If you've been anywhere near the internet over the last few months you'll no doubt be aware that Harry Potter fans worldwide are reaching new levels of excitement, prior to the release of upcoming projects. In a matter of weeks there's set to be another book release, there's the on stage production of the aforementioned book, and in November cinema audiences will be able to witness the first film in the new series Fantastic Beasts and 101 more ways to make J K Rowling rich, so this is one of the most exciting times to be a Harry Potter fan. With this in mind, I've recently taken the time to revisit the Harry Potter films.
Much like everyone else in my generation, Harry Potter was a huge part of my childhood and has stuck with me, to the point where I now find myself to be a twenty year old university student who has a Gryffindor tie at the ready for any social event with a tenuous link to Harry Potter. I can remember with absolute clarity seeing all eight films in the cinema, as well as the hours I spent reading the books late at night when I should have been sleeping, so I'm proud to say Harry Potter was such a large part of my childhood. However, I know many people who often propose the rather erroneous notion that I am a film snob, so I couldn't possibly enjoy these films. What they're not taking into account is that films are one of things I love most in life, so why would I dedicate so much of my time to write about something I don't like? Granted, I was worried that upon rewatching the HP films I would find that the magic had somewhat faded (pardon the pun) since I was a child, however I actually found that there were still a lot to enjoy.
It's interesting because now that I'm older and I have more of an interest placed in cinema, I tend to focus on a wider range of aspects than I did upon first watching the films as a child. Most notably there is a huge shift in tone as the films progress through the series, not only because of the advancements in plot, but also because the eight films are directed by a number of different directors who obviously all had different visions. Personally, I would cite the third film as the best of the series, I think Alfonso Cuarón is one of the best directors currently working in cinema and really did something different with the source material that kick started the darker path the films eventually take. The first two films are somewhat problematic because not only do they contain some of the worst child acting I've ever seen but because their tone is rather mixed; they were focused on being too family friendly. One moment they're discussing weighted topics such as death, the next they're trying to get cheap laughs by shoving a wand up a troll's nose. They were both very theatrical and could afford to be quite immature, but that doesn't mean there aren't things to be liked. I could write for hours about how I still love the first film and I think the set design and use of practical effects alone is admirable, but for me the films didn't really find their feet until the third.
With all of the current HP talk floating around the internet, and considering I recently revisited the films, what I've decided to do is list my top five moments from across the eight films. Now just to make this clear, I'm going to be talking specifically about the films and certain moments I think were delivered exceptionally well for the big screen. For the purpose of this list I am completely disregarding the books. I'm sure there are other blogs that are written under far better authority that could tackle the books, but personally I wanted to focus solely on the films.
So without further ado, I would like to present my top five moments from across the Harry Potter film series, and although it was difficult, I have managed to place them in order counting down to my favourite.
#5. Confrontation at the Shrieking Shack - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
It's a choice that not many people would have made and it would scarcely feature on a top ten list let alone a top five list, but I think that only strengthens its place as one of the most underrated moments in the HP series. What often happens with fantasy films it that the visuals and set pieces steal the show, so other elements such as acting and screenplay writing can go unappreciated. What I like about this scene is that we have some of the finest British actors (Alan Rickman, David Thewlis, Gary Oldman, Timothy Spall) all clearly displaying their talents in a rather heated exchange that aids the plot development by alluding to previously hidden details. The scene has some incredible acting, most notably from Gary Oldman who is somewhat absent until this point, and manages to send the tension to new heights through human interaction alone. Plus, the fantastic visuals used for the transformation of Peter Pettigrew are still enough to make anyone question whether the pet animal sat on their lap is secretly a forty year old man in disguise.
#4. "Obliviate" - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)
It's something of a bleak film overall, but there are a number of important moments that really stood out, and I have to admit the opening sequences packs a subtle punch to the chest. As we see the three main characters preparing to leave and go on their journey together without any support it feels quite upsetting because the end is clearly in sight, but there's a particularly important moment for the character of Hermione as we see her erase her mother and father's memories, to remove all trace of her. During this sequence there's a fantastic musical accompaniment from composer Alexandre Desplat that is tonally sincere whilst flirting the line between gentle and brooding, clearly marking this as a turning point. From this moment on it is clear that the characters are about to come face to face with death and are no longer children, as if all of the family friendly moments happened in a completely different franchise. It is a subtle but powerful moment that happens just before the eye of the storm.
#3. Harry and Hermione dance - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 (2010)
I suppose this is tailing off of my last point, however it strikes as almost the antithesis. While my previous choice was made because I liked the impact of showing that the characters were no longer children, this particular moment is somewhat out of place. For the uninitiated, this is the moment in which Harry and Hermione are in their tent together listening to the radio, and as the sound of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds starts to drift out, the two of them begin to dance and laugh together. While it may not seem particularly important, I found that this is a scene that always sticks in my mind. Not only does it slow the pace of the film to a complete halt, but it also shows the audience something they are not accustomed to. In a film that shows young adults having to face up to immeasurable threats and act older than they are, this scene stands as the only moment in which we see them spending time messing around and doing what young people are meant to do. And for me I think it's one of the most important moments in terms of character development, because even when faced with death as a near certainty these young people are still incredibly good friends and are still able to make each other smile. We've seen them grow up on screen and we're reminded constantly that they're best friends, but it's moments such as this that really show the true extent of their friendship. It doesn't involve flashy CGI or made up spells based vaguely on J K Rowling's understanding of Latin, but it is one of the scenes that I will always remember.
#2. Snape's memories - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011)
This is probably an obvious choice because it's one of the moments everyone remembers, but there is a bloody good reason for that, and it's because the entire sequence is close to perfection. Not only is it incredibly well written and crucial to the plot, but it is an acting masterclass. I have always maintained that Alan Rickman is one of the most brilliant actors in the HP series, and nowhere is this seen more than during his flashbacks concerning Lily Potter. The raw emotion that he displays is unparalleled to anything we had seen from Snape until this point, and it really aids the development of his character. The entire sequence is a surreal emotional roller coaster that shoots you three times in the chest, removes the bullets, stitches you back up and then throws you straight back into the film as if nothing happened. It's like Stockholm Syndrome; it is heartbreaking and it tears me apart, but I will always watch it because I love it.
#1. Dumbledore vs Voldemort - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
While my previous choices were mainly concerned with writing and acting, my top choice is one that focuses on the technical side of film making, because it is one of the most visually impressive moments from across the series. Up until this point Dumbledore was always held as one of the most powerful wizards, but we'd never actually seen any evidence of this, much like the seventh Star Wars film in which we are constantly told Luke Skywalker is a bad-ass but all we see is him meditating on a fucking island with a beard that came directly from Download festival. Dumbledore had done nothing, we'd seen him perform minor acts of magic, lighting candles with the wave of a hand like a giant matchstick, but we'd never seen him do anything jaw-dropping. But then as soon as we saw the image of him walking out of the fireplace, and the look of sheer terror on Voldemort's face, we all knew that some serious shit was about to go down. And what did we get? One of the best duels ever put to film, showing what happens when two powerful characters collide in an 'all bets are off' situation. It was colourful, it was entertaining, it was a high level of technical mastery, and was ten times better than anything found in most modern action and fantasy films. Genuinely, I cannot think of a better moment throughout the entire series, it is just spectacular. If this film had been released during the VHS era, this scene would be the one you'd always rewind to watch again before carrying on.
So there you have it, I've probably angered numerous people on the internet by neglecting certain moments, but this is the list that is most personal to me. While I can be a grump at times and rant about films I dislike, nothing gives me more joy than to praise films that I genuinely like. So it was a pleasure to watch the Harry Potter films again as a jaded twenty year old student with high expectations, and to find that there is still so much to like and admire. They're not perfect by any rate, and they won't be remembered as important pieces of film, but they will stand the test of time as some of the most important films this generation grew up with.
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