Review: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

It can't be overstated how impressive the Harry Potter Franchise has become. Yes it's made a Buhgillion dollars, and yes it's going to make more, but money aside, the series has grown in a way that is almost unheard of, collecting the finest ensemble cast ever amassed along the way and pushing the boundaries of family entertainment. Regardless of how you view them, the films haven't rested on their laurels and simply coasted by on the film's fan base, they have improved and expanded with every installment. That tradition continues in Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 1. It isn't the best Potter film, (Alfonso Cuaron's Prisoner of Azkaban still holds that place) but in terms of maturity and depth it is such a huge leap forward it's frightening.

It comes from the source material. Rowling's finale to her titanic series of books stuck the landing in a way few thought possible. 'Dark' is the word of choice, and while it's an easy way to describe the story it's appropriate. The film follows the book's story rigidly. After the devastating blow of losing his mentor, Harry Potter has been left with an impossible task: Find and destroy the remaining fragments of Lord Voldemorts soul, the rub being that he doesn't know where they are, what they are or indeed, how to destroy them. The task is hopeless and without wishing to spoil it doesn't seem all that rosier come the end, an end that dumps a big fat cliffhanger on our lap to keep us excited for Part 2.

Which brings us to the obvious. Was the decision to split the book, a book which most agree contains a fair amount of, I don't want to say filler, but certainly "fat", artistically justified, or was it, as many feared, an excuse to get people to pay twice to see one movie.

It depends on your mileage. At this stage, The Boy Who Lived isn't going to be winning over any new fans, but nobody is trying to do that, this series is concentrating on it's fan base. Director David Yates and long time Potter screenwriter Steven Kloves trust that the audience knows and loves this world and it's characters. They trust that you will want to spend time with our three heroes through the tough times. The 'fat' mentioned concerns our heroes spending a sizeable chunk of the story spent camping with no clue what to do getting more and more irritable. What's actually quite impressive is that even with the splitting of the book, Kloves managed to dilute this portion of the story quite well, ringing just the right amount of tension and frustration without frustrating the audience. This is one of the successes yes, but we are still looking at half a film, and it is impossible to tell if the adaptation worked without seeing the rest of it.
But for now we can enjoy half of what Yates has accomplished and whatever you make of the film it can't be denied that The Deathly Hallows Part 1 is the most visually arresting Potter film to date. Taking the action away from Hogwarts, Yates can let loose. Glorious shots of the British countryside highlight Harry, Ron and Hermione's isolation, (the location scout deserves an award, the hills and cliffs of Blighty have never looked so beautiful) and a gorgeous animated sequence towards the end narrated by Watson brings a touch of class to the film.

There was a law imposed recently that any review of any of the Potter films must take a moment to swoon over the astonishing display of talent that fills the ensemble cast. It's now ten years later and the amount of talent crammed into one film still beggars belief. Seeing these award winning actors appear for little more than extended cameos is astonishing and creates a fantastic sense of continuity, fleshing out Rowling's world beautifully. It makes the world feel that little bit more authentic and the stakes that much higher. As fantastic as the supporting cast is though, in The Deathly Hallows, moreso than any film before it, these giants of British talent take a back seat to the three leads.

With the series nearing completion we finally get to see the full transformation of Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. No longer playing children, these three are adults in adult roles. Radcliffe has had an increasingly difficult role to play as Harry has grown and for the most part he delivers. Of the three he remains the weakest actor but the critical mauling he receives annually is unfair. Radcliffe is a very capable actor (seemingly far more comfortable in the lighter moments), but he seems to lack belief in himself, occasionally turning in awkward, stunted delivery when the tone gets bleaker. Grint, typically the comic relief, is given room to do darker as Ron's doubts and fears grow as the situation deteriorates. It's Watson, though, who walks away with the film, her Hermione is now a grown Woman and Watson plays her with a confidence she's never shown before. It's that confidence that brings everything together and gives the infamous camping scenes the humanity they so desperately need.

The Deathly Hallows is as pleasing as it is frustrating. Like I said, it's half a film. Thematically it ends at a place that could be considered a climax but it's clear the end was decided during post production. Rather than ending elegantly and gracefully like, say, The Fellowship of the Ring this film literally stops and goes to credits ending the film with more of a muted thud than a rousing finale. You will either feel cheated and insulted or energised and excited. Personally, knowing what's to come, I am satisfied. Warner Brothers will no doubt release the two films as a complete release in the near future to be enjoyed by geeks like me in a bum numbing 6 hour stint, but until then we have Part 1 and take it from me if you do enjoy this offering, you haven't seen anything yet.