Fresh Reviews: "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part One"

Rated PG-13 for violence and scary scenes.

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In which Warner Brothers finally gets the idea to extend the franchise by turning the last book in the series into two movies. I don't know why this didn't occur to them before. At any rate, this is a movie that has gotten the usual negative reviews from critics who haven't really cared for the original books in the first place, and the expected string of ecstatic raves from those who think the novels are the greatest works of literature since Shakespeare and that anybody who has anything bad to say about them must be an agent of Voldemort. I like to at least think that I'm somewhere in the middle... a reader and fan of the books as well as most of the earlier films in the series, but not so enamored of them that I wouldn't be able to criticize them objectively. I guess we'll see.

The plot (as anyone who's interested enough in this movie to go to see it already knows) involves Harry, Hermione and Ron making the tough decision to leave Hogwarts in order to continue the battle against the sinister Voldemort and his legions, as Voldemort and crew are now making their presence felt everywhere, with Death Eaters roaming London openly and citizens fleeing to the country. Removed from their familiar environment, without the support of the late Dumbledore, and with hardly any allies, the three of them have the fate of the nation in their hands as they fight against an increasingly powerful supernatural army, and attempt to find a group of amulets in which Voldemort has stored pieces of his soul... and which might make him vulnerable enough to defeat if they can be found and destroyed.

Yes, this is not so much a movie unto itself as a portion of a longer work, and if you haven't seen what's come before a lot of it won't make any sense to you. And it does literally end in the middle of the story with a touch of a cliffhanger. But that shouldn't keep interested parties away from what I personally consider to be the best film of the series to date (my previous choice being "Half Blood Prince", the previous entry, also from director David Yates). As the books went on and the characters went from children to young adults they became increasingly dark and scary (something most classic children's literature has had in common, from Grimm's Fairy Tales to "The Wizard Of Oz"), and there's something about actually seeing on screen what was only described in the book that increases that aspect of them and makes them even scarier. So this, therefore, is not a movie for younger children... the PG-13 rating should be taken quite seriously... but those who are a bit older should be mightily impressed.

For the first time in the series, a story has the time and space to accurately reflect the feel of the original book without being rushed or condensed. Some critics have had a problem with that and called the paced awkward and "herky jerky" with long slow passages. Considering that disaster and doom is looming over our heroes at all moments, I'd hardly call even the calm, non-violent stretches slow or undramatic. In fact, they allow for the audience getting to know the characters more deeply than they ever have before, and scenes like the one in which Harry & Hermione do an impromptu dance to the Nick Cave song "O Children" is actually quite touching, as their faces briefly light up during the dance while they can briefly have a moment of enjoyment in the midst of their quest, then suddenly come back down to earth when it's finished. Harry and friends may have magical abilities and be mastering the arts of wizardry, but they are very human as well, and that's never been more clear than in this film.

And I really don't understand why more reviews have not made anything of the obvious symbolism of the wizarding world's campaign against "muggles"... it has so many obvious parallels to racism and hatred in our own world, including anti-muslim hysteria, racism against black people, and especially the Nazi programs against the Jews. Think that's an exaggeration? You wouldn't if you'd ever seen the covers of Nazi propaganda like "The Protocols Of The Elders Of Zion" and then watch anti-Muggle books being turned out at magical printing shops. The Potter series is full of wonder and magic, yes, but it also has a lot to say about how we live our lives day to day.

And of course, there is that magic... and plenty of it. Spells, elves, magical duels, magical creatures, impossible events in nearly every scene. All getting increasingly more impressively done in each succeeding film, and leaving relatively few moments when there isn't something to dazzle the eye on screen. But not at the expense of characterization... and I don't just mean of the core three. In particular, Ralph Fiennes continues to grown into the role of the almost mind-bogglingly creepy Voldemort, a character who could give nightmares to Hannibal Lecter. He's a fine example of how an actor doesn't always have to go over the top and chew the scenery in order to create a memorable villain.

While it is a tiny touch frustrating to have to wait until the summer of 2011 for the conclusion, is it really any worse than, say, the cliffhanger ending of "The Empire Strikes Back" when we had to wait another three years until "The Return Of The Jedi"? I have not the slightest doubt that it will be worth the wait. Not after Yates and screenwriter Steve Kloves have created the most intense and creative films in the series with "Half Blood Prince" and this one. Those who are not fans of the books and those who think they're going to corrupt our youth by making them devotees of devil-worship (as if magic is always connected with Satanism or the devil is even referred to anywhere in the Potter books or movies) will obviously not change their minds with this installment. But those who have appreciated the novels and have been waiting for the movie series, as impressive as it's been much of the time, to finally reach its potential and achieve on screen everything that the books have and at times even amplify it... well, your time has come. I wouldn't even be surprised if "Part Two" winds up surpassing this film as the best in the series. If only David Yates could have directed the first two films instead of Chris Columbus. But at least we have him now.