Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 (2010)
Certified: PG
Duration: 146 minutes
Directed by: David Yates
Starring: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Ralph Fiennes, Helena Bonham Carter, Jim Broadbent, Robbie Coltrane, Tom Felton, Rhys Ifans
KRS release
This has been the decade of Harry Potter. Since the first film was released in 2001, the saga has earned $5.4 billion in box office receipts. Now we are close to the end of this long journey and with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Warners is giving the young mage quite a send-off.
The decision to adapt the final lengthy book, 607/759 pages (UK/USA versions) into two films was a wise one. This gave the production enough time to focus well on the characters, the events and, most of all, on Harry Potter’s world that remains so magical, yet has become so much more terrifying.
The films have changed over the years, with different directors giving their own touch. With my personal favourite being the third film The Prisoner of Azkaban (2004), I believe that from the adaptation of the fourth book – The Goblet of Fire – onwards, the films lost a bit of that wide-eyed innocent look at the world of magic.
The tone got harsher and more realistic, and the characters have surely grown up. One must however keep in mind that one of the strengths of the books and the films has also been that the young ones have grown with Harry, they have become teenagers or adults along with the wizard.
While director David Yates lacks the poetic qualities of Alfonso Cuaron who had directed The Prisoner of Azkaban, he brings an epic scope to the material.
The film kicks off with a blast as we see Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) in hiding as Lord Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) new magic world order is underway and all his opponents are being killed. The first action sequences see all of Harry’s allies unite to try to smuggle him, an action that will have a number of consequences. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Magic, under the strict leadership of Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton), has started its attack on the Muggles (normal humans) with a style and relish comparable to the Nazis of World War II.
The three teens are soon on a quest to find the Horcruxes – receptacles which hold fragments of Voldemort’s soul – and destroy them. When they find one and take turns wearing it, conflict and jealousy, insecurities and despair ensue. These sequences are quite unique with one scene where Ron sees a vision of Hermione and Harry together in a passionate embrace really standing out.
The film has several strong performances with the teen trio standing out. Rupert Grint is given a bigger role and he shows a very strong sense of drama. Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort is simply breathtaking and and provides his audience with quite a good share of nightmares. One sequence which has him and his acolytes magically torturing an opponent is not to be underestimated. Helena Bonham Carter’s dark sequence is also guaranteed to make one think twice about inviting her to dinner.
The theme of this lumbering adaptation, which can be a bit grave, is quite dark. There are the occasional bouts of humour but gone are the Hogwarts cuteness, the Quidditch antics and the pranks. Even Dobby the House Elf, once seen as a Jar Jar Binks clone from Star Wars, is nobler and less prone to making fun of things.
The ending is abrupt but that is something which was to be expected as this is only the end of Part 1. Leaving the cinema I could only wish that it was already July to be able to see how this magical saga will end.