Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, Part 2
Saturday, July 16th, 2011 05:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
retsukoI want to write a very serious piece about why this movie is excellent, and you should drop everything and go and see it, but whenever I try to picture this serious bit of writing, my fannish side takes over and there's a lot of capslock and squeeing. I enjoyed this so much, and even though the franchise is "over," I'm not depressed or feeling as if I'm lacking something; it's more of a hopeful satisfaction, coupled with the knowledge that there are some excellent books/movies out there on the horizon. This isn't the end, by any means. It's a beginning, and that's what the movie left me with: a sense of beginning, of purpose.
I will admit that I teared up quite a lot during the whole affair, and just when I thought I was over all the deaths, there was the scene with Harry's parents and Remus and Sirius, and I lost it all over again. I mean, not like sobby-sob-sob, but I-cannot-breathe-because-I-am-trying-not-to-make-noise-and-listen-to-the-dialogue weeping. The pacing in this was pitch-perfect; just when I was growing tired of combat and action, there were quiet moments, little grace notes. A prime example of this was Harry sitting by himself, alone in Dumbledore's office, having just relived Snape's last memories and the weight of his responsibility is huge in the silence, and it was just perfect, perfectly sad, appropriately dire without being overwrought. Another little moment of Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco sneaking away as the last fight began to seriously brew. Luna and Neville together after the battle (and I must also add my love for Luna grew 10 times in this movie because she said what needed to be said and she made Harry listen.) Maggie Smith being so excited to cast the spell to make the statues move.
And to all worked on the special effects, sets, staging, costuming, etc. when Aberforth turned the Dementors away: I cannot thank you enough. The next time I feel overwhelmed from depression, or anxiety, I will think of this image, and I'm betting it will be enough.
But mostly what I loved about this film was that Harry, Hermione, and Ron (and to a lesser extent, Neville, and just about everyone else at Hogwarts) were heroes because of the choices they made, and not because the plot necessitated it, or it was convenient for them to do so. They made decisions knowing what the consequences might be, and even knowing the consequences, they did what was right. Harry breaking the Elder Wand meant so much more to me at the end of this movie than it did in the book, because it's such a potent image, and I loved that he did it standing at the edge of a precipice; the choice was monumental, and the setting fitted it. Voldemort's death, and the lead-up combat to it, made so much more visual sense as well, and I loved that in the end, he fell to pieces, like a paper tiger. And I really loved the epilogue section, despite the somewhat awkward makeup jobs, because it bookended the conflict so neatly: their choices paid off, and their sacrifices were worth it.
Random notes:
* Was the girl who played Pansy Parkinson the same one as the other movies? I didn't even recognize her.
* Speaking of casting, the boy who played Harry and Ginny's son was adorable and perfect.
* The first shot of Voldemort at Gringotts, walking through blood: OMG. Wow. What an entrance. I glanced over at the too-little girl on the other side of the aisle and felt a little sorry for her.
* Tonks and Lupin's death was still too off-scene. OTOH, since I shed so many tears over just the picture of their corpses, this might have been a good thing for my general composure.
* Molly defeating Bellatrix was fantastic. I wanted to stand up and cheer, but felt weird since the audience around me wasn't doing it at all. I settled for brief applause that was drowned out by the soundtrack and general hubbub of the rest of the battle scene.
So, overall, a highly satisfying movie experience, and worth us paying the outrageous theater ticket prices and the babysitter.
Trailer Park: I only add this to ask: did anyone else see the trailer for "The Dark Knight Rises"? I couldn't understand a word Commissioner Gordon said, and the rest of the trailer was very confusing. Are they following the graphic novel plot or not? And, yeah... Bane. I have no opinion one way or another. (Side funny note: The trailer for "Cowboys & Aliens" warned: "Contains depictions of the consumption of tobacco." Really, MPAA, clutch those pearls much? I think there are far more scandalous things to warn for, in that movie, and in others.)
I will admit that I teared up quite a lot during the whole affair, and just when I thought I was over all the deaths, there was the scene with Harry's parents and Remus and Sirius, and I lost it all over again. I mean, not like sobby-sob-sob, but I-cannot-breathe-because-I-am-trying-not-to-make-noise-and-listen-to-the-dialogue weeping. The pacing in this was pitch-perfect; just when I was growing tired of combat and action, there were quiet moments, little grace notes. A prime example of this was Harry sitting by himself, alone in Dumbledore's office, having just relived Snape's last memories and the weight of his responsibility is huge in the silence, and it was just perfect, perfectly sad, appropriately dire without being overwrought. Another little moment of Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco sneaking away as the last fight began to seriously brew. Luna and Neville together after the battle (and I must also add my love for Luna grew 10 times in this movie because she said what needed to be said and she made Harry listen.) Maggie Smith being so excited to cast the spell to make the statues move.
And to all worked on the special effects, sets, staging, costuming, etc. when Aberforth turned the Dementors away: I cannot thank you enough. The next time I feel overwhelmed from depression, or anxiety, I will think of this image, and I'm betting it will be enough.
But mostly what I loved about this film was that Harry, Hermione, and Ron (and to a lesser extent, Neville, and just about everyone else at Hogwarts) were heroes because of the choices they made, and not because the plot necessitated it, or it was convenient for them to do so. They made decisions knowing what the consequences might be, and even knowing the consequences, they did what was right. Harry breaking the Elder Wand meant so much more to me at the end of this movie than it did in the book, because it's such a potent image, and I loved that he did it standing at the edge of a precipice; the choice was monumental, and the setting fitted it. Voldemort's death, and the lead-up combat to it, made so much more visual sense as well, and I loved that in the end, he fell to pieces, like a paper tiger. And I really loved the epilogue section, despite the somewhat awkward makeup jobs, because it bookended the conflict so neatly: their choices paid off, and their sacrifices were worth it.
Random notes:
* Was the girl who played Pansy Parkinson the same one as the other movies? I didn't even recognize her.
* Speaking of casting, the boy who played Harry and Ginny's son was adorable and perfect.
* The first shot of Voldemort at Gringotts, walking through blood: OMG. Wow. What an entrance. I glanced over at the too-little girl on the other side of the aisle and felt a little sorry for her.
* Tonks and Lupin's death was still too off-scene. OTOH, since I shed so many tears over just the picture of their corpses, this might have been a good thing for my general composure.
* Molly defeating Bellatrix was fantastic. I wanted to stand up and cheer, but felt weird since the audience around me wasn't doing it at all. I settled for brief applause that was drowned out by the soundtrack and general hubbub of the rest of the battle scene.
So, overall, a highly satisfying movie experience, and worth us paying the outrageous theater ticket prices and the babysitter.
Trailer Park: I only add this to ask: did anyone else see the trailer for "The Dark Knight Rises"? I couldn't understand a word Commissioner Gordon said, and the rest of the trailer was very confusing. Are they following the graphic novel plot or not? And, yeah... Bane. I have no opinion one way or another. (Side funny note: The trailer for "Cowboys & Aliens" warned: "Contains depictions of the consumption of tobacco." Really, MPAA, clutch those pearls much? I think there are far more scandalous things to warn for, in that movie, and in others.)
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no subject
Date: 2011-07-17 09:28 pm (UTC)I clapped for Molly Weasley anyway, even if I was the only one in the theater who did. Didn't care :) I clapped for Neville, too. And I cried buckets in the Forbidden Forest.
And I loved the shot of Harry breaking the wand - yes, you're absolutely right, he was standing on the precipice there. But after what he's been through, he's the only 17-year-old boy in the world who really wouldn't want to be invincible, because he knows better than anyone how dangerous that is. I also loved that it was out on the bridge, because that's always where the three of them go at the end of the movie. It felt very right for them to be there.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-17 10:05 pm (UTC)I thought Neville's impromptu speech was a very good piece of screenwriting, and the whole confrontation between the forces of Voldemort and Hogswarts (in that scene especially) was handled so well. There could have been a lot of histrionic handwringing, but instead there was this matter-of-fact, truly righteous attitude on the part of the defenders that was a pleasure to watch.
And yeah, I loved that the ending came down to the three of them, then and now, and it was perfect and I cried happily all over again because they were OK.