Only Hermione seems interested in the identity of the Prince, but after one trip to the library, seems to give up on the subject. Even Ginny, who almost died in an earlier movie because of a magical mysterious book, did not voice any of the alarm that the potions book should have raised. It is only after Harry invokes an unknown spell from the potions book and almost kills Malfoy (seemingly without consequences which makes no sense in any world, magical or otherwise) that the true danger of the Prince is revealed.
Perhaps the lack of interest in the Prince is because all of the students seem to have other things on their minds. Obviously, the raging hormones of adolescence seem to have an unsettling effect on the residents of Hogwarts. The castle is rife with teenage angst about who is dating who and we get to see lots of snogging, along with lots of tears. Hermione’s anguish over the Ron and Lavender situation seems to have addled her usually sharp and inquisitive mind. Such adolescent longings are not limited to only the girls at Hogwarts; Harry has a crush on his best-friend’s sister, and Ron is playing the fool in affairs of the heart on all fronts.
These glimpses into the tangled love lives of the teenaged wizards provide comedic elements that are in sharp contrast to the rest of the film. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is probably the darkest of all of the Harry Potter films to date. An eerie sense of foreboding pervades the entire movie – we know the war is coming and everyone seems to be waiting to find out what Voldemort’s next move is going to be. Dumbledore, with the aide of Harry Potter, is desperately searching the past to find clues that will lead to Voldemort’s downfall. He even enlists Harry into enticing an old professor of Voldemort, Horace Slughorn, into returning to Hogwarts. Harry’s task is extract one of Slughorn’s most painful memories, in order to discover the source of Voldemort’s power.
The film is a cinematic masterpiece. It is beautifully shot – full of dark, gothic passages and camera angles that tell the story almost as much as the characters do. The special effects are outstanding – the effects seem to get better and better with each Harry Potter film. I loved the way the dark mark appears amidst roiling clouds and the dizzying way the Death Eaters traveled through smoke and mist. Knowing that worse is yet to come should keep fans in breathless anticipation for the war that will be unfolded in the next two installments of the franchise.
Article comments
1 - tink
GREAT review. Already amped to see it myself, you told me enough to egg me on and kept the spoilers to yourself.
I'd re-read the whole series up to this volume recently in anticipation of going to see it...just to remind me of what's been what. Funny you mention Tonks and Lupin, I remember being surprised learning about the two of them during the course of the book...it didn't talk too much about them either.
Anyway...thanks for a cool thumbs up.
2 - Robert
See, i was happy with the ending of the movie, as i hate the whole concept of drawing it out