Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2:

Potter franchise comes to an end

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

Harry, Ron and Hermione

Harry and Voldemort

Dubbed the most awaited film of 2011, director, David Yates’ Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 is the last instalment of J K Rowling’s internationally acclaimed Harry Potter franchise. It marks the end of the journey and ties up some loose ends that the earlier films had not quite explored.

The movie opens in the gloomy settings where Harry bids goodbye to Dobby the House Elf. The opening scene itself strikes a note of foreboding doom. Though it starts off on a slow, melancholic and methodical pace, the action picks up speed once Neville Longbottom appears in the scene and takes Harry back to Hogwarts.

Though many of the previous Potter films delivered surprises, the last instalment has its own enchantments in store. In one such instance we find that Harry was destined to die because he himself is a horcruxe which Voldemort never meant to create.

A young boy preparing to face death bravely knowing that it is the only way which he can save others, chill us as well as make us empathise and admire the character. Harry has already proved his bravery but the revelation of his tragic fate is the ultimate act of heroism.

Moments of wit, fear and surprise keeps the viewers engaged. There are also some confusing instances such as the one in which Harry is questioned how he retrieved the sword. His reply ‘It’s complicated’ baffles those who are new to the series. This means that the viewers need to watch the previous Potter films to make sense of some of these incidents.

However unlike the previous films which seemed to drag on with less action, Deathly Hallows: Part 2 zips by in just over two hours packed with a thrilling dragon ride, visit to the caves beneath the Gringotts wizard bank, the comic manner in which Hermione carries off the guise of the witchy Bellatrix LeStrange and many more entertainment in the line-up.

One of the aspects which is hard to find convincing is in the romantic relationships between characters. Smart and sassy Hermione does not quite fit in as Ron Weasley’s wife. Similarly there is hardly any chemistry found between Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter.

The inseparable trio: Harry, Hermione and Ron are once again splendidly portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint. It is delightful to see that these three youngsters have evolved in their acting skills when comparing Deathly Hallows: Part 2 with Sorcerer’s Stone.

Alan Rickman is brilliant as always as the school’s potions professor Severus Snape. Though he had donned the role of a villain throughout seven films, he manages to transform into an idol in the film after a couple of scenes. The brief insights into his past paint an entirely different picture of him convincingly.

The union between two prominent characters and the manner in which Yates unveils their regard towards each other is the highlight of the film. It even exceeds that of the final battle between Harry and Voldemort. Harry’s touching encounter with the ghosts of his murdered parents, headmaster Albus Dumbledore, Sirius Black and Remus Lupin too is a scene which will stay with the audience.

Ralph Fiennes is superb in his dramatic heft while playing the snake-like Voldemort while Tom Felton excels in bringing out the depth and sorrow of a defeated Draco Malfoy. Matthew Lewis does justice to Hogwart’s unsung hero Neville Longbottom.

Fourteen years, eight movies, seven books and millions of dollars later, Harry Potter fans feel the same nostalgia that they underwent when they read the last page of the final book. Deathly Hallows: Part 2 puts a fitting end to a decade of Potter mania.