"Harry Potter the Deathly Hollows Part I"

We, like most of the world, have been following the Harry Potter books for years. My son and I have been known to fight over who would get to read the books first, we finally came up with a game plan because we could not compromise, we had to buy two, keeping them in separate parts of the house. We are fortunate enough to be part of a group of people who attend private screenings well before the movie hits the theaters. This week we were able to see "Harry Potter, the Deathly Hollows Part I". Monday evening, we arrived early, around 5:30 p.m. to wait in queue. We knew instinctively that this movie would not have a seat left in the house. Spirits were high and we saw quite a few young people don their Harry Potter attire, complete with robes, glasses and wands.

Our group discussed the previous six films, and how we thought that the actors had matured, embracing their characters and presenting the audience with better performances. Our conversation led us to the conclusion of "The Half-Blood Prince", ending with Dumbledore being killed by Snape. When I had first read the Half Blood Prince, Dumbledore is pleading and utters "Please" I had the impression then that he was not pleading for his life, Dumbledore would never sink to begging, and that was just not in his nature. However he was pleading for Snape to fulfill a promise, by putting him out of his misery and by protecting one of his students not as an act of betrayal but as an act of deep friendship and undivided loyalty.

Of course Harry did not;t see it that way and many of the readers did not either. Harry having learned that the protection spell that his mother gave her life for would cease when he reached 17, made the decision at the end of the Half Blood Prince that he would not be returning to school and that he would be continuing his quest for the remaining five of the seven Horcruxes, each containing a fragment of Voldemort's soul. Harry and Dumbledore had destroyed the first two, Tom Riddle's;s Diary destroyed by Harry in "The Chamber of Secrets". Dumbledore destroyed the cursed heirloom ring that belonged to the Riddle family. These two acts left five remaining Horcruxes for our Harry to locate and destroy, such a tall order for young man just coming of age.

This is where we pick up for the journey in "The Deathly Hollows, Part I". Harry informed his closest friends, Hermione and Ron that he would not be returning to Hogwarts and would be seeking to find the remaining Horcruxes. Ron and Hermione, being the true friends that they are decide that they will join him.

The beginning scenes of the movie, we find Hermione, always willing to protect, casting a spell upon parents to remove her memory from their lives, sacrifices that run deeply into the soul for the good of others. The Dursleys, free from their forced pledge of protection, packing up house and leaving Harry on his own. The Order of the Phoenix realize that as Harry comes of age, the protection spell that was placed for him by his mother, and provided unwilling by the Dursley family is coming to an end, the need to move Harry to a safe house is paramount in their quest. The Order devises a way to secretly spirit Harry away under the cover of night, unfortunately things go wrong. Voldemort has far reaching entanglements within the Ministry of Magic and launches his own attack on the fleeing group; our group is attacked at lightning speed, death follows in their wake. We are brutally thrown into a world where the innocence of Hogwarts, school friends, lessons, jokes are dissipated and destruction and death lurk behind them at alarming speed.

After a brief reprise at the Wealey's, a chaste heart-warming kiss between Jenny and Harry, and the wedding of Bill Weasly to Fleur Delacour, Harry, Ron and Hermione are forced to flee into the wilderness. The world that they have grown accustomed to, the world where all their loved ones reside is in jeopardy. A Pseudo police state is taking hold. Inquisitions are being held, mud bloods are being murdered, torture, and false accusations run unabated. It is a world reminiscent of Nazi Germany, even to the black shirted guards that now reside in the Ministry of Magic headquarters.

Radcliffe provides a wonderful performance of Harry. He has moved the development of this character to a truly believable portrayal of a young man facing decisions that would crumble lesser men. His portrayal of Harry is excellent, you actually feel as if you are experiencing the loss of loved ones, facing demons, fears and desperation. Watson is coming into her own as a worthy actress, from the young girl with frizzy hair to a beautiful young woman; you can witness her character Hermione, become trustworthy, faithful and truly a friend and confidant that you would always want fighting beside you never against you. Grint has also grown as an actor, his comic relief is necessary to relieve the tension that is building throughout the film, Ron is also maturing, yes he throws a hissy fit and stomps off as leaving Harry and Hermione, however his return shows how he too is maturing and how he is ready to face his own fears and doubts.

Remember that this film is a bridge to the battle of Hogwarts. IT may appear to be moving slowly as we journey with the trio into the wilderness, but watch closely as their inner magical traits come out to play. Hermione's beaded purse is purely wonderful. It is an period of discovery, a period of redefining boundaries, of setting goals and of realizing what needs to be sacrificed and fought for to dispel an evil that will not only affect the world of magic, but that of the non magical.

I honestly could feel the desolation that the trio felt as they hid out in the vast untouched landscapes. This film made the books come to life, The Lovegood's residence is how I pictured it to look like, unkempt, cluttered and a bit in disarray. The Malfoy mansion reeks of wealth, but also of the desperation of a father and mother who actually love their son and are in fear of losing that son. Mr. Malfoy looks desperate and on edge, not the well manicured evil persona of previous movies, he is in fear of losing his family and the realization of what is actually is important is wearing him ragged.

The movie ended just where I thought it would. Think about the books and you figure out where you would have ended this movie to move forward to the gathering of a defensive army. If you are expecting a lot of fighting and hexes and spells, you will get a few, the battle however has yet to be fought. This movie leaves you wanting for more, it leaves you wanting to gather your loved ones close by and protect them. We would have gladly stayed and watched the second half without hesitation. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.