Scribd
Upload
94 views3 pages

Harry Potter Half-Blood Prince: Book vs. Movie Comparison

This document compares and contrasts the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with the original book. It notes several differences between the two, such as omitting the flashback to Voldemort's origins and the brief appearance of Harry's adoptive family the Dursleys in the book. While some changes are criticized for removing important context or plot points, others are deemed acceptable by the author, such as replacing a described scene of a bridge attack with a depicted one. Overall, the major plot points and climax of Dumbledore's death are kept very similar to the book.

Uploaded by

api-343847364
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
94 views3 pages

Harry Potter Half-Blood Prince: Book vs. Movie Comparison

This document compares and contrasts the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with the original book. It notes several differences between the two, such as omitting the flashback to Voldemort's origins and the brief appearance of Harry's adoptive family the Dursleys in the book. While some changes are criticized for removing important context or plot points, others are deemed acceptable by the author, such as replacing a described scene of a bridge attack with a depicted one. Overall, the major plot points and climax of Dumbledore's death are kept very similar to the book.

Uploaded by

api-343847364
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 3

Similarities and Differences Chart

Book/Movie: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

Similarities

Differences

Can the differences be justified?

While Harry and Dumbledore do go on a


quest to uncover Voldemorts past on
screen just as they did on the pages of
Rowlings book, one part is omitted: A
flashback scene depicting Voldemorts
parents tragic backstory and the terrible
situation into which young Lord Voldemort
was birthed.

This was a bad decision in terms of telling


a story. This scene is what makes
Voldemort a complex character by making
him easier to empathize with through
emotional context; we begin to see the
traumatic beginning that turned him into
a monster. Without this, Voldemort is just
a bad guy.

The Dursleys (Harrys cruel adoptive


family) do not even appear in the movie
while they do in the book.

I dont like this difference, because we


find out later in the book that there is a
magical significance to Harry remaining in
the surrogate care of his aunt and uncle.
Therefore, failing to even briefly show the
Dursleys omits a pretty important piece of
plot.

Much of the plot is the same. The book still


sees lots of romantic conflict and details
Harry and Dumbledores collaborative
study into Voldemorts past life and
motives. Harry has to overcome the same
obstacles to obtain Slughorns memory,
and his experiences with Dumbledore over
the year are almost exactly as they are in
the book.

The gloomy atmosphere across Great


Britain now that Voldemort has returned is
mentioned briefly at the beginning of the
novel, and is characterized as thick,
permeating fog and all consuming
depression.

While the changes across the country


described by the Prime Minister from the
novel are reflected carefully by the
directors cinematic choices, the scene in
which the Minister describes these
phenomena and the attack on a bridge in
London are replaced by an actual scene
depicting the bridge attack.

This is forgivable. Through the eternal fog


in the movies settings and the bridge
scene, the director shows on screen
rather than telling as Rowling does in the
novel, which is good filmmaking and
certainly permissible.

In the movie, Death Eaters attack the


Weasleys home over Christmas break.

I dont like this change. The producers


clearly decided to add an action scene
into this movie to make it more exciting,
as well as allegedly to create a sense that
no safe havens remain for Harry and to
develop Harry and Ginnys relationship.
However, this scene was included while
an important scene from the book was
removed, and I dont think Id ever be in
favor of such a frustrating directing
choice.

In the book, Harry cannot protect


Dumbledore because Dumbledore himself
had immobilized Harry magically, while in
the movie, Snape puts his finger to his
lips signaling Harry to be quiet, and then
Harry pursues moments after the murder.

While Dumbledore freezing Harry in the


book seems to show his selflessness in his
final moments, Snape hushing Harry
before going up to kill Dumbledore in a
way seems to highlight his apparent
betrayal. However, both actually allude to
secrets that are revealed in the next
books plot twist, which is clear when
rewatching/rereading the series. The
differences are acceptable given that they
foreshadow the same plot twist in
different ways.

Though some details are different, the


huge plot twist in which Dumbledore dies
is almost identical to its book depiction.
This is great, because it keeps the most
important plot points intact from Rowlings
writing.

You might also like