"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Does Not Stand Alone

People might want to watch "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" to keep informed of what happens to Harry Potter and his friends, enrolled in Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. But I do not believe that this film stands alone with the same cinematic value as the other Harry Potter films. It is possible that as the sixth film of its kind, it could possibly be the last.

The cinematography, lighting, and music used to create this film held up to the standards of the other five films. But the structure of this storyline was difficult to follow, and the performances done by the actors were not as focused. I was somewhat lost in the progression of the film, and my perception of the starring children was not the same. Harry Potter and his friends have aged to such a point that their viewpoint on life have changed, and therefore cannot be observed the same way.

This film has a likely audience of children, as they can directly relate to the young people attending school at Hogwarts. But the novel written by J.K. Rowling, from which it is derived, is capable of being enjoyed by older, more educated people, who might want to see the story on film. Even though the subject matter follows the life of a young boy, this is not an animated cartoon or fairy tale. "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" can generate viewers of more than one age.

The plot begins right before Harry is to start his sixth year enrolled at Hogwarts. Both Muggle and Wizarding worlds have been suffering violent attacks caused by the Death Eaters, a group of witches and wizards trying to eliminate Muggle-born people to purify the Wizarding community. Hogwarts is under tight security, which is why Professor Dumbledore himself starts to prepare Harry to fight the final battle against Lord Voldemort, leader of the Death Eaters. During the school year, Dumbledore reveals to Harry early memories of Voldemort, when he was named Tom Riddle. One of the memories revealed that Riddle asked about Horcruxes, devices that store a part of its creators soul, allowing immortality. Dumbledore revealed that Riddle's diary and a ring belonging to his mother were two of seven Horcruxes created by Riddle, and that they must be found and destroyed to defeat Voldemort, making him mortal.

A lot of the cast members have reprised their roles from other Harry Potter films. Daniel Radcliffe stars once again as Harry Potter, facing another adventure with his two best friends, Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson). Other returning stars include Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Robbie Coltrane (Rubeus Hagrid), Warwick Davis (Professor Filius Flitwick), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Michael Gambon (Professor Albus Dumbledore), Evanna Lynch (Luna Lovegood), Alan Rickman (Professor Severus Snape), Maggie Smith (Professor Minerva McGonagall), Julie Walters (Molly Weasley), and Bonnie Wright (Ginny Weasley). I honestly feel that every one of them performed with considerable talent and skill. However, Radcliffe is no longer a child, and the innocence that was shown during his experiences has somehow been lost.

This movie does not follow a predictable storyline. The identity of the half-blood prince was not fully explained in the beginning, and there are flashbacks showing the young life of Tom Riddle. During the course of the progression, I became slightly lost. But I have to admit, I am not an active Harry Potter fan. It is possible that someone who has not only seen all films of the series, but also read the literary works they are derived from, can be fully appreciative of this film. It is no more or less believable than its predecessors, and the dialogue was very appropriate.

According to an article published by Salon Arts & Entertainment, the effects in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" are so believable they seem more naturalistic than special: they're situated so perfectly in their imagined universe that we have no trouble believing in their authenticity. For example, the brass owl located at the podium in the dining hall at Hogwarts moves by itself until Dumbledore steps up to speak, when it spreads its wings and becomes inactive. When Hermione Granger is reshelving books in the library, the books find their appropriate places all by themselves. And during the quidditch match, which takes place during a snowfall, its players move through the air while mounted on broomsticks.

The soundtrack for this movie was written by Nicholas Hooper, who has taken over the musical voice of Harry Potter from John Williams, who is arguably the most popular living film composer. In a review published by Movie Music UK, Jonathan Broxton writes that Half-Blood Prince has a more mature, more emotionally satisfying feeling running throughout: of course, the film is primarily about love, and loss, and death, so it stands to reason that Hooper's score would explore these emotions in greater detail. His main new track, "In Noctem", records a choir singing in Latin, and is meant to represent Dumbledore's sacrificial journey in this film. The romantic element shown between Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Lavender Brown is shown with a duet for oboe and harp, an expansion on the harp element, and a contemporary acoustic guitar element under the orchestra. And the action music, such as "Opening" and "Into the Rushes" is dark and brooding, with heavy percussion, high-pitched sustains, frantic string runs, and deep bass choral notes.

People following the storyline of the Harry Potter series will most likely want to see this film to keep informed of what happened in the lives of Harry Potter and his friends. But I do not believe that they will experience the same standard of viewing pleasure as was possible in the preceding films.

Sources

1.)Stephanie Zacharek, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince." Salon Arts & Entertainment.

2.)Jonathan Broxton, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince-Nicholas Hooper." Movie Music UK.