I was very impressed with how it was handled, a rarity for me in the HP series. I would have liked to have seen more, most definitely, as it was so epic yet so short, but at least every character got a look in, and there is only so long you can make a film (extended cut on dvd anyone?)
Especially Neville, who shined in this film.
Having said all that, there were some little things that I would change or didn't quite like. Molly Weasley's fight with Bellatrix was far too short and sprung upon us too soon. And while the final fight with Voldemort looked great cinematically, there was something about it that just didn't seem quite right. It was a little disappointing and didn't quite fit. I think they should have focused more on a simple showdown, more on emotions, than on a chase around the castle. His final death was rather gruesome in some ways too, and am not convinced on that yet, though I am not sure how else they could have done it. (That's right, the bad guy dies...sorry if I ruined it for anyone...not like it wasn't obvious!)
The epilogue was pretty much as it is in the book, although a few characters were missed out which was a little disappointing. In some way, I thought that this epilogue of the film...the end of the end of the phenomenon supposedly..would tie up even more loose ends than the book.
And yet it didn't, which brings me back to my original thought...perhaps another dive into the magical world is on the horizon?
Then again, it could be left that way intentionally, to let our own imagination take hold, allowing us to fly away with our thoughts on what happens to the characters. We all do it... some of us even write it down. I read a very interesting article in Time magazine which I urge you to check about the wonders of "fan fiction", where fans take well known books and series and expand them forwards, backwards, sideways and downwards. Ever wondered what happened when Sirius was told to "lie low at Lupin's for a while"? Check it out here.
It's the best you'll get now it's all over, unless Ms. Rowling takes the plunge,unable to stay away from the magic. I'm sure it must be difficult for her to forget about all the thoughts she has about the world she created. Here's hoping it drags her back in soon.
Was this producer and writer JK Rowling's way of hinting at more in the future? Who knows. It's certainly a possibility; if there's anything writers do, it's write.
This afternoon I went to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II with my mum! Fitting that I should end the film series as I began it, though ten years later a new cinema had been constructed. Much has been written about the changes during that time; the rise and development of the young actors, the changing directors and styles of the series, the never ending phenomenon. Even I've touched on this subject before in the short life of my blog, describing my thoughts on the first part of the final book's film adaptation here.As I make clear in that post, I've never really been a huge fan of the films, too much of a loyal, early convert to the books. Coming out of this final film though, I can honestly say that I think they finally nailed an adaptation. It took them 8 attempts, but this last one really was a good film, and captured almost everything it needed to from the book. For the first time in the series, I came out of the cinema with nothing to complain about.
There were lots of great scenes, very intense, very emotional, and acted extremely well. I used to think that Daniel Radcliffe lacked some acting ability, but I now think that actually it was poor writing and poor directing which caused me to think that. He finally came into his own as Harry in this film, and carried the heaviest, most emotional scenes almost perfectly, especially the walk through the Forbidden Forest which I think was the stand out scene in the film. Him and the other actors of course too, though everyone's role in this film was too short.
I thought we finally got to see what Professor McGonagall is made of in this film, as Maggie Smith got some well deserved screen time, as did some other Hogwarts teachers. Snape's memory scene was done incredibly well, as it is a very complicated back story, and was shortened extremely succinctly. It was very poignant and Alan Rickman got Snape's character spot on.
And then there was the Hogwarts Battle, the big scene everyone has been waiting for. As expected, the special effects were stunning. And the story was very efficiently and effectively told. I have to say I was very impressed with how it was handled, a rarity for me in the HP series. I would have liked to have seen more, most definitely, as it was so epic yet so short, but at least every character got a look in, and there is only so long you can make a film (extended cut on dvd anyone?)
Especially Neville, who shined in this film.
Having said all that, there were some little things that I would change or didn't quite like. Molly Weasley's fight with Bellatrix was far too short and sprung upon us too soon. And while the final fight with Voldemort looked great cinematically, there was something about it that just didn't seem quite right. It was a little disappointing and didn't quite fit. I think they should have focused more on a simple showdown, more on emotions, than on a chase around the castle. His final death was rather gruesome in some ways too, and am not convinced on that yet, though I am not sure how else they could have done it. (That's right, the bad guy dies...sorry if I ruined it for anyone...not like it wasn't obvious!)
The epilogue was pretty much as it is in the book, although a few characters were missed out which was a little disappointing. In some way, I thought that this epilogue of the film...the end of the end of the phenomenon supposedly..would tie up even more loose ends than the book.
And yet it didn't, which brings me back to my original thought...perhaps another dive into the magical world is on the horizon?
Then again, it could be left that way intentionally, to let our own imagination take hold, allowing us to fly away with our thoughts on what happens to the characters. We all do it... some of us even write it down. I read a very interesting article in Time magazine which I urge you to check about the wonders of "fan fiction", where fans take well known books and series and expand them forwards, backwards, sideways and downwards. Ever wondered what happened when Sirius was told to "lie low at Lupin's for a while"? Check it out here.
It's the best you'll get now it's all over, unless Ms. Rowling takes the plunge,unable to stay away from the magic. I'm sure it must be difficult for her to forget about all the thoughts she has about the world she created. Here's hoping it drags her back in soon.
Reader Comments (1)
A fair assessment. I agree, the stand out film of the bunch. Future remakes (i.e. the Narnia films) could be an interesting concept, however. Voldemort's death was rubbish I thought. Considering it is the clear crescendo in the books, the way his face floats away into the wind was somewhat of an anticlimax in my humble opinion!