Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 (2010)
Directed by David Yates
Written by Steve Kloves
Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Gambon, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Robbie Coltrane, Tom Felton
Release Date November 19th, 2010
Published November 18th, 2010
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part ..1”.. is by far the most disappointing of the Harry Potter series. Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a dreary series of strung together chases, deaths, deathly amounts of waiting for something important to happen while hidden behind magical walls and plot saves that a first time student of Robert McKee would find cliche Certainly, much of what is wrong with Deathly Hallows Part 1 is a function of being the first half of a full film, Deathly Hallows Part 2 arrives next summer, but what excuse is there for a series that has so far been so strong to offer up such weakness now.
When last we left the Potter series our hero Harry Potter had witnessed the death of his mentor and protector Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon). Now, with magical travails spilling over into the real world, Harry is on the run with almost nowhere to hide. Thanks to spies within the Ministry of Magic an early plot to move Harry ends with the death of one key character and the maiming of another beloved supporting player.
This leads Harry wanting to strike out on his own in order to protect the people he cares about. Harry, however, will not be alone as his pals Ron and Hermione are required by plot law to join him on the run as they head for London and eventually into some unknown, magical forest. All the while Snatchers are on the hunt and our beloved trio is at each other's throats over horcruxes, the magical pieces of the soul of the One Who Shall Not Be Named, Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes).
Part of the fun of the Potter series is that kind of pomp and circumstance (“He Who Shall Not Be Named”) and portend. Few films intended for young audiences can sustain as much self seriousness as the Potter series has. Then again, if that self seriousness bogs down as it does in Deathly Hallows Part 1 then what you get is stagnant drama and a whole lot of waiting around while supposed heroes fight the urge to do something heroic.
The angst of child Harry Potter has become the self doubt of the alleged chosen one and while I understand Harry's fears I cannot help but wonder just when Harry will accept fate and become less of a reluctant savior and more of a warrior spoiling for a fight?
There is a scene between Harry and Hermione, in one of their many magical forest hiding places, where Hermione floats the idea of giving up and living out their days in this place. Never mind that the people they supposedly care about are dying and the civilization that Dumbledore gave his life for is being destroyed.
These quibbles do not prevent Deathly Hallows Part 1 from delivering some solid action, drama and a little romance (Harry and Ginny share a lovely, unexpected kiss) from time to time. A showdown with Belatrix Le Strange (Helena Bonham Carter, in full on weird) comes to mind as an example of fine suspense, but this scene takes awhile to arrive.
The budding romance between Hermione and Ron continues to hold promise. There is a wonderful scene in which Ron, seemingly by accident, reveals his love for Hermione without actually saying he loves her. It’s the best piece of acting Rupert Grint has delivered in the series.
Sadly these few pleasures cannot make up for Deathly Hallows Part 1's most damning and surprising failure, a heavy reliance on contrivance. To reveal these contrivances would require spoilers so let me just say that the return of Dobby the House Elf, while it is a wonderful piece of CGI, is among the more convenient elements of the film's final act.
Again, and to be fair, many of the issues I have with Deathly Hallows can be explained away by the fact that the film is really only half over and that we have a whole other movie waiting to finish what this one started. Still, each of the previous six films has managed more drama, suspense, romance and carefree wonders than is in a single frame of Deathly Hallows Part 1. And each of the first six films surely did not fall back on such convenient solutions as Deathly Hallows Part 1 does.
The least of the of the seven Harry Potter films, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 is an overlong bore filled with portent but no great drama. Laziness takes the place of invention as Deus Ex Machina is employed for what I believe is the first time in any of the Potter films.
Here’s hoping that Director David Yates and writer Steve Kloves work out the kinks for Part 2 because a series as brilliant as the Potter series has been deserves an extraordinary send off. Deathly Hallows Part 1 is hopefully just a minor mishap on the way to something brilliant.
