Frequently in the realm of modern film, movies are pigeonholed into certain groupings, excluding them from award categories and positive critical responses. The label of being a blockbuster tends to mean one of two things for the film: big money, or big disappointment.
One such series of blockbusters that repeatedly find themselves reshaping their pigeonhole is the Harry Potter franchise. Rarely before has such a beloved story been able to make some of the highest grossing numbers of the year and at times been considered a failure by its studio. Everyone from critics to fans vary on their appreciation for the films as individual works as well as a collection due to the large schism between the novelization and motion pictures.
The reason Harry and his friends have proven to be such an enigma of story telling boils down to the subtlety of themes and the embrace of the mediums they are presented in. With the book saga completed it is far more relevant to give the films the focus they deserve after being overshadowed for nearly a decade by avid fans.
The evolution of the Harry Potter movies is one that could not be duplicated if the powers at Warner Bros. ever decided to reboot the franchise. Ever since director Chris Columbus left the helm after the Chamber of Secrets release in 2002 the results have turned towards more self-sustaining ventures that aim to impress the viewer through quality film making and a unique presentation of a story that millions of people already know the ins and outs of. A drop in grossing of close to $350 million between the first two films could also have been what affected the Warner approach going into Prisoner of Azkaban. David Yates, director of Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince, says that Warner Bros. has a different approach.
“With all the stories you read about the studio coming in, they’re actually really nuanced, and sophisticated, intelligent people who have felt the success of the franchise is based on the filmmakers having some integrity about what they are doing.”
Each director has brought something different to the Potter series that in one way or another produced the end result we have now going into the final chapters. It’s not difficult to praise Alfonso Cuaron’s Azkaban vision that provides an eerie autumn like feel throughout and really plays on the Halloween themes that were lost after the first book.
I would suggest though that the real success lies with Yates’ films. These movies are the best examples of balancing important plot with good filmmaking. While the Potter storyline is memorable on its own, the movies can be visually defined by a number of breathtaking scenes most of which fall on Yates. They are not necessarily the most important scenes of the story either.
One such example is in Phoenix. The repetitive boarding of the Hogwarts express is switched out for a nightmare sequence with Harry noticing Voldemort on platform 9 ¾. This is not in the novel, but tells the viewer so much more about what is going on in the protagonist’s mind. This train is Harry’s portal to a world that saved him from a life of abuse. Voldemort’s presence shows that Harry is no longer safe in the places of his fairytale journey into the wizarding world. It also works to show Voldemort’s infiltration into Harry’s head early in the storyline.
Of course, the casting has also proven to convince both new comers and the diehards of the movie’s legitimacy. The cast have become the faces of these characters, and each individual personality has allowed for story developments not seen in the JK Rowling’s chapters. One example is Emma Watson’s portrayal as hard-nosed bookworm Hermione Granger. The character calls for serious transformation through each book in the series. I would argue that Watson’s portrayal grows even more than the novelization, and it helps the story along. Abandoning her obsession with homework and magical creature rights allows her to be more compassionate and interested in her friends. She still has all the answers in the films but the later releases boast her as less of a “know-it-all” and more of a caring friend who happens to be really smart.
The Half-Blood Prince film saw a new bond created between Harry and Hermione. They turn to each other for more personal, or sad moments. In the book these instances were shared between the full trio, Ron being the third. However the film played on the romantic tension between Ron and Hermione in order to develop this plutonic bond between Harry and Hermione.
The best example of this effort is in Prince’s final scene. Harry and Hermione stand looking over the edge of the astronomy tower discussing relationships, their future, and the mission Dumbledore gave Harry. This is obviously a vital part of their future, and the direction in which the final two films are going. However Ron, who will be an integral part of Deathly Hallows, sits on a stoop a few dozen feet behind them out of earshot. The best explanation is that the character, Ron, or actor, Rupert Grint, would take away from the thoughtful discussion. So, in order to not neglect a member of the famous Gryffindor “trio” Ron is basically a prop in the background.
According to the Internet Movie Database, each of the six released Harry Potter films have grossed over $795 million and fall in the top 25 highest grossing movies of all time. Yet somehow fans still manage to gripe about the movie they went out and saw three or four times in theaters. A lot of this comes from the changing of plotlines and minimizing supporting cast for time and money’s sake. I used to heartily object to this move until I realized that the miles deep cast of characters was something better expressed through written word. The solution on film was the award-winning cast brought in to play the vital parts with some cameos slipped throughout to please fans. Producer David Heymann, who has been with the series from the beginning, agrees,
“For all the scale and all the magic what it’s really about is these characters, and I think that the characters are fantastic.”
Both the novelization and silver screen version of the Harry Potter epic are successful in their presenting of one of the best fantasy epics of this generation. While translating a world of imagination into a world of sights and sounds, aspects need to be sacrificed and retooled. Some think the films ruined Harry Potter and his adventures. $4.47 billion in total grossing says that the movies are doing just fine and I happen to agree with them.
No comments:
Post a Comment