On Friday November 19, 2010, the long awaited first half of the film adaptation of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was generally released in cinemas throughout the United States.
Cast and Crew of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and Rupert Grint return in their starring roles as Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ron Weasley, and these young actors are the only recurring cast members to be on-screen for the majority of the movie.
Other characters were on-screen for much less time than in previous films, but other recurring cast members did also reprise their roles, including Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort, Alan Rickman as Severus Snape, Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix Lestrange, Julie Walters as Molly Weasley, Mark Williams as Arthur Weasley, Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid, Imelda Staunton as Dolores Umbridge, Jason Isaacs as Lucius Malfoy, Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, Bonnie Wright as Ginny Weasley, Matthew Lewis as Neville Longbottom, and Evanna Lynch as Luna Lovegood.
Known British actors, Bill Nighy and Sophie Thompson, also joined the cast in small roles.
The film was directed by David Yates, who also directed Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Plot of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
Lord Voldemort’s power and influence is increasing, and while the wizard world still grieves the death of Dumbledore, it is facing extremely dangerous times.
Of course, Harry Potter is Voldemort’s number one target, and so, his friends and those others opposed to Voldemort must smuggle Harry to safety. He is brought to the warmth of the Weasley home, but as the Weasley family celebrates Bill Weasley’s wedding, the reception is invaded by Death Eaters.
Harry, Hermione, and Ron flee, and presuming that all their allies have now gone underground, their bonds of friendship and sanity are tested as the three friends must seek and destroy the remaining Horcruxes in order to bring about the final downfall of Voldemort.
Reviewing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1
The opening scenes of the film are absorbing and exciting. Yates’s direction and the actors’ performances succeed in conveying moving sentimentality and tampering seriousness with touches of comedy. These opening scenes are also very interestingly filmed, and thus, they are visually intriguing.
As the film proceeds, it does become slightly tedious and drawn-out, and one does begin to wonder if it might have been possible to condense the whole of the final J.K. Rowling book into one long movie, rather than separating the movie into two still lengthy parts.
The giving of information is uneven in its effectiveness. Yates’s strength seems to be giving information visually, and while the script often cleverly and quickly offers information about character and storyline developments, questionable direction permits some of these lines to be somewhat lost.
There are times that unless one has read the books, it is difficult to understand all the important information necessary for fully following the journey of the story, and in part due to the length of time between movies, one could use more of a reminder about the past developments from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
Some of the action scenes could have been more interestingly done or could have been trimmed. What can be enthralling in a book does not always translate excitingly to the big screen unless pacing is perfectly flawless.
Due to the nature of the story, some of the enchantment that is characteristic of the earlier Harry Potter films is understandably absent, and the magical setting of Hogwarts is barely used. However, Yates and the cast succeed in supplementing for the lack of these familiar aspects with well executed scenes of tenderness and some light comic relief.
Throughout the film, all the actors give strong performances, but usually present cast members, such as the excellent Maggie Smith, are missed. It also would have been desirable to see or hear more about some of the supporting characters who appeared much less than is usual.
With the book being divided into two movies, the film does achieve breaking in a logical part of the story, and while there is effectively a cliffhanger, audiences can walk away largely satisfied until the release of the final film.
Overall, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is an enjoyable movie, and the magical movie series benefits from returning to being released near to the holiday season.
Seeing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 at Clearview Cinemas’ Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City
For Harry Potter fans living in the vicinity of Manhattan, seeing the latest film on the big screen of the Ziegfeld Theatre adds to the movie-going experience.
As one of the few single-screen cinemas remaining, entering the Ziegfeld Theater is somewhat like stepping back in time, and the theatre’s grand setting is an awe-inspiring way to view productions made with impressiveness in mind.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2
Viewers expect that the final film in the series of eight will not be released until summer, most likely July 2011.
Elizabeth Fredericks - Elizabeth Fredericks is a graduate of Oxford University, and she has worked as a freelance writer since her first paid assignment as a ...
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