Review 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

What Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is is not a fantasy film, its a psychological thriller.

Based on the sixth book in the Harry Potter book series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) enter his sixth year at Hogwarts, the heat really builds up as Voldermort and his Death Eaters are increasing their terror upon the Wizarding and Muggle worlds and he and Dumboledore (Michael Gambon) try to uncover the secret to defeating him once and for all but the truth lies with an old colleague of Dumbledores, Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent) whom Dumboledore persuades to return to teach at Hogwarts. After Harry sees his his long time rival Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) in a shop called Borgin & Burkes, he suspects that he has become a death eater. Harry also falls in love with Ron's (Rupert Grint) sister Ginny (Bonnie Wright), tries to get close to Slughorn, Ron falls for Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave) and Malfoy struggles to carry out a task for The Dark Lord.

The film is dark both narratively and visually, so thought-provoking, so complex in its own way that you'd feel as if you didn't understand the plot when you do, it has darker tone than its predecessors, though there are some humourous moments in the film. Compared to the previous films in the series, the Half-Blood Prince is much more of a psychological thriller.

Tonely, this is the darkest film is the series as we get reminder after reminder of how dangerous the Wizarding World has become since the start of the Second Wizarding War.

 

Prominent themes in the Half-Blood Prince include Love, Death, Trust, and Redemption.

Love: As with the previous films (and books) in the series, Love plays a big part in the film, but  and this is truly a testament to J. K. Rowling's talent as a writer is how she explored different types of love besides the love of parent to child. The love of teacher to student, and the romances that developed between the main characters are given more attention here. The teacher/student relationship between Harry and Dumboledore is furthered here, after being apart for the majority of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore keeps Harry close to him as they try to learn more about Voldermort's past through Dumbledore's pensive

The relationship between Harry and Ginny is also given more focus here, Harry is in love with Ginny but can't express it. 

 

Death: As with the rest of the series and indeed, J. K. Rowling's work, Death runs deep in this film as it does in the books.

Trust: Harry trusts Ron and Hermione without reservation and extends that same loyalty to Dumbledore, following his orders and trusting that Dumbledore is instructing him to do the right thing. The only issue on which Harry and Dumbledore fundamentally disagree is Dumbledore's insistance that Snape can be trusted. Dumbledore refuses to tell Harry or any members of the Order what it is about Snape that makes him trust so unconditionally, but he repeatedly tells Harry that he doesn't need to worry. Ultimately, Dumbledore trusts Snape with his life when few others will.

Redemption: Slughorn carries a great deal of guilt from having indirectly helping Lord Voldermort rise to power. Dumbledore invites him back to teach at Hogwarts because he's aware that he holds key information that will be vital to destroying Voldermort.

 

In one of the films more questionable changes, the mystery surrounding the half-blood prince's true identity isn't really speculated upon, nor does Harry seem particularly The book is instead reduced to a plot device, allowing Harry to brew his way into Slughorn's good books (which itself is kind of a moot point, since Slughorn tries to "collect" him anyway due to his interest in potentially successful and/or famous students). As a result, the big reveal comes off as a little hollow because Harry hasn't been pondering it for the majority of the film.

There is action to be found in the Half-Blood Prince but not really that much of it. 

In an addition to the film that wasn’t in the book, there’s an action scene at the Burrow. 

I have mixed feeling on wether this addition works or not. Showing the Burrow under attack was a visual representation of the loss of the wizarding world as a sanctuary to Harry. Apart from Hogwarts, the Burrow was the only other place where Harry felt like he belonged and the closest thing he's had to a loving home and to depict it burning down symbolised the reality of war - that nothing is sacred. On the other hand, it feels out of place and narratively inconsequential because it's never mentioned again.

There’s a brief but thrilling skirmish between Harry and Malfoy in the boys toilets 

I believe including Dumbledore's funeral would have been a much more effective way of showing 

 

One of the most fascinating of the book was delving into Voldermort's past. The book features seven memories that flashback to Voldermort's past detailing why he turned out the way he did and show his calculating, cold and cruel ways which are whittled down to two which helps to create a more consise narrative by focusing on what he wants to and why he wants it.

 
Returning director David Yates' directing is stylish and suspenseful, making great use of extreme close-ups and angels to help evoke an erie 

the cinematography is stylish, giving the film a dreamy and muted look that captures the beauty of the magic in Harry's world as it's slowly fading away. There's great use of symmetry to shape certain shots and to hone in a characters sense of isolation i.e. to hint at Draco's internal struggles over carrying out a task that's much bigger than himself and out of his control and how he's being engulfed by the immensity of the world around him. The colours also help to reflect the fading beauty of the wizarding world. There's great emphasis on warm yellows in scenes and locations that are warm and safe to our characters whilst cool blues and greys are used to evoke a sense of danger and sadness

The score by Nicholas Hooper is erie and appropriatly brooding, there were actually some funny moments throughout bringing some much needed levity to an otherwise dark and ominous film.

The special effects are stunning, the production design is fantastic the costumes are gorgeous, the make is rich, the sound effects are great and theirs a big shock surprise at the end.

A slower, more

The acting is spectacular, Daniel Radcliffe Harry is becoming an adult now he's not the little boy we met 8 years ago. He must leave behind his childish ways, and deal with such possibilities as defeat and death. Life for Harry has taken on darker tones and more urgent responsibilities. His mission is to prevent Voldermort from exercising rule over the Muggles.

Rupert Grint gives possibly his funniest performance as Ron

Emma Watson is playing Hermione, giving her plenty of opportunities to show her powerful and sensitive side  

Bonnie Wright is luminous and lovely as Ginny. A bit more light is shone upon Harry's relationship with her. Ginny represents Harry's light in the dark

Jim Broadbent is fabulous as Professor Slughorn, the former potions master at Hogwarts whose gone into retirement hoping to enjoy a delightful retirement, free from the cares of teaching and the burdean of guilt and fear that he's felt for years only to come out of it when Dumbledore tracks him down and asks him to come back and teach at Hogwarts. Due to his elitist nature and favouritism towards highly gifted students, he allowed himself to be taken advantage of by Tom Riddle. Brutally manipulated by a boy whom he cared for very much and who he thought would be his greatest protege.

Alan Rickman   

Jessie Cave is silly (in a good way) as Lavender Brown whom you may remember as a peripheral Gryffindor character from the previous instalments in the series. Ron begins dating Lavender in this film to spite Hermione and she proves to be a very clingy  She knows the type of role Lavender Brown is: a complete ditz and just rolls with it delivering a gloriously hammy and melodramatic performance.

Tom Felton is just fantastic playing Malfoy  showing us his vulnerability and  Throughout the film, we follow Draco as he begins to loose himself, desperate to complete a mission for Voldermort knowing that if he doesn't, both he and his parents could be killed. The Half-Blood Prince could be considered very much Malfoy's story as it is Harry's. His indoctrination into Voldermort's Death Eaters has poisoned his body and soul.

 
Michael Gambon contines to shine in the role of Dumbledore. 

In addition, Robbie Coultrane, David Thewlis, Maggie Smith, Evanna Lynch, Gemma Jones, Matthew Lewis, Natalia Tena, Devon Murray, Alfred Enoch, Anna Schaffer, Freddie Stoma, Julie Walters, 

Definitely one of the best in the series and a great lead up to the Deathly Hallows, 4/5.

The Anonymous Critic.