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Released: 19th November 2010
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Director: David Yates
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Writer: J. K. Rowling (Novel) Steve Kloves (Screenplay)
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Cast: Daniel Radcliffe - Emma Watson - Rupert Grint - Ralph Fiennes - Alan Rickman - Helena Bonham Carter - Julie Walters - Bill Nighy
Review
Throughout my childhood I was a huge fan of the Harry Potter novels, and as the saga of films have been produced I have felt they have generally not lived up to expectations. However before seeing the latest I kept an open mind and was surprised to find I quite enjoyed it, despite there being, in my view, a number of flaws!
The Deathly Hallows Part One is very focused around the three central roles, Harry, Ron and Hermione, giving the film a character driven dimension, and allowing the opportunity for the three to shine. In Fact, the film is so driven by the three main characters, that most others featured in the previous films are ether not included, or only given cameo roles.
However though this film was centralized around the three children, I still felt their performances were lacking. Emma Watson and Rupert Grint were in tune with the characters from the books, but the roles could have been more fully developed in a manner that would be expected from a character driven narrative film. Daniel Radcliffe’s performance seemed two-dimensional and his ability to portray emotion was limited. These negative points however were not prolific enough to ruin the film as other more impressive elements overshadowed them.
The films narrative and special effects are clever, and the cameos we see from British actors like Bill Nighy, Helena Bonham Carter and Ralph Fiennes are well played and keep us intrigued. A substantial portion of the film features the trio travelling, and can at times feel laboured, but a series of short captivating scenes where the excitement builds constantly manages to re-engage the audience. Conventionally, the Harry Potter films had basic narrative structure - the film telling the story and ending with a climatic scene: The Resurrection Of Voldemort at the end of ‘The Goblet Of Fire’ and the battle in the Department of Mysteries at the end of ‘The Order Of The Pheonix’ are examples of this. However, the Deathly Hallows Part One differs in the incorporation of these mini- climatic scenes rather than one longer one at the end, and this adds intrigue and helps to leave the audience craving the release of Part Two.
Another effect worth mentioning is the use of animation for one of the shorter scenes. This was perfectly constructed for the voice over that Emma Watson read as she explained a child's bedtime story with connotations of the 'Deathly Hallows' myth. The animation itself was almost like a short piece of artwork that was mesmerizing to the viewer, and explained the scene in the most unusual, but perfect manner.
Overall, this Harry Potter film stays close to the original text. It does its job effectively and is entertaining even though the main performances are slightly weak. It leaves the audience longing to find out the truth about all unsolved questions - especially as the story is in two parts. However, there is a sense that it was given the least amount of attention, and serves only as a bridge to the final film.
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