Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One

Though Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One is a blockbuster about teenage wizards, the seventh in the Harry Potter series is more ambiguous and thematically relevant than many movies about adults. The plot will baffle those who have either not seen the previous film or read J. K. Rowling's bestselling books.

The wicked Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) gathers his band of Death Eaters to create a world where muggles (non-magical humans) are subservient to wizards. Voldemort himself echoes Hitler's makeup in that he is half-muggle, and pamphlets strewn throughout the film (including one titled "when muggles attack") resemble Nazi propaganda.

Meanwhile, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) abandon their final year at the magical school of Hogwarts to embark on a quest to destroy Voldemort. To do this, they must find six horcruxes, objects containing pieces of Voldemort's soul.


Deathly Hallows: Part One, the second to last film, is more appropriate for teenagers than young children. From the barren scenery to the shuddering, downcast portrait of Harry on a wanted poster, a sense of despair pervades the atmosphere. As our three young heroes struggle with uncertainty, their friendship is put to the test.

Seasoned British thespians including Bill Nighy and Helena Bonham Carter have little more than cameos, but most minor characters are well handled. Memorable roles include Alan Rickman's icy Snape, David Thewlis's kind werewolf Lupin (in human form), and Imelda Staunton's creepy interrogator Dolores Umbridge.

Voldemort's hosts, Death Eaters Draco (Tom Felton) and Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs), exemplify the crumbling upper class. Humiliated by Voldemort and lower-class thugs, the snobbish Malfoys discover how overturning the social order can negatively affect them.


The odious but helpful house-elf Kreachure, a CGI creation, is marvelously voiced by Simon McBurney. The more heroic house-elf Dobby (Toby Jones) is less successful. He comes across as more cartoonish than inspiring.

But the heart of this film is the trio. Due to the amount of material crammed into each movie, Hermione and Ron have often felt more like sidekicks than complete characters. Here their acting, especially Ms. Watson's, has improved and their conflicts are fleshed out.

We see Hermione's sacrifice as she erases her muggle family's memories in order to protect them. One of the youngest and least powerful in a large family of strong wizards, Ron and his insecurities also emerge, as does his resentment about the relationship between the famous Harry and overachieving Hermione.


Ron and Hermione's unspoken romance is humorous, frustrating, and sweet. While Hermione notes that she is "always mad" at Ron, she and Harry have a more harmonious and platonic connection. Their closeness is demonstrated in the film's most moving scene, when Harry dances with Hermione. Though not in the book, this moment of joy is a counterpoint to the darkness that takes up so much of the film, and the dance dissolves when they recall the complexity of their situation.

The most creative part of the film, arguably of the entire series, is a curious but fascinating animation of The Tale of the Three Brothers. Nicely read by Ms. Watson, the story of Death's encounter with three brothers is grim, eerie, and hauntingly beautiful.

The film is by no means perfect. It has its share of melodrama, and Alexandre Deslpat's usually lovely score can be laughably over-the-top. Long pauses prolong an already lengthy movie. Part One's abrupt ending isn't particularly satisfying; the audience will have to wait until Part Two for a real conclusion.


Still, it is touching to see the tired and worn triumvirate walk past charred trailer homes as they listen to death tolls on the radio. Hardly older than children, they have to learn that heroism is more tedious than glorious. With only one more film to go, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part One manages to be the most emotionally resonant Harry Potter movie yet.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince: Disappointing

I left the midnight showing of ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ disappointed. Few critics consider any Harry Potter movie a masterpiece, but I enjoy every one. Understandably, significant scenes in the books must be altered or deleted in the film version. However, the changes made in this movie make the film far more tedious than the methodical but intriguing sixth book. The film’s portrayals of some aspects of the story are spot on, but the film fails to build up to a satisfying climax.

The movie begins with a poignant shot of the young wizard Harry Potter being photographed by journalists after the traumatic death of his godfather Sirius Black. Further successfully sinister shots of graying sky ensue as black wisps soar through a skull-shaped cloud.

Unfortunately, this dark mood is never matched during the rest of the film. A sense of danger is never developed, and personal conflicts are far less acutely depicted than the outstanding special effects. Harry (played by Daniel Radcliffe) has even less personality than usual, and his love story with Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) is ridiculous and unrealistic, even for a story about wizards. Instead of teenage sexual tension and a likeable, bold heroine, we get a vixen who is suddenly in love with Harry because … the script said so. Ginny whispers lines as though she is some sort of teenage temptress, yet there is no chemistry there.

Hermione (Emma Watson) is yet again made to look very much like a stereotypical girl, weeping over her good friend Ron’s (Rupert Grint) apparent rejection of her amorous affections (while she is emotional but far more plucky and resilient in the books). Much more interesting than Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Ginny are the two other love interests, Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave) and Cormack McLaggen (Freddie Stroma). Brown’s infatuation with Ron is amusingly over the top, but Stroma’s brief role as the boorish Cormack pursuing Hermione is absolutely hysterical.

Michael Gambon’s caring portrayal of headmaster Dumbeldore is gently moving, and Jim Broadbent is excellent as Slughorn, giving depth to Harry’s well-intended but batty and deeply flawed potions teacher. As Professor Snape, Alan Rickman is as always subtle, but his portrayal differs a bit from the book, arguably giving less impact to the character's ultimate role in the story. The death-eater and werewolf Fenrir Greyback (Dave Legeno) makes an appearance and looks fantastically threatening. Unfortunately, he is not given a single line or action to convey any aspect of his depraved nature. The character of Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) has vastly improved from his previous sniveling incarnations. In nearly every scene Felton and cinematographers convey his isolation, and he is as pitiable and dangerous as any terrified adolescent criminal.

Other highlights of the film include flashbacks about the evil Voldemort, known in the past as Tom Riddle. The two actors who portray him not only greatly resemble each other, but are spot on in their depictions of snakelike evil. The youngest Tom’s (Hero Fiennes-Tiffin) subtle expression of delight at a display of power is chilling. The older Tom (Frank Dillane) possesses a sinister intelligence and serpentine manner.

‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ was probably the most difficult of the series to adapt because of its lack of a driving plotline, and the movie is thematically unfocused and at best uneven. Though I’ve read the books, I was frequently confused. There is much potential here, but little payoff.