It’s easy to become nostalgic for the first two Harry Potter films. Director Chris Columbus established a fantastic world, and since his departure the subsequent Harry Potter films have become darker and darker. That is not to say that the first two films are the best entries in the Harry Potter series of films, but instead that they focused on the lighter, magical elements of the story’s setting.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a return to innocence. For the first time in a long time the protagonists are given time to play. The characters indulge in romance and youthful meandering. In the same vein, the comic elements of The Half-Blood Prince never seem out of place, appearing well balanced and adding to the film as a whole.
I was very pleased to see that Radcliffe (Harry Potter) was given a chance to enter new territory as an actor. He is given a chance to explore more of his acting range in this film, and like listening to a brilliant musician performing in concert, moment after moment of Radcliffe’s performance is pitch perfect. Not a single note of his comedic performance falls flat.
Although the film is director David Yates second Harry Potter film, he employed a new cinematographer in The Half-Blood Prince. Bruno Delbonnel is famous for his work with director Jean-Pierre Jeunet on A Very Long Engagement and Amélie. In less capable hands Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince could have come across as two separate movies patched together. There is a distinct difference in tone that separates the serious moments from the lighthearted ones, but Delbonnel’s imagery weaves the two pieces seamlessly together. I liked the way tones shifted rather quickly, leaving me with a constant curiosity of where exactly the emotional arc of the story would move next. Director Delbonnel’s portrayal of the world that Harry Potter inhabits is a very intimate one. Sweeping shots of the great hall have been replaced by intense close ups. We see Hogwarts as the students do; just another fact of life.
After six movies Professor Albus Dumbledore is finally given more of a spotlight as much of the film focuses on the relationship between him and Harry. While many people prefer Richard Harris’ performance as the headmaster in the first two films, it is clear that Michael Gambon has come into own in this role. In the last few Harry Potter films we have viewed Dumbledore as Harry has: imposing and powerful! During the course of The Half-Blood Prince, Harry finally comes to realize that everyone is mortal. Professor Dumbledore no longer seems all-powerful, but instead seems incredibly fragile, and Harry, in contrast, seems even more resolute.
The Harry Potter series of films has had its high points and low points in its depictions of the Hogwart’s students and professors, but by the arrival of Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince, all of their relationships have long been established. This time they each grow up a bit more, and show us new dimensions in each of our favorite characters.
If you haven’t seen the preceding five Harry Potter movies yet, I would recommend you do so. Perhaps you should have a marathon weekend and catch up with the rest of us. If you have seen them, then you already know that you want to see this film (or already have). The stakes get higher as the series continues, and I’m sure that things will get worse for our favorite bunch of wizards before they get better. Much of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince represents the calm before the storm.
If I had one complaint it would be that the ending of seems a little rushed. The characters do not seem to have enough time to deal with the consequences of their actions. Overall David Yates’ second outing as the director of this franchise, is a vast improvement over his last effort. The reveal towards the end of the film is illuminating, and yet just vague enough to keep us all waiting impatiently for the next Harry Potter installment.
A POV (point of view) review of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by David Kirkeby (19) of ClassBrain's Movies in the Classroom.
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