Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows Part 2: Discussion

[decarus]

Originally Posted by Wimsey

But that's my point above: the story doesn't lead to an epic battle in the book, so why does Quint want it to do so on film? The story leads to a young man choosing to go to a forest to make sure that there is no more battle. Yes, there is a battle in the background: but half of the time, Harry just hears it.

Now, would a big faux epic battle been cinematically spectacular? Maybe. And obviously it is something that a film can do much better than can a book. However, it would have been a cinematically spectacular distraction from the story, and that is all about getting Harry to the Forest.

Like i said, my complaint is not that they don't show the battle elsewhere, it is that they don't show the kids step in and help Harry do what he needs to do. They don't really help Harry in the film and i do think that is where the film was leading. I do agree that the foreground is Harry going to the forest and the battle is in the background, but in the actual film the battle is more nonexistent then in the background. Also i think they still could have kept the battle in the background and kept in the known extra characters such as Luna, Ginny, Dean, Seamus, Lavander, etc dueling a little bit. Helping Harry along the way just like Ron and Hermione do in the film.

I honestly think that was the way to go. Not necessarily be all over the place in the battle, but show everyone sort of working physically to help Harry.

I also prefer emotional, dialogue driven, character driven scenes as well i still think that this is the last film and they should have done more battling.

[Carne]

I was just waiting for Hagrid to throw Death Eaters of that bridge, but instead he just disappeared once Harry jumped out of his hands. Why do they feel the need to cut so much ? Makes me even sadder knowing we'll never see any of the cut footage except for 10-15 minutes ending up on the DVD.

[Warlock27]

It would have been nice for them to at least show how Hogwarts beat back the death eaters in the end.

I know some of them started to disapparate when Harry jumped out of Hagrid's arms. So are we just to assume that they fled after Voldy died?

[MerryLore]

Originally Posted by Wimsey

As a couple of the replies note, his review is odd: he feels that the film is shortchanging the fans by focusing entirely on Harry, especially during the big battle. He wants the big battle to show us what the other characters are doing. What it comes down to is, he wants to know why it isn't a multiple protagonist presentation.

Each of the books and movies begins with "Harry Potter and...." They're pretty much told from his POV. The other characters are only along for the ride.

[acciowinter]

Originally Posted by Noldus

You are saying it's neither too long or too short, but yet rushed? What do you mean?

Okay, so I do think the length was actually perfect. It didn't feel dragged nor did I feel like it should have lasted longer. So that was nice. Maybe because it was so close to the book that you could actually follow really well what 'step' is up next and what scene you will be getting.
With rushed I tried to explain how they just threw battle scene after battle scene and I felt like there was barely time to take a breath. I loved how they did Snape's tragic death in the boat's house but still I felt like the impact of his death wasn't carried well on screen. It was like dead, okay collect tear and here we go. I wanted the camera to stay a little, get the impact of it on camera and just make it tragic like how it was supposed to be. Same goes for every other important death of this movie. Lupin and Tonks? two second glances we got at them, no kind of reaction, no real emotions. That's where I thought I would lose it but I didn't because it was rushed through and not carried out. Same goes for Fred. We don't even see it happen just the Weasley's weeping. And yes that was very very emotiional but I didn't feel it. I felt like they rushed through all that. I mean Sirius death in OotP or Dumbledore's in HBP they were really well done. you could see the plain terror and tragedy of it. Here, in the movie were death plays such a vital role, it wasn't carried out well. IN MY OPINION.

Yeah, certainly not "epic", as many say. There were spectacular scenes, but it was Harry's mission that was rightfully emphasized. It is somewhat similar to the battle style of Children of Men where we see the characters running through the battlefield, but without the fantastic long takes Alfonso loves.

oh yeah, they did have AMAZING scenes. I loved how they followed everyone around yet still had the Harry emphasis. That was really great. I have not seen Children of Men so I wouldn't know how to appropriately answer to this, sorry.

[KlausBaudelaire]

Like i said, my complaint is not that they don't show the battle elsewhere, it is that they don't show the kids step in and help Harry do what he needs to do. They don't really help Harry in the film and i do think that is where the film was leading. I do agree that the foreground is Harry going to the forest and the battle is in the background, but in the actual film the battle is more nonexistent then in the background. Also i think they still could have kept the battle in the background and kept in the known extra characters such as Luna, Ginny, Dean, Seamus, Lavander, etc dueling a little bit. Helping Harry along the way just like Ron and Hermione do in the film.

But they're just kids, not highly trained soldiers.

[Carne]

Originally Posted by KlausBaudelaire

But they're just kids, not highly trained soldiers.

I guess the point is that they are all fighting in the book, while in the movie they are just kept in the background, having a couple of lines and then not seen again.

I've read plenty of positive reviews pointing out this as one of the few negative things about the movie. We know they filmed truckloads of battle scenes, but in the end they cut most of it.

[ohitsanina]

I wrote a very long review in the review-thread...

just one question: where is wood? isn't he supposed to be in the movie?

[ArryGrotter]

Originally Posted by ohitsanina

just one question: where is wood? isn't he supposed to be in the movie?

He was the person on the broom that says "Come on". But thats the only scene he is in, so you'd need to know to know

[KlausBaudelaire]

Oh I have to say that I absolutely loved the Grey Lady, she's demoniac, unforeseenable, full of regret for her life, and that courtyard reminded me of the atmosphere of those old horror movies where the presence of a ghost was enough to scare the audience.

[snugglepot]

Originally Posted by Warlock27

I'm trying to remember. Before Harry leaves to go to the forest, when Hermione is crying does she say "we'll go with you" or "I'll go with you"?

As if I couldn't dislike Kloves enough already.

She said "I", not "We", and yes, it's another of Klove's "Hermione favouritism" lines.
Did you notice, that apart from Harry and Albus, Hermione was the only one Kloves gave lines to in the Epiloge? (That did annoy me!)

[magnolia7]

Wow, a lot of people have seen the movie. I'm seeing it at midnight on Thursday eve.

[DA93]

Originally Posted by KlausBaudelaire

Oh I have to say that I absolutely loved the Grey Lady, she's demoniac, unforeseenable, full of regret for her life, and that courtyard reminded me of the atmosphere of those old horror movies where the presence of a ghost was enough to scare the audience.

I couldn't agree more, thats exactly the feeling i got when she was on screen

I love how Luna runns after Harry up the stairs and screaming 'Harry Potter you listen to me right now', and then she continues in her regular calm voice. One of my favourite scenes!

The only thing i really couldn't stand with this film is how Voldemort and Bellatrix are crumbling like paper when they die. They are people, and it might look good on screen (can't understand why they would think that though) but that was just really, really stupid.

[ArryGrotter]

Originally Posted by DA93

The only thing i really couldn't stand with this film is how Voldemort and Bellatrix are crumbling like paper when they die. They are people, and it might look good on screen (can't understand why they would think that though) but that was just really, really stupid.

I understand why Voldemort might have died differently, because his body was created rather than born.

As for Bellatrix, I guess that Molly just used a different spell? She does kind of freeze as though the air is being sucked out of her, then (a second spell?) explodes. But I really would have prefered if Bellatrix didn't die like that

[ArryGrotter]

I just remembered this. Is anyone else surprised that the first thing we see is NOT the WB shield? It appeared after the repeat of Voldemort getting the wand.

[Noldus]

Originally Posted by ArryGrotter

I just remembered this. Is anyone else surprised that the first thing we see is NOT the WB shield? It appeared after the repeat of Voldemort getting the wand.

The opening was a little disappointing when compared to the other opening scenes of Yates. Rather than reuse the same camera angle as Voldemort fires a spell into the air it could have been shot from Snape's point of view. I'd really wished, though, that the death of the Potters had opened the film. It could have been structured like this: WB logo, the death of Harry's parents, title, recap of Voldemort stealing the Elder Wand, new angle of Voldemort shooting a spell into the air from Snape's POV, students marching and Harry by Dobby's grave.

[ArryGrotter]

I agree about the opening. But then again, it was just a continuation from Part 1 I don't even think that the Snape opening was planned. It seems like it belongs to the scene when he calls them to the great hall.

I don't think that Dumbledore's grave is that close to Hogwarts in the films. The wide shot of that island made it seem quite isolated.

[BlueBronzeNerd7]

Originally Posted by snugglepot

She said "I", not "We", and yes, it's another of Klove's "Hermione favouritism" lines.
Did you notice, that apart from Harry and Albus, Hermione was the only one Kloves gave lines to in the Epiloge? (That did annoy me!)

Ron does have a line in the epilogue as far as I know.

he points out to hermione and their kids that he spotted harry and the others comming toward them

I think his line was "there they are"

or something like that.

and wasn't hermione's line adressed to her kids? better that than her ignoring Ron or something.

[personification]

I actually quite liked the opening -set the tone.

Lines for Ron and Hermione in the epilogue - only a quick glimpse though - none for Ginny.

Luna had more lines than Ginny in the whole movie. I just can't buy Harry/Ginny in the film.

[chunky_monkey]

I just got back from an advanced screening. It was so amazing and emotional and the action was phenomenal.

My favourite part is when Harry uses the Resurrection stone and the first thing he sees is his mother. She just looks straight at him for the whole scene. She doesn't have much emotion on her face when she tells him he's been so brave, she just has this blazing look in her eyes, and it reminded me strongly of the way Ginny is described in the books. It was the most emotional part for me, and not for the reasons I would have expected.