Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part 2

HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS: PART 2 (Cinema)
Warner Bros 

Release date: July 15th 2011
Certificate (UK): 12A
Runtime: 130 Minutes

Director: David Yates
Composer: Alexandre Desplat

Producers: David Heyman, David Barron J. K. Rowling

Cast: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Tom Felton, Ralph Fiennes, Rupert Grint, Bill Nighy, Jason Isaacs, Maggie Smith, John Hurt, Miranda Richardson, David Thewlis, Robbie Coltrane

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1 Review

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 is the culmination of a decade’s worth of blood, sweat and tears from an all-star cast of impeccable talent, range, and professional quality.

David Yates comes back to direct his fourth, and final, Harry Potter film and manages Part 2 with the same vigour that was present in Part 1. This movie is faster paced than Part 1 as Harry begins the film having buried and said his goodbyes to Dobby, a true friend and “a free elf,” not quite ready to take up his burden once more, but doing it any way with the aid of Ron and Hermione, as they take refuge at Shell Cottage.

The trio have a worn and tired looking experience about them as they progress and it is obvious they have an indefinable sense of purpose in this film. Harry is determined to finish this last task that Albus Dumbledore gave him even though he has a feeling that it will end with his death. The mad, and completely thrilling break-in at Gringotts bank emphasises the fact that the trio don’t have many allies, their plans never work out and they always end up ‘winging it’ anyway; a fact that Harry makes plain to Ron and Hermione as he discovers that their next location is Hogwarts.

The return ‘home’ to Hogwarts is treacherous and Harry discovers an unexpected ally, whose reasons for withdrawing obviously hit Harry hard; but his determination to believe in what he knows, rather than what he does not, inspires audiences across the globe, especially as it’s so ‘typically Harry’.

In this final part we are surer than ever that an indefinable ‘connection’ exists between Harry Potter and his nemesis, Lord Voldemort. Daniel Radcliffe’s performance during this last film has been exceptional and the audience I shared the experience with were all on the edge of their seats. Inevitability, Loyalty, and the choice of right and wrong, are all exceptionally strong themes in this film and shines through in Radcliffe’s performance of Harry Potter, reluctant hero, quite well. His discovery of the Horcrux embedded in his very being and the fate that awaits him brings Radcliffe to unexplored territory in the character of Harry Potter.

In this last retelling, Harry is “a man rather than a boy” especially as he confronts his own death. Harry goes up against Voldemort alone, when he is called out of the familiarity of Hogwarts to face his enemy in the forbidden forest and though we know the spirits of his family are there with him, we cannot see them during the confrontation, holding true to the spirit of Harry always having to challenge Voldemort with only his wits and his wand.

The transference from literature to the big screen came with the expected changes to the details to ensure that the true structure of the story stayed as close to the books as possible. I believe, as a ‘Harry Potter Purist’ myself, that the changes were tasteful and subtle and merely emphasized the themes Yates was trying to portray. J K Rowling herself, believes the “spirit of the book was kept in mind as the script was made ready. Voldemort’s destruction of Gringotts and the gore of the mass murder that took place brought home the darker tones of the film and the outcome of the battle of good and evil if Voldemort ever won.

Our three young heroes, who we have seen grow up on screen together, as we have grown with them, are more embedded in the hearts of the globe than I believe any other film has done or will do in a long time. The “emotional core” as Barron said is what the movies are all about and all the action, battles, and new curiosities do not detract from that fact. Yates agreed and expounded that “we’ve been invested in these characters for so long, it feels there is much more at stake.” A quote that sums up the heightened feelings as we continue to watch the film, knowing this is the end.

As the final scenes in this thrilling and heart warming film played across screen, a feeling of bittersweet sadness seemed to passed through the audience, even though the 19 years older versions of our much loved characters brought laughter to those moments. We realised Harry Potter was all grown up, Voldemort was dead and we wouldn’t be seeing any new films as there was no further books to adapt – this was the end. As the audience clapped and cheered, and yes, even gave standing ovations, I truly believe it could not have ended any better, any other way.

Christina Samuel

Christina is a 21 year old film lover with very particular tastes, which range from Fantasy and ‘some’ Science Fiction to Martial Arts but do not extend to anything to do with “space.” A devotee of Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter on an epic scale – but still able to appreciate the classics in the form of anything James Dean related.

Christina happens to be a closet feminist with an appreciation for most marvel movies, and believes Adrian Brody’s nose should be admired and have a starring role one day. An acquired taste to many, but eventually loved by the masses.

Cinema Reviews

WRITE FOR STATIC MASS!

If you are passionate not only about watching movies but also about writing, we would love to hear from you!

Please get in touch and let us know whether you have a favorite genre, an interest for example in World Cinema, and how often you could write reviews and/or features for us.

You can as well send us your features and reviews right away. We look forward to receiving articles between 700 and 1,500 words, submitted as a Word document.

You can find more information here.

Please also read our Terms & Conditions.

— Founder & Editor in Chief —
Patrick Samuel

— Editor in Chief & Webmaster —
Jonahh Oestreich

— Contributing Editors —
Arpad Lukacs • Ben Nicholson
John Bleasdale • Paul Bullock
Paul Costello

— Authors & Correspondents —
Alison Devlin • Andrew Latimer
Barbara Diril • Ben Cook
Colin Williamson • Dipesh Parmar
Ian Roberts • Jack Murphy
James Arden • Jamie Suckley
Kyle Barrett • Max Lalanne
Nandini Godara • Pete Turner
Richa Rudola • Robert Bright
Rohan Mohmand • Thomas Grieve

— Guest Writers —
Danny Byrne • Joaquin Villalobos
Lauren Mannion • Lesley Coffin
Lito Velasco • Mark Patton
Norman Buckley • Toby C Prior
Tyson James Yates • V.Venkateshwaran

STAY IN TOUCH!

Static Mass Emporium is a UK-based independent film journal which looks at a broad range of work from the industry.

With research grounded in modern cinema, film theory, sociology, history and filmosophy, our approach is to explore the essence of film.

We are a nonprofit publication free of advertising — sustained entirely by its readers, fans and supporters. Read more about us here.