Not A Children's Story

Rating: 8/10 (19 November 2010)

Earlier this week, I reread "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" to refresh my memory before seeing the movie. A woman who sat next to me in the bookstore café asked a few questions about the book, noting, among other things, what a remarkable phenomenon the series had become. I offered my opinion that the author, J.K. Rowling, could hardly have predicted the immense success of her creation; that, when she started writing, her only objective was to write a children's story, and that is how you must always view the books, no matter how dark they become. However, the movies are certainly not bound by that.
At its heart, the Harry Potter books are and will always be children's books. The characters, unlike the fully-fleshed out characters in more "adult" series, tend to be more elemental. I wouldn't call them two-dimensional, but every character represents something in the series. Voldemort is the purest evil, while Ron and Hermione are Harry's loyal companions. Harry, of course, is our fearless hero, and Dumbledore is the ever-present mentor and guardian. That is, until we reach Book Seven. Everything about Harry's life and beliefs is challenged in this chapter of the series. His relationship with Dumbledore, who died at the end of Book Six and can no longer guide or protect him, is brought into question as new information about the old wizard's life surfaces after his death. As Harry seeks the means to destroy Voldemort, he becomes increasingly aware that Dumbledore left him with precious fews clues on how to do so.
At his side, of course, are Ron and Hermione who refuse to let him travel alone when half the wizarding world is looking for him, for one reason or another. After six years of friendship and shared danger, their trust in Harry hardly needs explanation. However, as the enormity of the task becomes ever more clear to them, dissension eats away at that trust, and the fact that they're all merely teenagers, albeit magicians, makes the mission that much more difficult. So much has been sacrificed on everyone's part, including family, that Harry is reluctant to ask or even accept any more sacrifices; and yet, even more will be required of all of them before the tale is complete.
I've always preferred the movies to the books. As compelling as Rowling's writing is, it is still intended primarily for children, and it shows. I don't mean that in a derogatory way; but elemental characters such as the brainy Hermione, the bumbling Hagrid, and the loony Luna need more to make them truly enjoyable. At times, they do break out of their "roles", and that is when they truly shine. Rowling does her best to give the readers a window into the characters' souls, to feel the weight of the burdens they carry. She certainly pulls no punches with Harry, barely allowing him a moment of triumph or celebration before adding another tragedy or burden to his lot.
The movies, on the other hand, add a bit more realism to the struggle. It's not just the "picture says a thousand words" element. It's the little touches, the slight changes in dialogue from page to screen, that make the characters less elemental and more human. The pruning of a scene or editing of exposition here and there eases the rhythm and allows the viewer to go with the flow. The soundtrack itself does a fantastic job of bringing the story to life (keep your ears open for Nick Cave's "O Children", which adds a particular bittersweetness to one compelling scene).
There is so much that changes in this seventh installment that, after a few early scenes have ended, you can hardly recognize the series. There are familiar faces, of course, and the main element remains: the fact that Harry Potter must defeat Lord Voldemort himself or die trying. This is only the first part of Book Seven, of course; the second half will wait until next summer. Expect everything to change again.
(Originally appeared as "Not A Children's Story" at http://fourthdayuniverse.com/reports/2010/11/not-a-childrens-story/ )