Gone are classes, Quidditch and frivolity.
With Hogwarts in the rearview mirror, Harry, Ron and Hermione have heavier things weighing on them.
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1”, the series’ penultimate theatrical release, is moody, sorrowful and quite possibly the best of the lot.
The film opens with an action-packed chase sequence on a dark and stormy night.
Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his minions have seized control of the Ministry of Magic, throwing the wizarding world into turmoil.
While good wizards are imprisoned, evil reigns.
Simultaneously, Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) embark on a lonely search to destroy horcruxes, the keys to Voldemort’s immortality. Voldemort, of course, has other plans.
After the tremendous first hour, the narrative slows significantly.
Romance, jealously and angst boil to the surface while the trio travels through the forest on foot.
Though this long and magically inactive sequence grows tiresome, it is effective at showcasing the heroes’ plight. This isn’t a picnic for Harry, Ron or Hermione.
This stretch also exhibits the series’ best cinematography, blending close-ups with expansive shots of breathtaking natural beauty.
A rousing, moving finale is worth the preceding near-tedium, and the conclusion, if somewhat abrupt, effectively sets up the next film.
What’s more, Radcliffe, Grint and Watson have grown up with their characters. This film, so dependent on tone, relies on performance subtleties, and each capably lives up to the task.
Director David Yates has been with the series since “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,” and it’s clear that the movies have gotten darker and more sophisticated in that time.
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1” isn’t the Potter of yesteryears. It’s dark, moving, suspenseful and imbued with a profound sense of loss.
Though it’s not perfect, the film successfully lays the framework for what promises to be a tremendous, gripping conclusion to the series.
Part 2 will unreel this July, and summer can’t come soon enough.
Number of stars: Five
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