A Film Review by Warren Day
Photo: Harry Potter fans, young and old, will all be sorry to see the series end.
However, J.K.?Rowling has not said this is “The End”… What’s next? Photos courtesy, Warner Brothers Pictures
By any standard, it’s one of the biggest phenomena in publishing and movie history. Over 450 million books have been sold, with the last four consecutively setting records as the fastest-selling books in history. It’s also the most successful movie franchise ever (six of the 20 biggest grossing films), taking in more money for the first seven films than James Bond has earned in 22. And what other movie series has an entire theme park devoted to it?
Now, the eighth and last Harry Potter movie has come out (“Deathly Hallows Part II”), breaking national and world records and bringing the story to its final conclusion. But why should this be of any particular interest to the GLBT community? The truth is that Harry Potter has always held a major fascination for gays, so the better question might be, why?
In essence, many gays have seen a correlation in what they had to face growing up and what Harry experienced. The family that’s raising him do not accept who he is, and pressure him to act more like a “normal” boy. He has feelings and thoughts that make no
sense until he realizes that he was born that way. He’s drawn to and makes his closest friends with those who share his orientation. He has to be careful in letting others know about his true nature and often has to pretend he’s like the big majority of young people. Because his family rejects him, he’s had to build a family unit of his own with friends and mentors. I could keep going, but with that brief list maybe it’s no wonder gays have been drawn to Harry Potter.
And since gays are human beings, too (Yes, Michelle Bachmann’s husband, that is true!), we also identify with the usual growing pains – the anxiety in going to a new school, being bullied by kids with a cruel streak, forming a meaningful relationship with a teacher, the first awakenings of sexual attraction, et cetera, et cetera, until we reach what’s dubiously called ‘maturity’.
So gays have many reasons and many connection points to care about the Harry Potter saga, but does the last film live up to its hype? Is it not only worth watching, but also worth getting excited about?
The answer will depend greatly on how involved you’ve been with the story and characters, because to only see the last film would be like wandering into “Citizen Kane” for the final ten minutes and wondering, “What’s all this fuss about a sleigh?” On the other extreme, if you’ve been a 24/7 Potterhead, you may feel let down that the movie doesn’t live up to the one you’ve had in your head.
For those in-between, “Deathly Hallows Part II” will deliver a kind of catharsis, where you see seven-year
storylines reach a conclusion, and witness some surprising (and heart-rendering) developments with characters we’ve come to know so well, the kind of satisfaction you have at the end of a long novel or mini-series, but which you don’t get from a single film.
What’s truly unique about these eight movies is that we’ve seen these fictional characters (and real actors) grow up in actual time, going from 11 to 21, and that adds a rare resonance to our viewing. Daniel Radcliffe has developed into an excellent and versatile actor, something the producers had no guarantee of in 2000 when he was cast. Emma Watson has physically changed the most, growing into a beautiful and confident woman. Rupert Grint as Ron Weasley is the weak link in both his acting and in how he was scripted. He was better in the first two films than he’s been in the latter ones, where he often looked like someone who had no idea why he was there.
What’s truly enjoyable is to see a Who’s Who of British acting royalty in showy roles that were probably more amusing (and more lucrative) than their usual acting assignments. Some of them have been given rewarding moments for their last appearance at Hogwarts (i.e., Maggie Smith, Julie Walters, Alan Rickman).
“Deathly Hallows Part II” has received overwhelmingly positive reviews, but I found it a little disappointing. Some of the scenes worked much better on the page than they did on the screen (Were they too faithful to the book?), others seem too rushed or condensed, and there are several that are downright confusing, even for those of us who’ve seen all the movies and read most of the books. It’s the one Harry Potter film that should’ve been longer.
What is certain is that it isn’t worth the extra money and inconvenience to see in 3D. The glasses make a dark film even darker, like you’re seeing it through a tinted car window.
So, after 19 hours and 58 minutes, after 11 years in the making, the Harry Potter films come to an end, and the fact that millions will genuinely care is proof that at least movie magic is real, and can cast a spell on people of all ages and orientations.
