Deathly Hallows pt 1 redux
I honestly don't even know if this post will make any more sense than it would have if I'd made it immediately after watching. At 3am Friday morning. BUT WHATEVER. I will start typing and we'll see.
eta: holy crap this is an embarrassing amount of rambling and flail.
+ Previously my fave HP adaptation was Prisoner of Azkaban; Cuaron remains my favorite of the HP directors and I think he and Kloves did a great job translating the time-turner stuff to the screen, and the Trio gave their best performances. That said I think DH pt 1 has definitely topped it. I'm so, so happy it was split in two so as little as possible was left out. That and the cinematography, the direction, the performances from Emma, Rupert and Dan, the music, the dialogue, all of it was the best it's ever been.
THE KIDS
+ HERMIONE JEAN/JANE/WHATEVER GRANGER. ♥ And Emma Watson... what even happened? While I've never understood the hate this girl gets I'd be the first to say I didn't always LOVE her acting, but in this film? she was actually flawless. Which is good because this film (and the book) was such an Ode To Hermione, amirite? I love that they decided to show what Hermione did to her parents - the whole scene, from Hermione looking at the newspaper reporting Muggle deaths, to the grief and sorrow and resolve on her face, to the moment she actually does it and her photographs start fading, to the moment where she walks down the street alone to join Ron and Harry... it was all so perfect. The scene in the diner was a nice callback to that, when the boys made her modify the DEs' memories and you could see on her face that she was remembering what she'd done, what she likely never hoped to do again. The memory charms and Hermione's proficiency with them was something that really resonated with me in the book, just as a part of what makes her who she is -- these incredibly dark, soul-twisting things she is willing to do for Harry, and for the mission. EMMA ROCKED ALL THAT.
Everything Hermione said or did was aces though. I loved the running bit of humour with her bag - there was a nice touch of self-awareness throughout the film when it came to how much of a deus ex machina that thing really was in the books, and I think that was necessary. I love that Hermione's prepared-ness and brilliance was always a thing, as well as her love for the boys. She cut their hair and she packed their clothes (I LOVED that their jeans occasionally looked slightly ill-fitting, but maybe that was just me) and fretted because they hadn't got a chance to celebrate Harry's birthday. They're her family now and they're literally all she's got and I always felt that throughout.
The torture scene was nuts and went further than I expected with Bella carving 'mudblood' into her arm. It was also really really sexual, with Bella straddling her like that. Also really sexual? Scabior's interactions with her, both in that scene where he didn't know she was there, and in the scene where they get snatched. I might have some vague half-formed meta thoughts on this because it's the first movie where they've done this with Hermione.
But yes, I was TREMENDOUSLY pleased with Hermione and how much of the script focused on how amazing she is. I always wanted to read her story more than anyone else's anyway. ♥ More on this in a bit.
+ HARRY, MY BOY, MY SWEET PRINCE. I have talked about how he is my fave male character in the series. I teared up when he visited his cupboard one last time, just like I did in the book. I wished some of the Dursleys/Dudley stuff had stayed in, because it was such a heavy moment, but I suppose the movie didn't NEED it. His emo asshat moments were great (and so were Ron's and Hermione's reactions to it), but there was also a sense of maturity to him that I felt he developed over the course of this book. I'll always love Dan's performance and the subtleties he brings to Harry's dynamics with Ron and Hermione that feel so much like book!Harry. And I can't WAIT for next July when he will REALLY fucking break my heart. I love Harry sfm you guys, idgaf.
+ RONNIKINS. I love Ron you guys, and I love Rupert Grint, and he gave a fantastic performance. He still gets saddled with some comic relief lines but they were both true to the book and perfectly played, and he was also given a lot of dramatic moments -- not just as part of the trio but as a character in his own right. From the moment where he stands apart from his family, to that A+ scene with Harry where he reminds him that it's not just about the chosen one, to his hardcore bloodthirsty moments in the diner, to his escalating emotions during the camping scenes. I really got a feel for his perspective as the only one in the Trio who's really a PART of the Wizarding world who has the deepest roots in it, whether that was in lighter moments where he knew the fairy tales to the tense moments where he sat by the radio every night for news of his family. Harry and Hermione have ties to the wizarding world through Ron and the friends they've made at Hogwarts, but because Harry has no blood family and Hermione cut herself off from hers to protect them, they are like an island to themselves in a way Ron isn't. They quite literally only have each other. So there were some beautiful subtleties there that reflected the books and their characterizations.
It broke my heart when he left them and warmed it when he came back. In general the Trio was so so beautiful. There was a hole there when he was gone, and when they were together, trudging through bleak, stark, beautiful landscapes, I was riveted.
Other stuff I liked
+ MALFOYS. They barely had any lines but their fear and intimidation was palpable, both in the first scene where Voldy takes Lucius' wand and kills Charity Burbage, and the later scene when Lucius tries to urge Draco to give up Harry. You could tell that Draco recognised Harry immediately and that moment was charged and perfect. Also, Jason Isaacs was SMOKIN', all scruffy and rumpled and afraid.
+ Rickman made me feel for him as Snape for the first time, in his brief scene. I HOPE they do the prince's tale justice in the second movie.
+ Death Eaters! Yaxley was so creepy and wonderfully acted. Scabior (not rly a DE I know) was a total creeper and kind of cute. Bellatrix was ... well, I think movie!Bella is such a caricature, but in the moment she never feels that way because of Helena's performance. And Voldemort of course. Ralph Fiennes makes him so genuinely scary.
+ The genuine tension in the Ministry sequence. I loved the older actors playing the kids playing them.
+ Xenophilius was so great. LUNA WAS SO GREAT. Basically:
Also every time Luna and Harry interacted. I'll never not ship it.
+ Neville! ♥
+ Bill and Fleur, and Fleur's dress, and forehead touching. <3
+ So much love for the Three Brothers animation. It was gorgeous and dark and brought that chapter to life in a way I totally wasn't expecting. Emma's narration was pretty great too.
+ The Seven Potters scene. Dan clearly had a blast miming everyone's mannerisms. Particularly loved his Fleur, Hermione, and Mundungus.
+ Both times I went to the theatre, I cried full-on when Harry and Hermione went to the graveyard, and when Dobby died. I definitely cried during more scenes in the book, but those were the two tearjerker moments that I felt were done perfectly. Speaking of which, Dobby. With his little shoes and his righteousness. I'm so happy at least some of the house elf subplot comes through strongly with him.
+ Srs horror in the Bathilda Bagshot scene, even though this time Voldemort wasn't there.
+ Disturbing WWII-esque imagery in all the Ministry propaganda and posters, and the 'Magic is Might' statue. :/ JKR's always kind of used the Muggle/Wizard tensions as a stand-in for various RL oppressive systems, and I haven't worked out how I feel about that, but it was really disturbing and effective to watch and added to the dark tone of the film. I liked how much emphasis was put on Hermione's perspectives and reactions to these things as the member of the Trio who is most marginalized, rather than Harry's.
Stuff I didn't like
+ WHERE WAS DEAN THOMAS. HE DOES NOT APPROVE OF THESE SHENANIGANS. I don't think it would've been that difficult to include him in the Snatcher scene or in the dungeons at the Manor. I know he hasn't had much presence in the films overall so far, but I loved that he was there as a muggleborn wizard from outside the Trio, a reminder of how the outside world was being affected by the war. I also loved the imagery of him and Luna spending a bit of time together at Shell Cottage. I didn't think it would've required much extra screentime to include him. Something else, more minor: no Potterwatch. Blergh.
+ Lupin's role was drastically cut but I'm not actually sure how terrible that was because I wasn't a fan of his freakout during DH to begin with.
+ The Ginny/Harry scene - the less said about it the better, probably, except: thing is, I'm zen about book!G/H. I'd have preferred Harry/Luna but whatever, I get it, I get what it supposed to mean for Harry -- but it's the way it's done in the movies that bugs me. I know Steve Kloves doesn't ship it, and look I can't lie and say I mind that he ships H/Hr. THAT SAID, he does kinda undermine Harry/Ginny in a way that's not necessary. I was bothered by how he translated the birthday kiss from the book by basically stripping Ginny of the agency she had in that scene. We got this kind of odd "zip me up" moment when in the book, she took him to her room and straight-up made out with him like a boss because you know what, it was his birthday and she made a deliberate decision to get some. I love that Ginny's unabashed in her romantic choices; I think it's part of what makes her who she is, so spirited and fun as a character, and it's a positive representation of teenage sexuality. And it's not like Kloves has a problem with teenage makeouts either, AS WE LATER SEE. So idk, that wasn't cool, and having her come down into the kitchen to get zipped up just made the whole thing more awkward than it needed to be. George's reactions saved it tbh.
+ Kreacher getting short shrift. I can see why this was cut and it wasn't a dealbreaker or anything, but I've never liked that so much of the house-elf subplot stemming all the way from the fourth movie has been left out or minimized. Not to mention, that whole subplot as well as Kreacher's story was some of the best writing JKR ever did, and was amazingly effective as well as an important storyline for Hermione. It was also the first point during reading DH where I was all-out bawling. It was just such a full-circle moment for Hermione and for her relationships with the boys. The moment when Kreacher gave her that little bow, and when Ron and Harry were kind to him... it still gets to me to think about. I didn't like that they had Ron use the frying pan on him either because that was totally Kreacher's thing. Just -- I get why it was all cut, but it was sad not to see the absolutely gorgeous character moments as well as the humanizing moment for Kreacher.
IDK. House elves, man. I have feelings.
Also, the house elves thing? 80% of why I ended up liking the Ron/Hermione in DH. To lose that removes MOST of what brought Hermione around to him in the end, and to me that was SO important to read. Again, it was so full-circle and beautiful. I never felt like Ron/Hermione was enough about Hermione and what she wanted, not until then. I love Ron, truly, but it honestly doesn't move me that he's the sidekick and really really loves her ok, and really really deserves to have what he wants. I'm not invested in that story. It's nice but it's Hermione's feelings I've always cared more about. So yeah, Ron/Hermione. Hermione/Ron. Hermione seeing Ron be kind to Kreacher, seeing him think about the house elves in the end, meant so much more to her than all his conscious gestures and attempts to be smooth and pick up hints from the twins' book. That was why their story worked more than I expected it to. That yes, in DH he finally decided to try hard to win her and that was nice, but in the end, she only needed him to GET it, to get her. I'm sure (I hope) they'll still have him say something about the house elves in the end, but still. Too much about him in this movie.
That said I think Rupert and Emma are really good at getting across Ron's and Hermione's feelings in ways that aren't in the script, and they were seriously precious in the R/Hr scenes. I STILL LOVE EVERYONE IN THIS BAR. TRIO ♥
+ Moment of confusion: How can Snape have found out about what was going on with the Trio without Phineas' photo? I guess it could've been off camera, but. Maybe I'm just sad to've lost those many adorable Phineas scenes.
+ All the weirdness and omissions in the previous movies surrounding the Weasleys came to a head in a way. Apparently Harry had never met Bill before, and in the next film I suppose they'll leave Percy out altogether. They'll have to, at this point. That makes me sad.
FEELINGS ATTACK
Harry. Hermione. KIDS. After two watches I still don't know what to do with what I'm feeling right now. I thought I was over it. I really did. I haven't even been going here for over a year. But... THEM. How could I have forgotten how gorgeous they were in DH? THIS MOVIE DID NOT FORGET. They made me so happy, but they also KILLED ME, because after this film? This half of this film? That's IT. And as far as swan songs go it was beautiful.
I MEAN. Everything was about how much they love each other, how far they'd go for each other and yeah - it's only friendship but nearly everything could be read as more than friendship if you're shippily inclined. Dan and Emma have such amazing chemistry and Kloves and Yates scarcely missed an opportunity to capitalize on it. I was reading someone's review the other day, I can't remember whose, that said DH pt 1 was like a gift to H/Hr shippers, like "sorry things didn't work out for you, but LOOK AT ALL THIS FANVID FOOTAGE".
The subtlety. Their faces. These moments after Ron left where everything was silent and stark and there were whole stretches where neither of them even said anything but got what the other was feeling. The constant contact between them - haircuts and hands brushing and face touching and that tactility I always imagine between them. And those quiet moments where they brought each other out of themselves with a look or a wry smile. Just. Whoa. It was everything I love about them.
The dance scene is probably my favorite moment of any of the films. The second time I watched it I was even MORE moved than I was the first time. Just. Harry sitting across the room watching her and not knowing what to do for her, then crossing over to her and holding out his hand. It had so much of the painfully sweet awkwardness that I like when I'm reading or writing Harry. There is SO MUCH INSIDE HIM YOU GUYS, and he has no idea how to channel it, so he isn't always appropriate, and yeah, they're just friends but that moment when she stands up and he slowly takes off the locket, are you KIDDING ME? So real and confused and desperately young, and JKR has said that time when Ron was gone could've been a turning point for them. I really felt that in that scene. Then he does these dorky little twisty moves and twirls her around and Hermione's laughing and it's GORGEOUS TO WATCH. I also love how they tuck their chins against each others' shoulders and there's this moment of peace and possibility, then the music ends and there's this charged moment where they look at each other but abruptly, everything's cold again because there's still that Ron-shaped hole. AUGH. NOT EQUIPPED TO DEAL. FAVORITE FOREVER. It was an h/hr moment but every bit as much a trio moment.
Then they went to Godric's Hollow and linked hands in the square and Harry found the grave and Hermione's FACE when she notices and heads over to him. He is standing there quietly crying (and I'm crying by this point), and without a word she took out her wand and made that wreath and it was so much like it was in the book. And there was this hitch as Hermione was putting her head down on his shoulder that felt so perfect and real. Legit did not want that scene to end.
The Forest of Dean was another unexpected sucker punch to the gut you guys. First of all, Hermione keeps bringing them to places she remembers of her parents, and that in itself is DEVASTATING. But by this point, they are exhausted, draining hope, and things haven't looked so bleak. I love everything she said about how much has changed, and how her parents wouldn't recognize her, and of course it occurs to her that they could really just let it all go. "Maybe we should just stay here, Harry. Grow old." Few people would understand what she's feeling in that moment the way Harry does. It's just the two of them left and they really could stay there and let the world crumble. They never WOULD, because they're motherfucking superheroes, but ...the connection between them in that moment. I love that Harry just listens. Neither of them would seriously do it, but he understands how it feels. IT BROKE MY HEART.
I just. I love my kids. I LOVE THIS MOVIE. I'VE RAMBLED SO MUCH. And I didn't even talk about that horcrux kiss, which didn't mean anything in terms of H/Hr but was ridic hot just like I figured Dan and Emma would be. They just went at it. Totally my beautiful dark twisted fantasy. There is no shame in my game; I've been looking forward to that kiss ever since I heard it was going in the film.
crossposted like yeah |
comments
eta: holy crap this is an embarrassing amount of rambling and flail.
+ Previously my fave HP adaptation was Prisoner of Azkaban; Cuaron remains my favorite of the HP directors and I think he and Kloves did a great job translating the time-turner stuff to the screen, and the Trio gave their best performances. That said I think DH pt 1 has definitely topped it. I'm so, so happy it was split in two so as little as possible was left out. That and the cinematography, the direction, the performances from Emma, Rupert and Dan, the music, the dialogue, all of it was the best it's ever been.
THE KIDS
+ HERMIONE JEAN/JANE/WHATEVER GRANGER. ♥ And Emma Watson... what even happened? While I've never understood the hate this girl gets I'd be the first to say I didn't always LOVE her acting, but in this film? she was actually flawless. Which is good because this film (and the book) was such an Ode To Hermione, amirite? I love that they decided to show what Hermione did to her parents - the whole scene, from Hermione looking at the newspaper reporting Muggle deaths, to the grief and sorrow and resolve on her face, to the moment she actually does it and her photographs start fading, to the moment where she walks down the street alone to join Ron and Harry... it was all so perfect. The scene in the diner was a nice callback to that, when the boys made her modify the DEs' memories and you could see on her face that she was remembering what she'd done, what she likely never hoped to do again. The memory charms and Hermione's proficiency with them was something that really resonated with me in the book, just as a part of what makes her who she is -- these incredibly dark, soul-twisting things she is willing to do for Harry, and for the mission. EMMA ROCKED ALL THAT.
Everything Hermione said or did was aces though. I loved the running bit of humour with her bag - there was a nice touch of self-awareness throughout the film when it came to how much of a deus ex machina that thing really was in the books, and I think that was necessary. I love that Hermione's prepared-ness and brilliance was always a thing, as well as her love for the boys. She cut their hair and she packed their clothes (I LOVED that their jeans occasionally looked slightly ill-fitting, but maybe that was just me) and fretted because they hadn't got a chance to celebrate Harry's birthday. They're her family now and they're literally all she's got and I always felt that throughout.
The torture scene was nuts and went further than I expected with Bella carving 'mudblood' into her arm. It was also really really sexual, with Bella straddling her like that. Also really sexual? Scabior's interactions with her, both in that scene where he didn't know she was there, and in the scene where they get snatched. I might have some vague half-formed meta thoughts on this because it's the first movie where they've done this with Hermione.
But yes, I was TREMENDOUSLY pleased with Hermione and how much of the script focused on how amazing she is. I always wanted to read her story more than anyone else's anyway. ♥ More on this in a bit.
+ HARRY, MY BOY, MY SWEET PRINCE. I have talked about how he is my fave male character in the series. I teared up when he visited his cupboard one last time, just like I did in the book. I wished some of the Dursleys/Dudley stuff had stayed in, because it was such a heavy moment, but I suppose the movie didn't NEED it. His emo asshat moments were great (and so were Ron's and Hermione's reactions to it), but there was also a sense of maturity to him that I felt he developed over the course of this book. I'll always love Dan's performance and the subtleties he brings to Harry's dynamics with Ron and Hermione that feel so much like book!Harry. And I can't WAIT for next July when he will REALLY fucking break my heart. I love Harry sfm you guys, idgaf.
+ RONNIKINS. I love Ron you guys, and I love Rupert Grint, and he gave a fantastic performance. He still gets saddled with some comic relief lines but they were both true to the book and perfectly played, and he was also given a lot of dramatic moments -- not just as part of the trio but as a character in his own right. From the moment where he stands apart from his family, to that A+ scene with Harry where he reminds him that it's not just about the chosen one, to his hardcore bloodthirsty moments in the diner, to his escalating emotions during the camping scenes. I really got a feel for his perspective as the only one in the Trio who's really a PART of the Wizarding world who has the deepest roots in it, whether that was in lighter moments where he knew the fairy tales to the tense moments where he sat by the radio every night for news of his family. Harry and Hermione have ties to the wizarding world through Ron and the friends they've made at Hogwarts, but because Harry has no blood family and Hermione cut herself off from hers to protect them, they are like an island to themselves in a way Ron isn't. They quite literally only have each other. So there were some beautiful subtleties there that reflected the books and their characterizations.
It broke my heart when he left them and warmed it when he came back. In general the Trio was so so beautiful. There was a hole there when he was gone, and when they were together, trudging through bleak, stark, beautiful landscapes, I was riveted.
Other stuff I liked
+ MALFOYS. They barely had any lines but their fear and intimidation was palpable, both in the first scene where Voldy takes Lucius' wand and kills Charity Burbage, and the later scene when Lucius tries to urge Draco to give up Harry. You could tell that Draco recognised Harry immediately and that moment was charged and perfect. Also, Jason Isaacs was SMOKIN', all scruffy and rumpled and afraid.
+ Rickman made me feel for him as Snape for the first time, in his brief scene. I HOPE they do the prince's tale justice in the second movie.
+ Death Eaters! Yaxley was so creepy and wonderfully acted. Scabior (not rly a DE I know) was a total creeper and kind of cute. Bellatrix was ... well, I think movie!Bella is such a caricature, but in the moment she never feels that way because of Helena's performance. And Voldemort of course. Ralph Fiennes makes him so genuinely scary.
+ The genuine tension in the Ministry sequence. I loved the older actors playing the kids playing them.
+ Xenophilius was so great. LUNA WAS SO GREAT. Basically:
Also every time Luna and Harry interacted. I'll never not ship it.
+ Neville! ♥
+ Bill and Fleur, and Fleur's dress, and forehead touching. <3
+ So much love for the Three Brothers animation. It was gorgeous and dark and brought that chapter to life in a way I totally wasn't expecting. Emma's narration was pretty great too.
+ The Seven Potters scene. Dan clearly had a blast miming everyone's mannerisms. Particularly loved his Fleur, Hermione, and Mundungus.
+ Both times I went to the theatre, I cried full-on when Harry and Hermione went to the graveyard, and when Dobby died. I definitely cried during more scenes in the book, but those were the two tearjerker moments that I felt were done perfectly. Speaking of which, Dobby. With his little shoes and his righteousness. I'm so happy at least some of the house elf subplot comes through strongly with him.
+ Srs horror in the Bathilda Bagshot scene, even though this time Voldemort wasn't there.
+ Disturbing WWII-esque imagery in all the Ministry propaganda and posters, and the 'Magic is Might' statue. :/ JKR's always kind of used the Muggle/Wizard tensions as a stand-in for various RL oppressive systems, and I haven't worked out how I feel about that, but it was really disturbing and effective to watch and added to the dark tone of the film. I liked how much emphasis was put on Hermione's perspectives and reactions to these things as the member of the Trio who is most marginalized, rather than Harry's.
Stuff I didn't like
+ WHERE WAS DEAN THOMAS. HE DOES NOT APPROVE OF THESE SHENANIGANS. I don't think it would've been that difficult to include him in the Snatcher scene or in the dungeons at the Manor. I know he hasn't had much presence in the films overall so far, but I loved that he was there as a muggleborn wizard from outside the Trio, a reminder of how the outside world was being affected by the war. I also loved the imagery of him and Luna spending a bit of time together at Shell Cottage. I didn't think it would've required much extra screentime to include him. Something else, more minor: no Potterwatch. Blergh.
+ Lupin's role was drastically cut but I'm not actually sure how terrible that was because I wasn't a fan of his freakout during DH to begin with.
+ The Ginny/Harry scene - the less said about it the better, probably, except: thing is, I'm zen about book!G/H. I'd have preferred Harry/Luna but whatever, I get it, I get what it supposed to mean for Harry -- but it's the way it's done in the movies that bugs me. I know Steve Kloves doesn't ship it, and look I can't lie and say I mind that he ships H/Hr. THAT SAID, he does kinda undermine Harry/Ginny in a way that's not necessary. I was bothered by how he translated the birthday kiss from the book by basically stripping Ginny of the agency she had in that scene. We got this kind of odd "zip me up" moment when in the book, she took him to her room and straight-up made out with him like a boss because you know what, it was his birthday and she made a deliberate decision to get some. I love that Ginny's unabashed in her romantic choices; I think it's part of what makes her who she is, so spirited and fun as a character, and it's a positive representation of teenage sexuality. And it's not like Kloves has a problem with teenage makeouts either, AS WE LATER SEE. So idk, that wasn't cool, and having her come down into the kitchen to get zipped up just made the whole thing more awkward than it needed to be. George's reactions saved it tbh.
+ Kreacher getting short shrift. I can see why this was cut and it wasn't a dealbreaker or anything, but I've never liked that so much of the house-elf subplot stemming all the way from the fourth movie has been left out or minimized. Not to mention, that whole subplot as well as Kreacher's story was some of the best writing JKR ever did, and was amazingly effective as well as an important storyline for Hermione. It was also the first point during reading DH where I was all-out bawling. It was just such a full-circle moment for Hermione and for her relationships with the boys. The moment when Kreacher gave her that little bow, and when Ron and Harry were kind to him... it still gets to me to think about. I didn't like that they had Ron use the frying pan on him either because that was totally Kreacher's thing. Just -- I get why it was all cut, but it was sad not to see the absolutely gorgeous character moments as well as the humanizing moment for Kreacher.
IDK. House elves, man. I have feelings.
Also, the house elves thing? 80% of why I ended up liking the Ron/Hermione in DH. To lose that removes MOST of what brought Hermione around to him in the end, and to me that was SO important to read. Again, it was so full-circle and beautiful. I never felt like Ron/Hermione was enough about Hermione and what she wanted, not until then. I love Ron, truly, but it honestly doesn't move me that he's the sidekick and really really loves her ok, and really really deserves to have what he wants. I'm not invested in that story. It's nice but it's Hermione's feelings I've always cared more about. So yeah, Ron/Hermione. Hermione/Ron. Hermione seeing Ron be kind to Kreacher, seeing him think about the house elves in the end, meant so much more to her than all his conscious gestures and attempts to be smooth and pick up hints from the twins' book. That was why their story worked more than I expected it to. That yes, in DH he finally decided to try hard to win her and that was nice, but in the end, she only needed him to GET it, to get her. I'm sure (I hope) they'll still have him say something about the house elves in the end, but still. Too much about him in this movie.
That said I think Rupert and Emma are really good at getting across Ron's and Hermione's feelings in ways that aren't in the script, and they were seriously precious in the R/Hr scenes. I STILL LOVE EVERYONE IN THIS BAR. TRIO ♥
+ Moment of confusion: How can Snape have found out about what was going on with the Trio without Phineas' photo? I guess it could've been off camera, but. Maybe I'm just sad to've lost those many adorable Phineas scenes.
+ All the weirdness and omissions in the previous movies surrounding the Weasleys came to a head in a way. Apparently Harry had never met Bill before, and in the next film I suppose they'll leave Percy out altogether. They'll have to, at this point. That makes me sad.
FEELINGS ATTACK
Harry. Hermione. KIDS. After two watches I still don't know what to do with what I'm feeling right now. I thought I was over it. I really did. I haven't even been going here for over a year. But... THEM. How could I have forgotten how gorgeous they were in DH? THIS MOVIE DID NOT FORGET. They made me so happy, but they also KILLED ME, because after this film? This half of this film? That's IT. And as far as swan songs go it was beautiful.
I MEAN. Everything was about how much they love each other, how far they'd go for each other and yeah - it's only friendship but nearly everything could be read as more than friendship if you're shippily inclined. Dan and Emma have such amazing chemistry and Kloves and Yates scarcely missed an opportunity to capitalize on it. I was reading someone's review the other day, I can't remember whose, that said DH pt 1 was like a gift to H/Hr shippers, like "sorry things didn't work out for you, but LOOK AT ALL THIS FANVID FOOTAGE".
The subtlety. Their faces. These moments after Ron left where everything was silent and stark and there were whole stretches where neither of them even said anything but got what the other was feeling. The constant contact between them - haircuts and hands brushing and face touching and that tactility I always imagine between them. And those quiet moments where they brought each other out of themselves with a look or a wry smile. Just. Whoa. It was everything I love about them.
The dance scene is probably my favorite moment of any of the films. The second time I watched it I was even MORE moved than I was the first time. Just. Harry sitting across the room watching her and not knowing what to do for her, then crossing over to her and holding out his hand. It had so much of the painfully sweet awkwardness that I like when I'm reading or writing Harry. There is SO MUCH INSIDE HIM YOU GUYS, and he has no idea how to channel it, so he isn't always appropriate, and yeah, they're just friends but that moment when she stands up and he slowly takes off the locket, are you KIDDING ME? So real and confused and desperately young, and JKR has said that time when Ron was gone could've been a turning point for them. I really felt that in that scene. Then he does these dorky little twisty moves and twirls her around and Hermione's laughing and it's GORGEOUS TO WATCH. I also love how they tuck their chins against each others' shoulders and there's this moment of peace and possibility, then the music ends and there's this charged moment where they look at each other but abruptly, everything's cold again because there's still that Ron-shaped hole. AUGH. NOT EQUIPPED TO DEAL. FAVORITE FOREVER. It was an h/hr moment but every bit as much a trio moment.
Then they went to Godric's Hollow and linked hands in the square and Harry found the grave and Hermione's FACE when she notices and heads over to him. He is standing there quietly crying (and I'm crying by this point), and without a word she took out her wand and made that wreath and it was so much like it was in the book. And there was this hitch as Hermione was putting her head down on his shoulder that felt so perfect and real. Legit did not want that scene to end.
The Forest of Dean was another unexpected sucker punch to the gut you guys. First of all, Hermione keeps bringing them to places she remembers of her parents, and that in itself is DEVASTATING. But by this point, they are exhausted, draining hope, and things haven't looked so bleak. I love everything she said about how much has changed, and how her parents wouldn't recognize her, and of course it occurs to her that they could really just let it all go. "Maybe we should just stay here, Harry. Grow old." Few people would understand what she's feeling in that moment the way Harry does. It's just the two of them left and they really could stay there and let the world crumble. They never WOULD, because they're motherfucking superheroes, but ...the connection between them in that moment. I love that Harry just listens. Neither of them would seriously do it, but he understands how it feels. IT BROKE MY HEART.
I just. I love my kids. I LOVE THIS MOVIE. I'VE RAMBLED SO MUCH. And I didn't even talk about that horcrux kiss, which didn't mean anything in terms of H/Hr but was ridic hot just like I figured Dan and Emma would be. They just went at it. Totally my beautiful dark twisted fantasy. There is no shame in my game; I've been looking forward to that kiss ever since I heard it was going in the film.
crossposted like yeah |
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