The Harry Potter film saga comes to a close at long last. If you are interested, here's my blog entry in July of '07 when I read the last book in the series:
http://the-salad-days.blogspot.com/2007/07/long-journey.html
Today, after Steph and I went to the movie, my daughter asked if she could start reading the books. So this afternoon, I saw her trying to pronounce Dumbledore's name for the first time, and I smiled as I realized how much fun and adventure she has in store.
What I have always loved about these stories/movies is their ability to tell a classic story. Here, in the 8th film, we finally see the resolution to the epic story. As a film, it is very effective. Watching the images on the screen were more of a walk down memory lane, since the events were already known to me. But, to see them realized on screen was special. Even more, to see key parts of the book realized so well was very satisfying.
The three principal actors have done an amazing job of inhabiting their roles. They have created convincing characters. They have been supported by a legendary cast of British acting royalty. Read this list: Richard Harris, Micheal Gambon, Alan Rickman, Gary Oldman, Emma Thompson, Immelda Staunton, Maggie Smith, Jim Broadbent, Rhys Ifans, John Cleese, Ralph Fiennes, Kenneth Branagh, Helena Bonham Carter, Cirian Hinds, Kelly MacDonald, Bill Nighy, and more (this is just what I can call up from memory-I am not intentionally leaving anyone out). The gravitas that these actors have brought to the production has helped the already legendary stories, and have made for solid narrative entertainment.
This final chapter sees the final showdown between Harry Potter and the evil Lord Voldemort. It also sees the final destiny of all of its remaining character, and finally reveals important secrets involving its most important characters. It is a great conclusion.
Did these films break new cinematic ground? Hardly. However, not all work needs to, and the best way to measure these films is how confident all of them have been in the narrative, and an utter consistency in tone and production. This made it possible for all 8 films to run together very well. I cannot give my favorite scenes without giving anything away. I will simply say that I thought casting Alan Rickman as Snape seemed perfect 10 years ago, and it has proven to be perfect. The scenes in which this mysterious character are illuminated are truly special, and one cannot help but think that having the right actor in place truly sold it.
The stories will live on. We will watch them again, and we will introduce them to our children as they grow older. They will always be a testament to the simply power of storytelling and imagination. JK Rowling has given to the world a gift: she has created and nurtured a literary world, and then patiently overseen it's translation to the big screen. I have a lot of admiration for all of it.
