Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
One of the best original stories in recent years, the saga of Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling is a story about a boy, his friends, his school, and his efforts to defeat the one figure who threatens the safety of the world. It is a story of Good v. Evil. It is a story that we can all relate to, and we love to hear it told. The books have all this and more. In order to live up to its legendary status as a contemporary classic of fantasy literature, the films must do this too. And with this sixth installment, we find a rare thing: it actually does.
I won’t spend any time on the plot. Let’s get right to it. Director David Yates takes Rowling’s story and cuts and shapes where he needs to, adding a massive helping of teen romance and the undertones of a what I perceived to be a homosexual Dumbledore, which are my only real complaints with the film; I say “complaints” because, on the first matter, the teen romance, though at times genuine, was often very contrived and resembled caricature rather than true character, and because, on the issue of a gay Dumbledore, is not only not present in the books themselves, but is also mere pandering to Rowling’s post-partum sentiments in a certain interview. So, those somewhat petty complaints aside, the film succeeds by letting this incredible story tell itself.
Harry is older now, as he is with each passing film, and the trick is to let the growing Harry create a more mature film, as each book does so deftly. There is much romance, and we begin to see the beginnings of what readers of the books know are imminent. The characters have grown and matured, and their relationships with one another are those of friends who not only like each other greatly, but, I don’t hesitate to say, love one another. Their love with carry them through the end of the story, which readers such as myself see as a beautiful inevitability.
The acting is, as always pitch-perfect, and the ensemble, which includes the quirky yet wonderful Jim Broadbent as Professor Slughorn, the always satisfying trio of Radcliffe, Watson, and Grint, the brooding Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy, Alan Rickman as Snape, Michael Gambon as Dumbledore, Helena Bonham Carter, and the whole gang. One could write at length about the perfect casting choices, the subtle turns of acting from each of these actors, and the brilliant ensemble that this cast has developed over the last decade.
There isn’t much else for me to say, for one reason, because I refuse to discuss the plot and to discuss the theme at much length would require divulging key plot points which, again, I refuse to do. Let me suffice it to say with this very short review that this newest Potter film is well-written, emotional, compelling, moving, beautiful, and sincere. It’s aim is to tell the story of the books with a cinematic flourish. The cinematic flourish, here, incorporates incredible digital effects and stylized melodrama, which only aid the story.
I will leave you with one thought. Whether you have read the books or not, seen the films or not, care about Harry Potter or not, it is nigh impossible not to feel the weight of love while watching this film. Please see it.
Rating: 3.5/4 Stars
Interesting. I didn’t pick up on the Dumbledore being gay bit, but I agree with you that this is the best of all the HP movies. I rewatched the fifth one the other day, and while obviously a good movie, I felt like the stylized cinematography and weird camera angles were kind of over the top. I was glad to see that they toned that down a little bit for this one. Also, the last few scenes were portrayed pretty much EXACTLY how I had always pictured them, which was kind of cool.
They gave Dumbledore so many lines asking Harry about his romantic life and related things that don’t fit Dumbledore, IMO. Definitely the best of the 6 so far, tho!