Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is having recurring visions of the night Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattison) was murdered by Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes). Then, one hot summer day, he and his cousin Dudley (Harry Melling) are attacked by Dementors. His patronus spell protects them, but almost immediately he receives an owl from the Ministry of Magic - he is being expelled from Hogwarts for use of magic in the presence of a Muggle. It seems like Harry's life as a wizard may be over. Today, we'll discuss Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007) We attended another concert filming, this time featuring the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center. The score for this film was written by Nicholas Hooper; appropriately, it reflects the ever darkening universe that is now Harry Potter's world.
This is the film that introduces one of my favorite characters - Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch). Though seemingly a bit vague and odd, Luna is one of the most sympathetic and insightful people at Hogwarts. Having experienced death, she shares with Harry the ability to see the Thestrals which pull the Hogwarts carriages. Endlessly teased by the other students, she shrugs it off saying "it's all in good fun," even though they've stolen all her shoes. Luna slowly becomes a key character, and is an willing and able member of Dumbledore's Army.
Another new character to the franchise is the odious Dolores Jane Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Foisted by the Ministry of Magic on Hogwarts as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts instructor, her goal in life is to make the school a haven for bullies, she being the biggest bully of the bunch. With her penchant for anything pink and for plates with kitties, she is a vile woman who literally tortures her students in the guise of disciple. One of my favorite scenes is her attempt to undermine Professor Snape (Alan Rickman). His response to her questioning is so Snape and absolutely priceless:
She: You applied for the Defense Against the Dark Arts post, I believe? He: Yes She: But you were unsuccessful?. He: Obviously
You can see the inimitable Mr. Rickman in action in this scene. Not surprisingly, he got a huge ovation when his name appeared in the credits.
We don't see a lot of Professor Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) in this film - he spends much of the time avoiding Harry (we don't find out why until the end). But the inimitable Professor McGonagall (Maggie Smith) is amazing as the one instructor willing to go toe-to-toe against Umbridge. It's hard to stop this monster, but Professor McGonnagall tries, even standing up for Professor Sybil Trelawney when Umbridge sets her sights on that harmless creature.
Our trio of Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), and Hermione (Emma Watson) are growing and maturing, but the character who shows the greatest evolution is Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis). No longer a cowering misfit, Neville is beginning to understand his power, preparing himself (and us) for his important role in the books (and films) that follow.
We are hoping that we can catch the concert screenings for the next three films. I'll leave you with this bit of the score and a trailer from the film:
As Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is about to enter his fourth year at Hogwarts, he is invited by the Weasley family to attend the Quidditch World Cup. The festivities are interrupted by the appearance of the Dark Mark and an attack on the attendees by a group of Death Eaters. This event signals that Harry's fourth year at Hogwarts is very much about a drastic change in his life and safety. This week, we're going to talk about Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005) Patrick Doyle's beautiful score was front and center as the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap played the music behind the film. It is truly impressive how much more intense the film is when a live orchestra is enhancing the film (much the way silent movies had a live accompanist). Wold Trap is a large venue, but we had an enthusiastic audience, who really became immersed in the film. We know from the film's very beginning that this is a different film from the first three. The Dursley's are not present, and we enter the film on Harry's nightmare - he sees Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes), Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall), and an unidentified man (David Tennant) kill an old caretaker. The dark tone of Harry's dream colors the rest of the film, as Hogwarts too becomes a nightmare world for young Harry - not just because he is forced into the TriWizard Tournament, but also because he is starting to notice girls, especially Cho Chang (Katie Leung).
We are used to Ron, Hermione, and Harry being a united front against the forces of evil, but their relationships are strained as they begin to mature. Harry and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) have their first major fight - Ronald is convinced that Harry entered the TriWizard Tournament in secret. Ronald and Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) also fall out when Ron unfairly assumes that Hermione couldn't possibly get a date the Yule Ball. His fury at Hermione (along with the fact that she is attending with one of his personal heroes) ultimately brings Hermione to tears.
One of the delights in seeing this film with a real audience is their reactions to the actors who became part of the franchise. This is especially true for Alan Rickman (Severus Snape), whose appearance on screen always results in long cheers. In spite of his somber attitude, Snape is a favorite of mine. Those of us who have read the full series of books (and seen all the films. Multiple times.) appreciate his dedication to the children's safety as well as the pain that it causes him. Of all the instructors, I believe the Professor Snape is the one person with whom we can all identify.
I recall, while reading this book, breaking into tears on the subway as I came to an event late in the story. The horror that we witness with Harry is unexpected, and author J.K. Rowling knows how to make you feel Harry's pain and shock. If you've never read these books, or seen the films, do seek them out.
We plan on attending more of these concert performances, for Harry Potter as well as for Disney (tune in for another animated film with a symphony score). In the meantime, I'll leave you with this trailer from the film.
2001 is a rather recent film for this blog to cover, but I had the opportunity to watch Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone again with a friend, so it seemed like a good opportunity to expand my focus a bit and discuss this rather lovely movie. I'm a big fan of Harry Potter (both the books and the films), so I was pleased when my friend decided we should make that a "movie night" selection. The basic plot: Baby Harry Potter is left on the doorstep of his Aunt Petunia (Fiona Shaw) and Uncle Vernon (Richard Griffiths) Dursley. He endures 11 years of neglect, living in a cupboard under the stairs in the Dursleys' home, belittled by his guardians and their obnoxious son Dudley (Harry Melling). However, on his 11th birthday, letters begin to arrive, not just by post, but down the chimney, delivered apparently by a flock of owls. Harru's uncle tries to destroy them, but a visit by giant Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane) results in Harry being taken from the Durleys for enrollment in the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry, it turns out, is a wizard, whose parents were killed defending him from a dark wizard, Voldemort. Voldemort disappeared after being unable to kill Harry, and Harry is famous in the wizarding community as The Boy Who Lived. I was dubious when I read the first Harry Potter novel. It was a children's book after all, and I was a grown-up. I read the first three chapters, muttering under my breath "children's book." And then I became so engrossed that I stopped categorizing it. As more books were released, I snatched them off the shelf; attending parties in Barnes and Nobles (one treat was listening to Jim Dale read from the prior book), waiting for my book to arrive in the mail, and spending the next few days savoring the new story. I don't often cry when reading books, but the Harry Potter made me cry three times. Thankfully, the movies lived up to the novels, primarily due to the excellent casting of the key characters.
Richard Harris was the perfect Albus Dumbledore. Sorry, Michael Gambon, good as you are, you will always be second best. Mr. Harris was not keen on taking the role - he turned it down THREE times and only accepted it when his granddaughter told him she would never speak to him again if he didn't do the part (The Guardian). Sadly, Mr. Harris died after the second film, and the role was assumed by Mr. Gambon. Severus Snape, as played by the amazing Alan Rickman is really a minor character in this film. He is quite disagreeable, and of course, we won't find out for some time just what Snape's problem is with Harry Potter. Mr. Rickman was at first reluctant to take on a part that, in the first script really just appeared to be a standard child's villain, but author J.K. Rowling told him what was planned for later in the film (Vanity Fair). Once you've read all the books (or seen all the films), you realize how marvelous Mr. Rickman makes Snape - he is a character it is hard to hate.
This is, however, a film about children: Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson), and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) and the enduring friendship and partnership that develops during their years at Hogwarts. I've always felt that Harry falls in love with the entire Weasley family, not just Ginny (spoiler - that's in a later book). The Weasleys represent for Harry the family that he lost. Mr. Radcliffe is especially good as Harry in this first film. The scene in which he encounters the Mirror of Erised is especially moving. As this child, who has never known love, looks into the mirror and sees the affection in the eyes of his dead parents, it's hard not to cry for him. As he has grown, Mr. Radcliffe has become an impressive actor. I had the opportunity to see him in Equus on Broadway, and recently in a NTLive broadcast of Rosencrantz and Gildenstern Are Dead. I look forward to seeing more of his work.
Look also for the performances of Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), and Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom, who will grow to become a fierce and fearless warrior for good). It's an exceptional cast in a movie that I can watch over and over - would that I had the time to binge all 8 of them!
I'll leave you with a trailer of the film. Next time, an earlier classic!
As young Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is about to enter his third year at Hogwarts Academy, he is in trouble. Infuriated at Uncle Vernon's (Richard Griffiths) sister Marge (Pam Ferris) after she has insulted Harry's parents, he has literally blown her up. Though magic outside of school is forbidden to Hogwarts students, Harry is amazed that Minister Cornelius Fudge (Robert Hardy) is not the least concerned. But the Minister is worried that Harry was out on his own; later, Harry is warned to stick close to Hogwarts from Arthur Weasley (Mark Williams). Does all this have something to do with the recent escape of Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) from Azkaban Prison? We had the opportunity to hear the score of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) played by the National Symphony Orchestra at Wolf Trap. The glorious music by John Williams is even more impressive with a full orchestra and choir behind the film. (Here's a sample of the song Double Trouble from the film itself). Added was a very enthusiastic audience, who showed their appreciation for the film - and for the orchestra. The crowd by and large stayed through the credits to listen to the NSO play the closing music.
Perhaps my favorite character in the Harry Potter novels is the most conflicted one - Severus Snape, as brilliantly portrayed by Alan Rickman. I'm not the only one - his first appearance was greeted by loud applause, as was his name on the credits at film's end. As with Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, we still don't know why Snape is so disagreeable, but one scene towards the end is rather remarkable. Without injecting too many spoilers, our young heroes, Harry, Hermione (Emma Watson), and Ron (Rupert Grint) are in danger. Snape throws himself in front of the trio to protect them. Nothing is said, but it is a moment that foreshadows the future relationship of Harry and Snape. This is Michael Gambon's first outing as Professor Dumbledore; he took on the role after the death of Richard Harris. Personally, I prefer Mr. Harris - he seems more like the rather whimsical Dumbledore of the books. But Mr. Gambon has a strength of character that makes you appreciate his role as Headmaster of the school. He is only in the film briefly, but he makes his presence felt.
Having seen the film several times, a new question arose about Aunt Petunia Dursley (Fiona Shaw). Given that she resents her late sister, Lily (Geraldine Somerville) and doesn't much like her nephew Harry, it's still hard to believe that she would allow her sister-in-law to call Lily a bitch with bad blood. At times, Petunia takes on the demeanor of an abused woman. She is so eager to please her rather nasty husband, that she allows all kinds of insults to be thrown in her direction. The scene ALMOST makes you feel sorry for her (almost).
I hope that we will be able to see more of these concert-driven films. In the meantime, I'll leave you with the film's trailer.
