Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 Blu-ray Review

• 18th Apr 2011

Dark and dangerous times really have descended upon us. The famous trio of Hogwarts’ students are back on the small screen in their penultimate adventure and it’s a fiery cauldron of torment, action and special effects.

Radcliffe, Watson and Grint first hit our screens ten years ago and how they’ve grown. Emma Watson has blossomed into a real English rose, moulding Hermione into a triple threat: looks, brains and courage. Despite her often irritable demeanour, she’s somehow altogether very likable. Grint, meanwhile, brings a down-to-earth, dead-pan humour to his role as the loyal but jealous Ron. Then there’s Daniel Radcliffe, the face of the phenomenon that has kept the nation enthralled for a decade.  Back in The Philosopher’s Stone, pre-teen Harry Potter was wooden and prone to overacting. As a young adult, Harry is angsty and, in all honesty, a little self-righteous; but at least Radcliffe’s delivery is believable.

Perhaps it’s thanks to the success of the books, or the previous movies, that much of the cast consists of household names. Yet, despite the fact that there are so many familiar faces, it’s easy to forget their other roles as they become part of this spectacle (indeed, Fiennes is utterly unrecognisable as Voldemort, the Hitler of the magical world). This is particularly true in the case of queen of curious roles, Helena Bonham Carter. Whether she was born to play Bellatrix, or the character was written with her in mind, she’s the unrivalled wicked witch of all time.  The scene in which she tortures Hermione will burn on the inside of your retinas for some time after you stop watching.

It’s not just the acting that’s radically improved. For muggles who love the books, and anyone with a bit of imagination, seeing the wizarding world before them has always been a visual delight in earlier films but the well-honed effects and dazzlingly expensive sets for this film are outstanding. The opening scene in which Scrimgeour addresses the media, silhouetted against a sea of flashbulbs and giving off an aura of fear and rising panic, is eerie and effective enough to disquiet viewers from the get-go. The appearance of Nagini, Voldermort’s familiar-like snake, is as grotesque as it is unexpected in Godric’s Hollow, and the Snatchers are so terrifying, lecherous and disturbing that Potter’s reputation as “just for kids” could be questioned.

However, the effects aren’t just reserved for brooding and dangerous events; the scene in which there are multiple Harrys is beautifully directed to maximise comedic effect before the body-count begins. The carefully-orchestrated infiltration of the Ministry, too, is a bit of a respite in an otherwise relentless tirade of horror and hapless questing. The tale of the Three Brothers (which is pivotal to the story itself, even though it could be perceived as unnecessary by those unaware of where the story’s going) is told in shadow puppet animation which is a clever means to maintain a ‘fairytale’ feel and avoid confusion with magical ‘reality.’ It’s a great juxtaposition of comedic, whimsical and tender moments with magical violence that’ll make audiences wince audibly when confronted with scenes of cold-blooded cruelty at the hands of Voldermort and his cronies. Another standout scene is when Harry and Hermione take to dancing to the radio when they hit rock-bottom; it’s simultaneously heart-breaking and adorable.

As a stand-alone film, Part One does a lot of scene-setting and picture-painting in preparation for the brutal battle that will commence in Part Two. It also doesn’t fill in the gaps for anyone who may have been in a coma for the last ten years and failed to see any of the previous films; the implication of which is that outside of the series, this film may fail to truly spellbind audiences.  The cut-off point is rather abrupt and, in all honesty, it’s where things start to get really interesting. In Part One there’s many a woeful day spent in unknown woodland, with tension mounting between Harry, Ron and Hermione ‘til they reach breaking point. Some will undoubtedly find this bordering on tedious at times.

There’s also a considerable flaw in the film from the booklover’s perspective. Major details such as the death of well-loved characters (human and otherwise) are over and done in the blink of an eye, which doesn’t allow movie fans any time to mourn for them or indeed appreciate the impact of such events on the other characters. Though Dobby’s fate is handled beautifully (it’s surprising how much emotion a CGI incarnation of an imaginary species that looks rather like a descendant of the Psammead can evoke), the demise of several other characters is barely mentioned and the significance of the eye in Umbridge’s door at the Ministry may sail over many heads.

Put simply, existing Potter fans will be hooked, but it may not be the film to convert those who’ve yet to fall for his magic; they’d be better off holding out for Part Two!

Lauren Felton