Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

The archetype characters of literature and film have been its backbone for centuries. The writers who figure ways to reinvent them are the ones who capture imaginations and their stories become legend. The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Harry Potter are among them. J.K. Rowling’s story of young wizards having to grow up quickly due to a dangerous world has developed into one of the most interesting novel and film series of all time. The sixth entry Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, takes us into the darker parts of the story and the heroes must endure events that beforehand they would have shuddered at. But the events of history have helped them grow beyond their years. The challenge awaits, but are they really ready for it?

The look and feel of the film is immediately gloomy. The opening shot is of an attack on people. The sky is dark grey, no one knows what is going on, and the mood of the film is instantly set. Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), now seen as “the Chosen One” by the wizarding world likes to escape every now and then and that is where Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) finds him. They go together and find Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), a former Hogwarts teacher and attempt to bring him back, for he has something of vital importance. Broadbent performs brilliantly. Occasionally arrogant, occasionally meek, and occasionally fancy-free, Slughorn is a character of great interest. After this little adventure, Harry returns to the Weaseley’s house just before the beginning of his sixth year at Hogwarts. Although Harry and Dumbledore have been proven to be correct about the dark forces in their world in the last film, it appears as if things have gotten much worse since the last film ended. He returns to a place riddled with spells. The entire grounds are encapsulated with them for safety reasons due to the nature of their world’s events. People are disappearing, being murdered, and worst of all, no one can stop it. During his potions class, Harry attains a book that helps him in his potions class and teaches him spells he can use to be a better wizard … or ones he may regret later. The biggest question on his mind in reference to the book is … “Who is the Half-Blood Prince?” The sixth year is not a linear one for the students as there are way too many interruptions and challenges to be had and met. Harry’s suspicion of Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) of being a Death-Eater and his getting to know Professor Slughorn attempts keep him occupied. Ron attempts to join the Quidditch team, Hermione finds a new love, and Dumbledore has a puzzle to solve. All the while, the world is falling apart.

The screenplay is much more consistent than the last film as it maintained the same look and feel the first four films had. Steve Kloves (wrote 1-4) returned to pen and it shows. The film drips with interest. While it is very dark and moody, the humor sprinkled throughout is enjoyable and welcome. As the leads are now nearing adulthood, pairing off is bound to happen and the situations that arise are funny and light-hearted. Ron Weaseley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) are very humorous together. Of course Harry pines for someone as well, it just happens to be his best friend’s younger sister…seriously, how does one deal with that? That’s another problem he has to figure out. It also leads to some great humor as well as a few touching moments that may seem cliché to some, but are strong points for the story nonetheless. The large cast of supporting roles are back and do not disappoint. Professors Minerva McGonagall (Maggie Smith) and Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) stand their ground well, despite the limited roles they have. McGonagall has always supported Potter and his friends, but she clearly takes her role as professor seriously. As the novels developed (and thus the films), Snape has been a character of interest as it never is clear what is going on in his mind. Is he evil? Is he good? It simply is not known. Draco Malfoy from the onset of the series has been the stuck-up bully that almost every story has, but his development is surprisingly dynamic. He always maintains his arrogance, but there is also a huge amount of fear behind his eyes. And that fear is what makes the character tantalizing. The evil Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) is wickedly fun as she seems over-the-top, but that is due to the fact she’s mad. Her delicious evil pushes the film along at times and as her Dark Lord’s servant, leads the campaign throughout the film. The dark nature of the film may remind some of Star Wars’ “The Empire Strikes Back,” as the brooding tone (despite the humor) never leaves. The forces of evil push so fast and so hard throughout the film that the only breather is the occasional humor. One can easily see similar scenes and shots between “Half-Blood Prince” and “Empire Strikes Back.” David Yates’ direction, the cinematography, and the special effects are excellent. Together they create a mood and beauty at times that places the viewer in the film, rather than thinking they’re watching it. As Harry says he never realized how beautiful the grounds of Hogwarts really are, so the audience takes another look too. A Phoenix flies across the grounds in front of a sunset. It is indeed.

The differences between book and film need to be accounted for, but there is also the need to understand the different mediums. One has unlimited power as the imagination is where the screen is. One is limited, due to lengths of time that must be adhered to. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is no different. The depth and length of the novel and film never could be meshed harmoniously unless two films were made for the novel (as well as books 4, 5, and 7-which two films will be made for). While some may not like this or that that was eliminated in the transition from page to screen, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is a reminder that very good filmmaking can be done despite the limitations and that even though life sometimes brings great pain, there is a tomorrow to heal it.