Well, it's over. Ten years of cinema and fifteen years since the first book came out, and the series has come to a close. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, has been released, and it's going to be emotionally taxing coming to terms with that fact for many of us. It's also going to be a confusing experience seeing this film unless you've recently re-watched Part 1, so I urge you all to do that before you head to the cinema; this isn't a review of a movie, it's a review of the second half of a movie. And for those of you who've read the book (many have read it and re-read it, our eyes almost wearing the pattering strips of ink from the pages), you'll know already that if you subtract from the story everything that was covered in the first film, you're pretty much left with action, tragedy and closure. And death. There's a lot of death.
Before we continue, let's get one thing clear: this review is going to be loaded with more spoilers than a chocolate frog is with sentient, enchanted chocolate. It's for those of us who've read the book; really, it's more of a wrap-up for fans who want to know whether this final installment is going to make them happy or not. Firstly, I'm a Hufflepuff through and through, so I tend to be incredibly enthusiastic, positive and loyal towards things I already like, but I'm not an idiot. I'm not so blinded that I can't assess a film for its artistic merit, which is an easy, joyful job when you're tasked with reviewing the Harry Potter films which, since The Prisoner of Azkhaban, have evolved from children's movies into playgrounds for auteurs in every cinematic field. And if you read reviews by critics who 'don't get it', or even those who don't like it, remember: Harry Potter isn't for them. It's for you. If, by the eighth film they somehow doggedly insist on railing against this ongoing narrative, then they're not worth your time. Hell, even Dumbledore wouldn't give them a second look and he was the bravest, most compassionate wizard ever.
The last few films have had the increasingly noxious charge of being long books; far longer than would be considered easy to adapt, especially for the screenwriter, whose job it is to hack and slash away excess material until they're left with a manageable portion which can then be made into a feature length film. Steve Kloves has had this job for all the films (except The Order of the Phoenix, my favourite of the series), and he's done an excellent job, for the most part. David Yates has done a superb job as director of the final four films in the series, the child cast have grown into fantastically nuanced and capable performers, the adult cast have continued to absolutely nail their characters, and visually, the films are impeccable. If you're going to criticise the Harry Potter films as cinematic constructs, you're going to find yourself trapped down a critical tunnel hemmed in by dementors, without so much as a glimmer of an argumentative patronus to watch your back.
It's an odd film to review, given that it really is a ninety minute finale, and it's one which truly does belong with its counterpart, The Deathly Hallows: Part 1. The main criticism directed as the first installment of this sprawling conclusion was that it lacked energy, or that nothing happened. This is a fatuous, lazy claim, given that whilst, yes, the three main heroes do spend a great deal of time hiking through the wilderness, they also make repeated, and horrifically close escapes from nightmarish foes. They disguise themselves as members of a corrupt ministry and brazenly infiltrate the Ministry of Magic, they fend off Death Eaters, and they manage to weather explosive internal conflicts. All of this occurred as part of a long, intensely stressful and vitally paced setup for the second film, and as such, viewing the first film as close to viewing the second as you can possibly manage is imperative. As much as you might think your brain can bridge the gap, it cannot; it would be like casting a spell, pausing for five minutes mid-incantation, and then recommencing your arcane mutterings. The spell would simply not work.
The film, of course, culminates with the second Battle of Hogwarts, a term which people who've not read the books won't really grasp. This isn't their fault, as The Half-Blood Prince didn't depict the storming of the school and the execution of Dumbledore as a battle, whereas in book six, it was a pitched, bloody and tragic conflict. The second battle, which takes up the bulk of this film, is spectacular, tragic, and the anticipation of it weighs down upon both you and the wizards and witches you've grown up with so palpably that it stings. Those left at Hogwarts after Snape's brutal (but complicated and, ultimately, noble) regime are battered and few. Even the teachers look like husks of their former selves as the inevitable Battle approaches, and when Harry returns to greet his Gryffindor classmates, they're huddled on filthy mattresses under yellowing awnings. And in one of the most touching moments in the film, Neville presents Harry, Ron and Hermione to their peers, and amidst an ocean of relief and an uproar of hope, the Harry Potter theme drizzles down through what has been an uninterrupted deluge of gorgeous but tragic film scoring.
The battle begins, and all bets are off. It's horrific to see the death of characters we love, and it's equally tragic to watch Harry, Hermione and Ron fling themselves through the school and to see, behind them, students, teachers and surviving members of the Order get struck down and flung out of shot. It looks, feels and sounds like a war, and somehow, seeing it done so viscerally actually makes the sacrifices of beloved characters feel justified. Not fair, and not fun to watch, but justified.
There are several highlights during the battle; Maggie Smith (who was suffering from breast cancer throughout the shoot, and who, wearing a wig, refused to be absent during the final moments of the series) as the stalwart Minerva McGonagall is unbelievably wonderful to watch. In the sixth film, the death of Dumbledore hit her particularly hard, and here, we finally get to see her character flare up violently in defence of the students she loves so much. I shan't spoil it for you, but she has the privilege of uttering possibly my favourite line in the film. Similarly, Alan Rickman delivers a superb finish to the life of Snape, and he manages to convey the desperation and frustration his life has been. Especially profound are his performances as a younger Snape in pensieve flashbacks; his love for Lily is so believable it almost hurts to watch. And thankfully, the flawless Julie Walters is, as always, deeply touching to watch as Molly Weasley. And thankfully, she, too, gets to utter one of the best lines in the series.
There are some notable problems, though, and it would be remiss and dishonest of me to not point them out. Firstly, Bellatrix Lestrange doesn't taunt Molly during their duel, which makes Molly's famous line 'not my daughter, you bitch' a hair less powerful; because the film truncated the gloating, hateful needling which seemed to pour forth from Bellatrix in the book, her death seems slightly less powerful. Having said that, if you watch the two films back-to-back, you'll still have the death of Dobby and the torture of Hermione fresh in your mind, in which case you, like me, will practically jump out of your seat cheering. Conversely, the epilogue (set nineteen years later) somehow actually works; it’s been tinkered with, and is executed with such understated heart that instead of being clumsy and unnecessary, it’s actually very touching.
There are some other changes which feel odd, too; Harry's tense, terrific banter with Voldemort moments before the killing curse rebounds and destroys him is gone. The death of Fred is only seen in passing, and Fred doesn't get that wonderful moment where he talks with his twin George before dying. But there's also one major thing which I feel I have to get off my chest: the death of Lupin and Tonks. Ever since I read the book, I've maintained, often vocally, that this was Rowling's only stupid decision in the entire series. She's gone on to say not only that 'it's war, people die', but that she was either going to kill Arthur Weasley or Remus Lupin. Why she had to kill either one is beyond me, and I feel it's odd that many fans will abide by every choice an author makes as God-like and infallible. Nevertheless, many like-minded fans saw the trailer and saw the glorious image in which Lupin and Tonks, fear burning from their eyes, reached their hands out towards one another. Finally, I thought, we're going to see their death. It won't just be a passing observation, a spit in the face of this gloriously complex and stunningly compassionate character. In the film, however, this moment happens as the battle begins, and sure enough, all we get are Harry's eyes straying towards the floor, and a brief shot of the couple, dead and bloodied, their hands almost touching. But if you're like me, you will find something that happens later in the film infinitely comforting; when Harry uses the resurrection stone to summon his parents, Lupin and Sirius, watch Lupin's face. Try and tell me that Lupin doesn't smile
reassuringly at Harry. Somehow David Thewlis has imbued the death of Lupin, in that single moment, with enough strength, conviction and wry understanding to make it feel right. Add that to the fact that in the film the afterlife is seen as an actual place with permanence and comprehension, rather than a sad, wispy, conceptual netherworld, and suddenly, the death of your heroes doesn't feel quite so bad.
Also worth mentioning is that Neville, the boy who was mocked incessantly for years, finally steps up to the plate and becomes a hero. Matthew Lewis has never played him better, and watching him face up to thousands of werewolves alone, deliver a rallying cry in the face of Voldemort and behead Nagini just in time for Harry to send the killing curse back at Voldemort will reduce you to a quivering mass of goosebumps and tears. Lewis makes Neville practically ring with life, and watching him finally realise what he's capable of is a real experience. The film neglects to mention that he goes on to become first a proficient auror and then the Professor of Herbology at Hogwarts. Which just goes to show how awesome he is. It goes without saying that Radliffe, Watson and Grint all do a perfect job of portraying Harry, Hermione and Ron respectively, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't going to miss them terribly; they're all incredibly talented performers, and they couldn't have done more to bring our heroes to life. Everyone else in the film does a wonderful job, even if they're only shown fleetingly; Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood, Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley, James and Oliver Phelps as the Weasley twins, Devon Murray as Seamus Finnigan, Alfred Enoch as Dean Thomas… there are more, but all these characters have been imbued with so much life and so much realism and love that saying goodbye to them has made writing this review almost impossible.
If you watch the exhaustive behind the scenes features made for each film, what you'll learn is that these films took places over the better part of a year at a time, and that everything from schooling to relaxing as a group took place on the set. These people literally grew up together; they really DID go to Hogwarts. When they say they'll never forget their experiences, they very likely mean it. So if you're like me and you're appalled at the end of the series, look at photos of the entire cast backstage after Daniel Radcliffe's performance of How To Succeed In Business Without Trying, grinning, hugging, out of makeup and totally exhilarated for their friend. Watch the footage of the actors being interviewed together. They're one huge family now, and I guarantee you that what they've done over the past decade will ensure that Harry Potter will not only never end, but that it's become real. I can't think of anything which has made me feel happier or more privileged than this incredible, rich, and infinitely touching body of work.
Source: The Vine
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