I won't ramble about Prisoner of Azkaban and how Alfonso Cuaron ruined what was, to me, the best episode of the books. Or how half what made Goblet of Fire a great book was missing from the film. I'm going to focus my attention on the final two movies of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and how much of what was necessary to tell the complete story accurately and faithfully to Rowling's work ended up on the cutting room floor or was left out entirely. The tragedy is that WB had two chances to get the film right and they missed. Granted they made millions and millions went and dropped their cash at the theaters or at your local Blu-Ray retailer... but in my own world... I thought what could have been a brilliant send off of the decade long series was overall disappointing and made the mistake of focusing more on "moving the story forward" while sacrificing what made the stories so great. So now that both films have been made available beyond the theater, it's time to take them apart.
And this isn't about the acting. I thought the entire series was cast with perfection... this is about the storytelling.
We'll start with Part I.
Dursley Disappointment
This portion of the book finally gives a human quality to the otherwise inhumane Dursley family. From little Duddy Diddykums to even the old Walrus himself, each shows an ounce of remorse for leaving Harry behind. The filmmakers glossed over this making them look like they just ran out on him and left him to fend for himself. Yes, I know there's a deleted scene between Pentunia and Harry but if it wasn't part of the theatrical release and wasn't put back into the film (see Lord of the Rings trilogy), then it doesn't count. Sure, this is better than The Half Blood Prince in which they were left out of the film altogether but the Dursley's play a major role in Harry's life as does their home but by giving them this graceless exit from the film series, it becomes the first disappointment of the many to come.
Mirror Mirror on the Floor
Not long after, we see Harry pondering something while staring at a broken piece of glass. To those of us who have read the books, this is another detail left out. In the book it's a mirror, given to Harry by Sirius in the Order of the Phoenix... sort of a wizarding Skype like tool. Harry has one mirror, Sirius has the other. But to those who didn't read the book, you might be thinking, "what's with the broken glass?"
This is another important part of the story left out by the "storytellers" so they can move the story forward. Problem is, they never address where Harry got the shard... he just has it. Also, why is it broken? We readers know but to a casual movie-goer, there's no reason he should have a broken piece of glass unless Mr. Potter here is contemplating suicide. Now, I know in Part II, there's some explanation as to the source of the broken glass but even so, it's just a part of one mirror. There's no mention of the one given to Harry by Sirius. If you haven't read the book, to you, this is a broken piece of mirror that's hanging in the Hog's Head that Aberforth Dumbledore procured from Mundungus Fletcher. But again... why does Harry have a piece of it? No explanation. Moving right along.
Teddy Lupin
This is kind of a small one but one that, in the book turns out to be kind of a big deal for Harry but is left out completely... or is merely alluded to but never fully explained. In the book, we come to find that Order of the Phoenix members Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks have gotten married. What's more, Tonks is pregnant.
But before any of that comes out... Mad Eye Moody busts in and interrupts the big announcement and Harry is left wondering what the news is. Leaving this detail out is odd for a few reasons... one, she certainly doesn't look pregnant which is weird because she has the kid before the book ends (tragically, we as readers know why). Two, Lupin asks Harry to be Teddy's Godfather after he's born which, if you filmmakers wanted to focus solely on Harry, is kind of a big deal since Lupin and Tonks don't make it out alive. We'll touch on that later. Seems to me, five minutes more of screen time would have been enough to let Harry know that Tonks is pregnant or give some explanation as to why Tonks married a warewolf.
Quickly, why doesn't Harry care that everyone is droppin trou in the middle of the room? Because eventually, considering both Hermione and Fleur are both there, there will be a Harry standing there in women's unmentionables.
#awkward
Like A Boss
It's Like They Thought 'Let's put this part in, but not explain it"
This particular complaint is interesting because it wasn't something that was left out but merely something that was never touched on. After the chase through the streets of London, Voldemort, who can fly apparently, appears out of nowhere to kill Harry. Harry passes out I guess because Voldy is there and when The Riddler goes to Kadavra Harry's punk ass, Harry's wand acts out of it's own accord to defend it's owner, and their wands do that connecty thing like at the end of Goblet of Fire.
If you're a non-reader here, you're wondering how exactly Harry is pulling this off if he's passed out or whatever and if you're a reader, you sort of know why. But the film never addresses why this happens. It's not a duel-core thing because Tommy is using Lucius Malfoy's wand. The film never explains this and just uses it to blow a special effects load all over the screen.
Expecto MorethanthisO
Here's a scene that always bothered me. In this scene, Ron tells Harry that Mad Eye didn't die for him. That George didn't lose his ear for Harry. That this was about more than him. But if you think about it, it is about Harry. Mad Eye did die for Harry. George was polyjuiced up to look like Harry. Why did they go to the Dursley's in the first place? To protect Harry. Mad Eye did die for Harry and George did take a curse off the melon yet here is Ron telling Harry they didn't.
Seems like a scene that could have been replaced with a dozen different scenes but really, all it does is make Ron look a little bit misguided. Of course, he asks the question we're all asking ourselves...Where do they start? So I guess it pays off but... kind of an unnecessary bit of dialogue.
Dumblydore's Past
This to me was a major plot point that was never really fleshed out or explained. We learn in the books about Dumbledore's past. The front page of the prophet teases us with a tell-all book that we never actually we get details about.
I will get back to this one because it comes up a few more times throughout the film but this is just the beginning. Dumbledore may appear saintly, but in a cathopriest like manner. He has a sordid history but unfortunately, the film teases us with it and never takes the time to explain it. It's a really intriguing part of the book but doesn't materialize because it 'doesn't move the film forward".
Grindlewald's Mark
This was the beginning of my disappointment that not more detail was given to Grindlewald. We see the sign of the Deathly Hallows here but not realized is the conversation between Harry and Victor Krum where Harry learns this symbol was used by another Dark Wizard, the one before Voldemort, Gellert Grindlewald. The film leaves this out, seemingly diluting the importance and the history of this mark that is crucial to the story we readers know.
The Dumbledores
Here again we are teased with the Rita Skeeter book that will bring to light all the misdeeds of Albus Dumbledore. Elphias Doge (the old guy) protests but clearly, this old lady here who I think goes unnamed but if I remember right, is one of Ron Weasly's aunts, is confident that what Rita Skeeter wrote was true.
Harry finds out a lot here but nothing really comes of it. One, Dumbledore has a brother, Aberforth. Two, the Dumbledore's lived in Godric's Hollow... which is where Harry parents lived and died. And three, Dumbledor's father killed some muggles which doesn't really matter to the story but WTF? This is a lot of information and to those who read it we all know what happens, but in the film it's yet another tease as to Dumbledore's background that is never really fleshed out. It's alluded to later, but ultimately, plays a miniscule role in the film.
Sirius' Bedroom
Here's a sequence after the trio arrives back at Grimmauld Place, where Harry enters Sirius' bedroom for the first time. In the book, Harry finds a letter written by Harry's mom to Sirius which is sort of a touching moment in the book but is left out. The only thing Harry discovers of "value" is the History of Magic book written by Bathilda Bagshot... which doesn't play much of a role going forward. Also in the book, Harry finds a picture of a young Sirius, Harry's dad James, Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. This again is a touching moment as it shows his dad, godfather, Remus and the traitor Pettigrew before all the tragedy.
This is all left out though so to make room for Harry to pick up a book and then be called away by Ron. The letter reveals some important details and the photograph makes for a nice moment for Harry but it's all left out for not really any reason. What made the books so great is that there is a backstory, Rowling took the time to flesh out a history and make the reader aware of the goings on before Voldemort went to Godrics Hollow. This, like Dumbledore's story is swept under the rug for the sake of pacing.
Regulus and Kreacher
Regulus Black, brother to Sirius is another character who plays a role in Voldemort's downfall but details surrounding him are left untold. What's more, Kreacher, the Black family's house elf plays a role as well but all we're told is that before Regulus died, he ordered Kreacher to destroy the real locket, and hard as he tried, Kreacher was unable to even damage it. We find out Mundungus Fletcher stole it and Harry orders Kreacher to find him.
What the movie doesn't say, and this is a portion of the book that has been drastically reduced, is that Regulus was a Death Eater, that he changed his mind about being a Death Eater after he learned of Voldemort's horcruxes, took Kreacher to the place the locket was hidden, took the locket, replaced it with the fake one, tells Kreacher to destroy it and dies there in the cave we saw in Half Blood Prince. A tragic hero really but never gets his due. Again we're told something important but we're not given any details. I know explaining all of this would have taken some time and slowed the movie down a little bit but I think it would have been worth a 5 minute flashback into why Kreacher knows so much about the locket.
Umbridge
Another quick detour, how did Delores Umbridge escape the centaurs after the end of Order of the Phoenix? You'd think they would have kept her around as prisoner or love slave or something after she tried to kill one of them. And even if they did let her go, you'd think she'd be in a little bit of trouble after her brief stint at Hogwarts and her "medieval methods". Nope, here she is...
I know the ministry has been taken over by Voldemort and his Death Eaters but still... its as if nothing happened. This happens in the books too and not really explained. Weird.
Mad Eye's Mad Eye
Just another small detail and I'm sure any observant movie-goer could probably put this together but this is the late Mad Eye Moody's eye... the one that was always swiveling around. Harry, polyjuiced up as Runcorn finds it on Umbridge's office door. Now, as we know, Moody dies at the opening of the film and the book and his body was never found. What the film leaves unseen is Harry's taking of the eye and burying it later in the film.
It's a nice send off for Moody as he played an integral role in Harry's protection and was a prominent Auror but the film leaves this out... and leaves his eyeball on Umbridges door.
That Damn Broken Mirror
I realize I've touched on this but it pops up again after the trio's escape from the Ministry. Again, he's staring at it like it's going to do something but with no explanation as to why he has it and where he got it.
I don't make movies or anything and know very little when it comes to film making but... why have Harry walking around with a broken mirror and not explain where he got it? They go under the presumption that everyone has read the book and know what it's for but... what if you didn't read the books? This again is just Harry with a sharp object.
Gregorovitch and Grindlewald
Once again, Harry takes a trip into Voldemort's mind and sees that VMort has tracked down a man named Gregorovitch (who we learn from Hermione is a wandmaker). We also see him being robbed of a wand by a young man, After this, Gregorovitch isn't mentioned much and neither is Grindlewald but each play a role in the story. Roles that are sort of glossed over and forgotten about in a matter of minutes.
Before we have time to comprehend the fact that Voldemort is searching desperately for something, tracked down another wandmaker to find it, found out that something he was looking for was stolen from the wandmaker by some kid, and so Voldemort killed Gregorovitch for his troubles... we're moving on to sword and venom talk. Crucial bits of information cast aside so we can get to some Ron and Harry drama.
Godric's Hollow
For the first time since his parents murder, Harry returns to Godric's Hollow. There, he visits the graves of his parents and even come across the house where he lived and where his parents died. But not much attention is given to the fact that this is the first time Harry's been there since that night and yet... passes over the house without much else. The book depicts a statue of Harry's parents and him, words of support written by those who have passed by, and even a sign the details the events that lead to the houses destruction.
This to me is a sort of pivotal moment for Harry yet the filmmakers make nothing of it. Again, rather than spend time on this, they elect to move forward with the Bathilda Bagshot stuff. They took a touching moment at the cemetary and hit the FF button so as to get to the action scene paying little heed to the significance of Godric's Hollow... not only to Harry, but to Dumbledore as well.
The Greater Good
Here again we are teased with what Rita Skeeter has uncovered about Albus Dumbledore only to again be cast aside for whatever reason. We find out that the young man Harry had a vision about was Gellert Grindlewald but that's it... nothing more.
Before any explanation can be given or before Hermione can explain what she's been reading, we move on to Harry's broken wand. The details surrounding Grindlewald are kind of important, as was his relationship with Dumbledore yet none of it is mentioned. Nor do they ever mention that Grindlewald was the dark wizard before Voldemort and that he and Dumbledore were friends and had visions of Wizard Dominance. Yet all of this is cast aside to again, "move the story forward".
Is Harry Thinking About Shanking Hermione?
Here again is that shard of glass.
Still, no idea where he got it. (If you haven't read the books of course).
The Chase
This scene never made a whole lot of sense to me. Why, if they can apparate, don't they just apparate out of there? Seems perfectly logical to me.
I don't recall if this exact sequence is in the book, in fact I'm pretty sure its not but it doesn't make sense to run away when you can simply bamf to another place. And of course, there's no explanation as to why they don't just bamf. But, I guess at this point in the film, the filmmakers needed to ratchet up the tension so let's devise a chase scene through the forest.
Yep, The Broken Mirror
So here again is that piece of glass. This time, Harry pulls it from his sock... which seems like a good place to keep such a sharp object.
As a viewer but non-reader, here is Harry again with a piece of mirror that doesn't show his reflection but the reflection of an unknown mustachioed old man. Harry asks it for help and the reflection moves away. Now... obviously Harry knows something we don't about this thing but even Luna questions the oddity of such a thing in his sock. Still, no explanation as to where he got it or what it is. It's just something he has. We as a viewer aren't supposed to question this but it seems like an explanation is due considering this is the 4th time it makes an appearance. But alas, we are left wondering.
The Taming of Wormtail
Ah Wormtail... formerly known as Peter Pettigrew. Here's a guy who, on his own, made Lord Voldemort's return possible, is the man responsible for the murder of Harry's parents and the filmmakers have him go out like a punk.
For the readers, this was a big change. In the book, Wormtail has Harry by the throat using the silver hand bestowed upon him by Voldemort. Harry politely reminds him that it was Harry that saved Wormtail's life when Sirius and Lupin wanted to kill Wormtail in Prisoner of Azkaban. Wormtail hesitates for only a second and it's that second of remorse that causes the silver hand to turn on Wormtail and strangle him to death. Now I know this is a pretty gruesome way to go and probably showing something like that wasn't going to fly but between Wormtail cutting his hand off and Snape's ultimate demise... couldn't we have had him go out like more than the rat he turned out to be? He's an integral part of the story... albeit a negative one but still... he deserves more than a jinx in the back by a house elf.
Apparently not.
So that's that... the film ends with the tragic but heroic death of Dobby the House Elf, Voldemort procuring the Elder Wand from Dumbledore's grave and we're clear.
These were only a few of the things WB looked past in making this film. Naturally there is a lot more to the backstory than was shown in this film and it was unfortunate they didn't touch on much of it. We'll move on to Part II next and some of the omissions are just as confusing. But for now, I'll suggest you go out and pick up the book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows... if you're wondering about all the stuff I have written here. The backstory gives this story much of its foundation but without it, if you haven't read the books, leaves you wondering just a little bit.
To Be Concluded...
