(From my blog: www.themightyv.blogspot.com)
I am very glad I am a reader. I get so much out of it. And today, it's a bitter-sweet feeling: I know the truth... and I have seen parts of it on a screen... and what I saw was made of beauty. The life given to the scenery and to some of the characters was sublime...
...But then there are the lies... some of them were unnecessary lies that don't have a logical reason; some of them didn't really matter; and others were unfair lies, the kind of lies that you feel disrespect you.
Then, there is of course what is not a lie, but an absence of truth: the once again shattered hope of watching some of the favorite scenes come to life, and the development of heartfelt characters to which one has become so attached they could actually feel like soul mates.
I say this understanding that movies made from books are not going to be just exactly like the book. I understand that time is an issue, and that unimportant events or details can't be crammed into a movie in the period it's been alloted.
Having said that, I want to ask WHY.
WHY would it be important to a screenwriter to change the characters?
Why should Tonks not find Harry in the train? Why would it have to be Luna? Why should Ginny help Harry find the place to hide his book? So that they can kiss? Well, that problem should be very easily solved by respecting the book and having them kiss when they actually do, after a Quidditch match. Time issue, maybe? AHA! Gotcha! if time is an issue then why make up a complete scene at the Burrow during Christmas? That was so weird!!!
These substitutions have made me frown before, when Dobbie was not given credit for finding the Room of Requirements in HP and the Order of the Phoenix, for example. But it became personal when Tonks is absolutely ignored and moved out of the way without the slightest touch of regard. I wanted to see her while she was dimming out of love and life force! Why? because I like Tonks!!! She's my favorite one from the Order!! Her hair is pink!!
Then there is the utter absence of important stuff... people... most of the book here is about Hoarcruxes and the memories about Tom Riddle that Dumbledore provides along with his own thoughts. A lot of understanding of Voldemort and his complexity has been just denied to the movie watchers. Not only that, but it is allowed to see a less intelligent Dumbledore when in the movie he admits to have had just a hint of the use of very scary dark magic in his mind to explain Voldemort and his deeds. Actually, Dumbledore already suspects about the Hoarcruxes and he only gets a confirmation from Slughorn's memory in the Pensieve. See... Dumbledore is not Dumb!!!
And where's the battle? I wanted to see them fight! I wanted to have some deeper meaning to Dumbledore's death! I wanted to FEEL like somebody loved him and somebody cared enough to fight for him. I so much wanted to see Hagrid in action with his little pink umbrella! That's where I wanted to see Luna and Neville, where they belong: a part of Dumbledore's Army!!! I wanted to see Bill being comforted by his family and his bride to be after being bitten while fighting! Then I wanted everyone to get together for Dumbledore and grief for this humungous lose. And on a very personal note, I really wanted to see (and hear) the merepeople and Firenze, separated from the other centaurs, while they pay their respects. Heck, I wanted to pay my respects! I wanted a ceremony!!!
But when I just got offended (because everything before was just let go with a "well.... what am I gonna do, I'm not a moviemaker in any of its steps" ) was when Harry is left there just watching the bad guys get their way. They make Harry seem like a complete simpleton, walking around, looking up, watching Dumbledore face death and death eaters. I don't think there is a reason based on time, or creative license, or... actually, I can't seem to find a reason at all. In what way would it have hurt the movie to show a frustrated Harry, fighting under his Invisibility Cloak, unable to even let go of his pain by moaning when he sees his beloved mentor in such danger because he, Dumbledore, had as the book says: "wordlessly immobilized Harry, and the second he had taken to perform the spell had cost him the chance of defending himself".
I think there is no explanation for changing such an important detail, one that really shapes Harry's character and determination for the very important tasks that are coming to him. One that he will always remember, with fear, with grievance, with hatred and yet, with gratitude to the one that let him be safe.
It is also important because it's Dumbledore's last act. It's different to show a man try to convince a kid that he should die and he shouldn't do anything about it, than to show a man sacrificing his only chance of survival by simply not allowing the kid to do anything for him. I think this was in the story because it was important.
For me, there's really not joy in watching this. And I would actually like to flick someone in the eye for robbing me of it!!
Of course, there are the things that I liked. I really appreciated Emma Watson's acting. It was a joy to see her being secretly in love! I definitely liked to see her growth as an actress. In previous movies I felt that she "barked" too much. Here, she gave her best performance. It was also great to see the difference between her true longing and suffering, and Lavender's infatuation.
I ABSOLUTELY enjoyed Ron. Your eyes almost pop out of their sockets when you see him first appear on the screen, all grown and buffed, and really, really cute!. Talk about eye candy!!! He's even eye hot fudge sunday!!! Then, he provides the best light action of the movie with his reactions under the spell of the love potion. Ha! funny. Kudos to Rupert Grint! I'm officially a fan!
It's was disappointing that there was such a great build up in his character, just to be completely left out of the action during the last scene. Why make Ron silent? That was sad.
Of course it was a relief for the soul to see Daniel Radcliffe again. I miss him every day until a new movie is released. I love Harry!!!
Luna and her lion hat would put a smile on almost everyone's face. The twins' store was vivid and much better than the images I had put in my head. I just wish this scene would have been a bit longer, just to get more of these Weasleys together, before they meet the gloom that is to come. The music as always was the already expected enhancer to each scene. Beautiful!!
All in all, I don't really regret watching the movie; I just won't be compelled to watch it again. I feel it's unfair. I'd much rather read the book, which is already worn in the corners, weak at the binding and marked in the favorite places... but full... oh, so full of truth!!!
I'm too glad to be a reader!
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