Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1

A lot slower paced than the others, which isn't a flaw. The acting and action is great. It is good to see some change within the characters but it felt like just another setup movie that leads into the big finale.

The last book in the Harry Potter saga has been split into two parts. At first, maybe people would think it is to squeeze some more financial mileage out of the series. On the other hand, having watched this installment, there is simply too much complex storytelling involved in this book to cram it into only one two and half hour movie.

This Part 1 is already a very full two and half hours. The drama begins even before the opening credits roll. The special effects have reached a new high point with the trick of using polyjuice potion to create multiple Harry's. The frenetic escape of Harry in Hagrid's motor sidecar is an achievement in action editing. The trio's penetration of the Ministry of Magic to get the locket horcrux is very exciting and tension-filled.

Momentum dips a bit in the midsection as our trio scour the English wilderness for a way to destroy the horcrux. This prolonged section, which some may find boring, dealt more with the personal relationships loyalty of the three friends as challenges are thrown their way. The segment is marked by the hard-to-watch bloodlust of Bellatrix Lestrange and the nobility of Dobby. Watch out too for a most unexpected dance scene which will surely make you smile, if not actually chuckle!

In the third section, we learn what the "deathly hallows" are referred to in the title as our trio learns it from Xenophilius Lovegood. But the main highlight here is a most amazing animated short featurette called "The Tale of Three Brothers" as narrated by Hermione. This Part 1 ends very well with a sky-splitting final cliffhanger sequence.

Its been repeatedly mentioned how the main actors Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have all grown up in front of our eyes as this movie series unfolded. Rupert and Emma are both taller than Daniel already! Acting-wise, everyone had likewise improved very much. They all even show some skin here. Yes, even Hermione! The support from the esteemed gallery of British actors and actresses serve the film very well indeed. We saw everyone from all the previous films it seems, except for Maggie Smith.

The direction of David Yates is excellent as he did in the last two films. Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves got just the proper mix of action, drama and humor needed to make the saga work on screen. This may just be a set-up installment, however, it stands very strong on its own merits. As the last scene faded to black, the audience will definitely develop the resolve to watch out for the concluding part to be released next summer, and witness the epic Battle of Hogwarts.

Ever since the release of the first Harry Potter movie in 2001, I've wondered how a TV miniseries of the books would have fared. The movies so far have had difficulties showing enough of the books' events within a reasonable time slot to keep the story flowing. They've all had to omit significant plot points, which has not only disappointed the more literal-minded fans but risked the integrity of the story. This was most painfully evident in the fifth movie, "Order of the Phoenix," which awkwardly attempted to fit the longest Potter book into just 2 hours and 15 minutes of film. The result was a movie that felt choppy and barely coherent, almost dreamlike. The two best films up to now--the third and the sixth--worked in part because they took the most risks, often departing substantially from the narrative of the books, to the consternation of many fans. I was not one of the fans complaining, because I figured that as long as it wasn't a miniseries, the best approach was to interpret the story rather than present the events exactly as they appeared in the books.

Dividing the seventh book into two movies has given a taste of what a miniseries might have been like. "Deathly Hallows: Part 1" is a more faithful adaptation than any of the previous films. This surprised me a little, because the portion of Book Seven it covers is actually longer than the entirety of some of the earlier books. (As I was rereading it a few months ago, I correctly guessed where they'd end Part 1--it's at an important turning point in the story that occurs close to the two-thirds mark.) Most of the film's sequences are exactly as I had envisioned them, and sometimes better than I had envisioned them. I especially liked its approach to the Riddle-Hermione scene, to the matter of protective enchantments around their camp (which is handled with a nice dose of spookiness), and to a spell that distorts a character's face. Apart from the oversimplification of a few plot details here and there, any flaws in the story come straight from the book. The two-and-half-hour movie drags at some points, but then so did the book, particularly in the forest scenes. The plot concerns Voldemort's takeover of the wizarding world and pursuit of Harry, who goes into hiding with Ron and Hermione but repeatedly endangers them and himself in his daunting efforts to find and destroy a set of objects that keep Voldemort immortal, aided only by a few enigmatic clues Dumbledore has left him.

It is not a very accessible film for non-fans. People who haven't read or seen any of the previous installments will probably be lost. It never once pauses to explain the Harry Potter universe or anything about the background to these tumultuous events, not even a prologue like the one that began the third of Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings" films. The good news is that it doesn't condescend to the audience. The bad news is that if you don't know or can't remember things like what a horcrux is or what happens when you point a wand at someone and say "Obliviate," you might have trouble following the story.

As a fan, however, I loved it. It's just well-filmed, and I had notably fewer complaints about acting and special effects than I had for the previous movies. The CGI is relatively unobtrusive, and there aren't too many fake-looking moments. (The house-elves look especially good this time.) Ralph Fiennes finally appears to have settled into the role of Voldemort, after having delivered somewhat phoned-in performances previously. The kids, who get to dominate more scenes than in any of the other films, when their presence was counterbalanced by a plethora of seasoned British performers who are mostly absent here, have really grown into their roles. They were well-cast from the start and always had a certain raw talent, but early in the series they possessed some of the amateur qualities common to young actors. They have become increasingly proficient as the series has progressed (which I suspect was what the studio intended when it eschewed the tradition of casting older actors in child roles). Here they display the kind of camaraderie that can only be developed gradually, after having acted together in several films, and it makes the scenes that deal with their relationship feel natural and unforced.

I actually look forward to seeing the movie again at some point, just so I can sit back and take in more of the details. I think I didn't appreciate it enough the first time, distracted as I was by my knowledge of what happens in the book and the lack of any significant divergence in the film's depiction. There is not a lot in this film that will surprise fans; the enjoyment comes from seeing how vividly it is all brought to life.

Up until now, I was convinced that from the 4th book onwards, Harry Potter-books had become too complex to make into film: Goblet of Fire was a sore disappointment. Order of the Phoenix left many Potterheads wanting more, even if it wasn't a bad film per se (personally I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though I felt they left out too much). Half-blood Prince -while visually stunning- did not capture the brilliance of the book. With "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows", I think the makers have finally succeeded in crafting a movie that was both fun to watch for casual viewers while also catering to the needs of the hard-core fans who know the books by heart. The decision to split the movie into two parts may be judged as a financial one by some, but I'm convinced it was the only possible way to make this work. The movie was cut off at the perfect time as well, having the viewers yearn for more without being too abrupt.

I don't want to give away anything, so I'll just say this: Hats of to you, David Yates. One can only hope the second installment will continue in the same vein...

If you've read all the Harry Potter books, then you should know that, as the series went on, they essentially became an allegory for totalitarianism. Certainly one can see that in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1". Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson reprise their roles as Harry, Ron, and Hermione, respectively. The three are now having to live almost in secret due to the almost fascistic takeover of the wizarding world by Lord Voldemort's (Ralph Fiennes) minions. In fact, while the three are undercover in the office building, the factory looks like something out of Nazi Germany or Stalin's USSR: the employees robotically help to publish material which pushes a fear of the "other" (in this case Muggles, or non-wizards). Harry, Ron and Hermione are like the French Resistance, one might say.

Anyway, it's a good thing that they broke the final book into two movies. So far, they're doing a really good job not only bringing the magic to the screen, but also warning of the dangers that totalitarian entities - represented here by the Death Eaters - pose. I recommend it.

Tom Felton, Jason Isaacs, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Warwick Davis, Brendan Gleeson, John Hurt, David Thewlis, Timothy Spall, Imelda Staunton, and Julie Walters reprise their roles from the previous movies, with new additions Bill Nighy and Rhys Ifans.