(you think the title of this entry is boring? If you knew the puns I thought of first, you’d prefer the boredom!)
CounterPunch: Harry Potter battles Big Brother
This is a new delightfully complex Potter. Harry Potter helped children worldwide to love reading. Now, ever so quietly, and insidiously, Rowling weaves in advanced philosophy, human freedom, religion, and ethics. Young viewers sop up new lessons possibly without realizing. Even better, they are discussing and debating these ideas with their friends, in a whole new domino effect. In short, Rowling may kindle a rebirth in critical thinking, just as she kindled her original boom in reading.
Rowling’s spell over young readers delivers her most valuable message: ‘Distrust authority- all authority.’
I have to admit that I watched the movie one day after its premiere and even in the cinema. First cinema visit for at least a year. I just couldn’t resist. And I don’t regret it either. The movie is good although the series seems to become more and more rushed – which isn’t surprising as the books become longer and longer and the movie is still only 2 hours which simply isn’t enough to do a book like “Order of the Phoenix” justice.
*Spoilers ahead*
The movie had its great and its embarassing moments which sometimes followed each other in quick succession. One of the worst parts was the scene when Sirirus showed Harry the Black family tree. Not only didn’t he mention Narcissa but the little speech he held afterwards was so cliché and shallow I writhed in my seat. Same goes for the scene when Harry lies on the floor in the Department of Mysteries. “Voldemort! You can’t win! Because you will never know love… and friendship…!” And cute little bunnies running over springmeadows!
We above all have to remember that Voldemort, too, was once a child. If I want to change him I must first change myself. And send him lots of lovingkindness. Excuse me for a moment while my head implodes.
These ones however are the worst parts of the movie by far. The rest was much better. Luna was great. Umbridge was great. DA was great. Kingsley looked almost as I had imagined him. And up to the point when Harry hit Bellatrix (who for some reason was apparently played by Nina Hagen on Ecstasy?) with the Cruciatus curse the ministry scene was among the most exciting movie scenes I’ve seen so far (probably because it was almost like I had imagined it and I remember well how excited I was when I read the scene).
What was completely incomprehensible to me however was the way Harry’s reaction to Sirius’ death was depicted. It can be summed up with the words: “Oh, Sirius is dead? What a pity. I actually liked him, you know?” Everyone who read the book probably remembers the scene in Dumbledore’s office when Harry’s reaction was a… little bit less tame.
The books are many-layered and that spirit is represented in the movies as well, if not as well as in the books. On one level, they’re a story for children, on another one, they adress serious topics like racism, domestic violence, etc. My favourite quote from the series is when Sirius says – I think it’s in the forth book – that if you want to know what someone is really like, don’t look at the way he treats his equals: look at the way he treats his inferiors.
When I watched the 5th movie, I also at one point thought about which messages people might perceive behind it. It even occured to me that some might see it as a parallel to the “war on terror” with Dumbledore and Harry as the ones who recognise the danger and fight Voldemort bin Laden while the Ministy represents all those Islamist-cuddlin’, America-hatin’ dirty hippies who won’t realise that our way of life is in danger. I like the message James Murtagh sees in it better, methinks…
Now, what does it say about me that this is my longest entry so far? Oo
