The books get longer for two reasons: author J.K. Rowling has a tendency to recap the previous stories every time we meet a recurring character and the second is the bloat mentioned above. It’s impossible to squeeze all the material, and it’s often pertinent material, into a 2 ½ hour movie. I’ve always made it a point to read the books before seeing the movies, so I am aware of the excised details and how they relate to what’s been left on screen. But I also recognize how difficult it must be for someone who hasn’t read the books to follow character arcs and plot. The way these films have been adapted leads me to believe that the producers have basically made these films specifically for those who have read the books. That’s a major flaw. Reading the book should not be a requirement for seeing the movie.
The most frustrating thing about Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (the sixth installment) is that it pushes some really interesting tension in a character that, through the first five stories, has been little more than a one dimensional villain. Draco Malfoy has been a persistent foil to Harry’s plans at Hogwarts. Now that his father, Lucius, has been sent away to Azkaban prison, the task falls to him, bestowed directly by Voldemort, to find a way for evil to enter the school of magic. His mother pleads with Bellatrix Lestrange (a gleefully evil Helena Bonham Carter) to keep Draco out of it as he’s only a boy. The weight he is saddled with and the consequences of his failure are too much for a 16 year old to handle. Kloves’ screenplay maintains several of the book’s moments of inner conflict and director David Yates does what he can with limited running time, but ultimately the film fails to provide a compelling turmoil within Draco. Ultimately it’s the book’s failure to provide what could have been fascinating turn of events with Dumbledore convincing Draco to betray his parents in favor of doing the right thing. But Harry Potter has never really succeeded at subtlety.
The case of Professor Severus Snape (Alan Rickman, wonderful as always in this series) has always been one of the more interesting character studies in the world of Harry Potter. He’s often been a roadblock to Harry’s success, both academically and in his extracurricular endeavors. And there’s always been that doubt about his position on the good/evil divide. This time out it seems clear he’s deceived Dumbledore and is actually working for Voldemort. He makes the Unbreakable Vow (meaning death should he break it) with Draco’s mother to protect him and aid him in his tasks. In the end this leads him to commit a terrible act which has dire implications for both Harry and the future of the world. I believe Rowling has more up her sleeve in the final book than Snape simply being a double agent. The clues are present in the sixth. As I’ve not yet read the seventh book and have miraculously managed to avoid hearing any of the details I will wait to be surprised.
The story here centers on Dumbledore’s quest to locate several Horcruxes – ordinary objects into which Voldemort has split his soul allowing him immortality. He enlists the help of Harry to extract an important memory from this year’s new professor, Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent). Meanwhile, the parents of most students are worried about the level of safety at Hogwarts as Voldemort and his Death Eaters inch closer and closer to domination. The fifth book and movie, Order of the Phoenix, started dabbling in darker themes, but this sixth movie is hardly subject matter for small children. One particularly harrowing scene has Harry accidentally put a curse on Draco that leaves him bleeding to death on the bathroom floor.
The story has its lighter moments, too, with the adolescents getting deeper into their post-pubescent discoveries of hormones and love. Love triangles abound with Harry’s jealousy over Ginny Weasley and her boyfriend. Also, Hermione has developed a crush on Ron, who is himself busy snogging another girl. The problem in this truncated movie is that these scenes which are meant to establish character, illustrate what goes on at the school when dastardly doings are not taking place and provide a welcome relief from evil. But with a need to include as much of the action plot elements as possible, these lighter moments feel like the cherry on top – yes it’s nice to have, but does it really add to the entire presentation?
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