Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One
Release date: 19th November 2010
Rating:
On a drizzly Friday I find myself but a stone’s throw from Diagon Alley, in Leicester Square. I am here for a preview of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 a week before general release. The international premiere was last night. The red carpet has magically disappeared along with the hordes of screaming fans that brought central London to a standstill. Instead the square is littered with newspapers, all with the same proclamation – Emma Watson stole the show last night by wearing a skimpy see-through dress. The thought crosses my mind that had either of her two co-stars worn that same dress, the spotlight definitely would have shifted somewhat. And for all the wrong reasons. But I digress…
I head towards the Odeon Leicester Square and security is tight. But then what does one expect for the seventh film in the most profitable film series of all time? Bags are searched for recording devices. Mobile phones are a definite no-no and are deposited in numbered zip lock bags for collection after the showing. This is done with such efficiency that I barely have to break stride. However, when I see the vastness of the Odeon’s auditorium, it occurs to me that I will later face the irony of having to queue to leave Harry Potter.
n this instalment, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) set out to find the remaining Horcruxes in an attempt to destroy the evil Lord Voldemort. These are uncertain times – the death of Dumbledore has shaken the wizarding world and the Death Eaters are growing in power. As the dark wizards take control of the Ministry of Magic, good wizards suffer and Harry and his friends find themselves outside the law. The trio exile themselves in an effort to protect themselves from the Dark Lord. His henchmen hunt them across the British countryside with strict orders to bring Harry Potter back to Voldemort… alive.
This film marks a distinct change in the series. No longer labouring under the label ‘child-actors’, the veterans Radcliffe, Grint and Watson carry the vast weight of this film on their able shoulders. The supporting cast of British character actors and celebrated thespians are all present and correct, but in a markedly more peripheral way than the previous films. Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter offer truly sinister performances as Voldemort and his favourite general, the demented Bellatrix Lestrange, manifesting the vein of evil and danger that threaten Harry and his supporters.
Elsewhere, old favourites and new faces fight over the scraps left by this narrowed focus. Bill Nighy makes an appearance for a scene before his character’s demise, and at this point you get the distinct feeling that actors were queuing up simply to be a part of this phenomenon before it finishes next July.
Nevertheless, the focus on the series’ stars is refreshing and they rise to the challenge with aplomb. Both Grint and Watson stand out, making Ron and Hermione their own and exploring their limits in scenes of true poignancy. An opening scene in which Hermione erases the memories of her muggle parents is particularly heartrending.
Notably absent is Hogwarts. Where all six of the previous films are set within its immensity, the school has here fallen under the remit of the Death Eaters. Potter and his friends cannot return. Instead the British countryside becomes the new setting as the trio disappear on the lam. It is here in the middle section of the film that the few failings bubble to the surface. The director David Yates seems a little keen to showcase the change of scenery, making it look like a VisitBritain promo.
Still, it is this change of scenario that allows the stars to shine. A sort of Blair Wizard Project, if you will, the isolation of their destinies begins to weigh on Harry, Hermione and Ron. It is the intimacies we share with the young wizards that best illustrate the story’s strengths. By using this narrowed focus, we better appreciate the path they need to tread. The cracks begin to appear as they hurtle towards the restrained but distressing finale that perfectly pitches the eighth and final film.
From the beginning Part 1 is by far the scariest of the series. Some scenes will terrify even adults, particularly those with an aversion to serpents. There is a pervading sense of evil and oppression that runs from start to finish. The nature of the Death Eaters is more apparent in this film as lay-wizards and witches suffer the terror of their regime. Indeed, many chilling comparisons can be made between the Death Eaters and modern history’s darkest moments. Particularly effective is the echo of the Second World War, not only in the wizard persecutions but when the film’s ‘children’ evacuate themselves to the countryside, listening for news updates on a shortwave radio.
Moments of brevity and poignancy also appear in equal measures. An opening scene featuring some polyjuice potion and numerous Harry Potters is played for laughs before the heroes are propelled into the gravest danger. A motorcycle chase that rushes through the Dartford Tunnel (well, it is a magic bike!) elevates one of the many breathtaking action sequences. The audience feels every loss in what is an epic battle between good and evil, and even the hardiest cinemagoer will experience dread as Voldemort rises to power and our heroes are forced to infiltrate the Ministry of Magic through a portal in a public toilet.
More cynical critics have noted the cinematic delivery of this final book in two parts, suggesting a purely financial motive. However Part 1 is by no means treading water until the final instalment. The filmmakers have shoehorned in as much of the essence of the wizarding world as they could. True, too much time is spent on the camping trip (perhaps the director mistook a studio request to make this film more ‘in tents’). But where spectacle has been central to previous films, here it is the little things that matter. The smallest spells and remembered tales are as important as the explosive aerial duel between Potter and Voldemort. Distant screams of torture and the inner grief of good wizards and witches are as terrifying as a barrage of spells puncturing the walls of Harry’s safehouse.
If Part 2 can build on what is on show here then we should be very eager for next July.
source:http://www.beehivecity.com/film/film-review-harry-potter-and-the-deathly-hallows-part-one0957524/