Muggles and Magic
A sizeable crowd of muggles had gathered outside Longford Cineplex by seven forty-five last Friday evening, welling up with excitement and waiting for the magic to begin. A motley crew of impatient teens and chattering mothers crested the hill of the Camlin bridge, the line hugging the wall and jittering with the cold of a winters evening, as drivers passing by slowed down wondering at the commotion. Tickets clenched in hand, these loyal supporters stood patiently for the doors to open at eight pm by cinema staff who, with battle-hardened faces, somehow managed to prevent a thunderous storm of potter fans from toppling other civilian cinema-goers. Inside the building after eight, the crowd, held back by a teetering rope and the determined efficiency of the manager, bustled with anticipation, smiles began to creep onto their faces, the tickets themselves becoming increasingly clamped between forefinger and thumb, some looking outwards to the blinking lights over the screen door with an air of dogged resolution. As the younger crowd from the half five showing ambled past, and the manger lifted the rope with slight apprehension…the crowd swelled quickly forward towards the door, grabbed seats, and settled in anticipation for the seventh, and second last ever, harry potter film.
The arrival of another Harry Potter raises few eyebrows by now, as the length of the series, and the presence of the books as classics of children’s literature have become regulars of cinema and popular culture which has touched Longford as much as anywhere else. The series has charted the growth of Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint from their humble beginnings at eleven or twelve to their inflamed glory in their young adult years, and they have been followed aptly in this by the public, many of whom have grown up with their characters of Harry, Hermione and Ron. Therefore, as with any book to film adaptation and sequel, there is certain expectation, and with Harry potter this is expounded by the millions of fans, and ultimately the fact that few films can manage to gather the hype and fanfare that it does.
The film itself is based on the seventh and final book of the series, “The Deathly Hallows” written by JK Rowling. Broken into two parts, the film for the first time must rely heavily on its three youngest leads to carry genuine performances, which manages to pay off, due mostly to the fact that Emma Watson can act without the aid of the adult stalwarts of the films. It is a dark tale from the outset, with the words of the new minister for magic, Rufus Scrimgeour (Bill Nighy) ironically more haunting to modern Irish audiences now than it did as we read the book, “these are dark times there is no denying…”.
The fateful trio are forced from friends and family in the first of the series to remove itself completely from Hogwarts and be cast out into reality. Their world is one arrested with fear, danger and increasing chaos, far beyond magic classes, open common room fires and the protective fold of a now deceased Albus Dumbledore. Where previous films flirted with the oncoming vengeance of Voldemort into the world, “The deathly Hallows” immediately sets about to reveal what is now at stake, killing and injuring several major characters in the first moments of the screening, leaving the audience on the emotional knife edge left for the remainder of the film. The trio are alone, isolated and on the run from Voldemort and his ‘death-eater’ followers, in search of the ‘horcruxes’ (which should theoretically help to destroy Voldemort) but instead embark on what feels like a desperate mission delaying the inevitable, in the midst of traitors. The film is suitably scary, action-packed, and dark with moments of comedy, added to release the ever building tension. It is clear the films favour the older audience, shedding the childish innocence of earlier instalments, and I have to say I for one was impressed by the technical effects, score and overall narrative and direction of the film, losing few plot details.
The film itself delivered; it is character driven, effective, and stands proud as easily the best potter film to date. In Cinema’s now.
Copyright SÃona Cahill November 2010.
Footfall treads along the carpet
Tap tap tap tap spacebar tap tap
Water guzzled, paper crunched
