The midnight showings must have been crowded for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1. Its tone was especially grim, much more serious and mature that the other installments. The trio of Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint), and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) are now on their own in the wizard world, seeking to destroy the dark forces of Voldemort. However, times have turned and now fear is in every corner.
This movie kept to the book almost exactly, with a few added scenes to lighten the extreme tension in the atmosphere. A lot of the scenes, especially the ones in the Lovegoods’ home and the Ministry of Magic, were depicted so well from the book it matched the image I had in my head when I read the section.
The acting in the series has been getting increasingly better throughout the Potter movies, and it has reached its peak. All of the actors are stunning. The photography in this movie was intriguing and unique, using drained coloration to show gloom in the setting. The scenes were very well planned out, down to the very last detail, and everything was shown in an explanatory and understandable way.
The only downside to this movie is that David Yates, the director, cut a few crucial scenes. First of all, he did not give very much information about how very hopeless these times are. In the book, there is almost nothing cheerful, and everything about life in the wizard world has become dreary and dark. The Muggles attached to witches and wizards are forced to go into hiding, protected, which they show but do not explain. I think that Yates has expected the viewer to have read the book, and therefore does not explain things that a more unknowing person would need to have explained.
This movie is very impressive, and a great addition to the previous six. However, if you have not already seen it, you must read or watch the previous six to understand this one. It is meant to be seen as a series, not as an individual movie. Also, you must be prepared for the darkness in the movie, since it is not a very pleasant or happy movie. I’m sure the final film will live up to the expectations this one has set.
Ella Yarmo-Gray is an 8th grade student.
