Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Analysis/Review
Preface:
Re-watched it in blu-ray on a 4k TV.
Harry Potter fan.
Part one of the finale. The movie that (as far as I know) started the whole split-the-last-book-into-two theme. ‘The End Begins’ as the poster says. Very true. I remember trying to figure out where they would split the movie. I think the consensus was when the trio gets taken by the Snatchers. Pretty darn close to where it did split, I think. Anyway. Onto the movie.
Likes:
- Nails the sort of apocalyptic depressing tone. Like damn does the movie have dread as a stylistic choice smeared all over it.
- The segment in Malfoy Manor was sequenced well. Tension existed throughout and you felt for the characters. The interplay between the villains and the heroes was suitably desperate. From both sides.
- Dobby’s death. So emotional and well done. Last words were great and very tearjerker-y. One felt sad in it.
- Speaking of death, Hedwig’s death was apt. The owl went out like a true hero.
- Ron actually comes into his own. He has a variety of good friend moments and weaknesses that he grows from. He improves. The speech he gave after returning worked and his insecurities felt coherent and he defeated them.
- Bathilda Bagshot and Nagini. Creepy looking and fast. Exactly what it needed to be.
- Umbridge and that battle in the ministry. I like how it was styled, aesthetically.
- The Three Brothers scene. That was excellent. It was aesthetically briliant and conveyed the point well. The effects were so pretty. It was a highlight of the movie.
Dislikes:
- So long. It just felt slow and plodding at so many points
- The wedding felt rushed. Barely saw or interacted with a majority of the characters we were supposed to care about there.
- The mirror that Harry uses felt thrown in. Where did it come from? They had never had it in the earlier movies and suddenly it it thrown in now.
- There was a lot that was thrown in from the books without good explanation. Who is Grindlewald? No explanation. Who was the old dude in the castle, why does he matter? Why is he in a castle? Who knows. Book readers do, but this is a movie, it should stand alone.
- The Polyjuice segment in the beginning-middle was a little bit jagged. I can’t explain it. The Harry-polyjuiced guy especially felt off.
- Harry and Hermione’s dance straddles the line. It was weird but it worked in a non-shipping way. Odd is a word to describe it. Weird is another.
Conclusion:
Deathly Hallows Part 1 has some great pieces, but the wandering of the middle act really kills the tension it has. Some strange directing choices. Some paid off, some didn’t. A highly uneven movie. However, it does succeed in getting past the, eh, more dragging parts of the seventh book so the final movie can be straight to the action and fun stuff and get to the end without burden. A noble sacrifice for the greater good.
