Since I have a week of class still to go and since there's nothing to do in Sioux Center except go running and wondering how a college of any sort survives in such a small hamlet, I decided to check out from the College library the four previous Harry Potter movies. I've never watched any of them, and I was in a mood to take a break from the hard work of a difficult week. I was only partially successful. Now, I haven't read any of the books, so I don't know how they compare to the movie, but I enjoyed the Sorcerer's Stone and the Prisoner of Azkaban much more than the Chamber of Secrets or the Goblet of Fire. The Sorcerer's Stone, being the first, is more light-hearted and fanciful. There's a sense of child-like wonder at all that's going on. Chamber of Secrets, on the other hand, is unnecessarily dark at times. The only aspect of the movie that keeps it from becoming painfully dark is the light-hearted friendship between Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Still, Chamber suffers simply from having source material that is far too dark. It would have made a better horror story than a Harry Potter story. Prisoner of Azkaban, thankfully, returns to a more light-hearted feel. While there are dark moments, the overall feel of the movie is much more enjoyable. The movie simply is a good mix of intense story elements with light-hearted fun. Sadly, the Goblet of Fire, which in my opinion is the weakest of the four, does not follow Prisoner's footsteps. It's too dark, darker by far than Chamber. Most of the movie seems to be spent in messing everything up before minimal attempts are made to resolve some of the major conflicts, especially the interpersonal ones. For comparison's sake, it feels about twice as unresolved as Empire Strikes Back (and that's saying something). Now, I don't know if that is the result of the screenwriter and director, or if it is the source material. Frankly, I suspect it to be the source material, and if so, I think I've had about enough of Rowling's unnecessarily dark view of life. I don't read books and go to movies to see how messed up the world is. (And I never have. I refused to read Lord of the Flies in 8th grade because the dark tone annoyed me so much. The teacher, mercifully, let me read a different book.) I read and watch movies for enjoyment, and I don't particular enjoy the glorification of evil and seeing everything messed up without proper resolution.
So, I think for now, I'm done with Potter for now. Court Jester, anyone? :-)
6 comments:
I can't believe I have to be disappointed in you now, Seidel! Always read the books first! They will rock your socks off! And, after you read them, which you must now do, you will agree with me that the 4th movie was a lousy representation of the book.
Yes, I probably should have known better than to watch the movies first. But I was stuck in Sioux Center, IA, mentally fried, with absolutely nothing to do. Reading simply wasn't an option at that point. Now, I might go back and read the books sometime soon, but I need to get through the rest of my "summer" reading, first.
As someone who has recently finished the final installment, I can say that the entire series is worth your time. You'll get a kick out of it. I hope you don't cry in the last three as much as I did, though.
I won't cry that much, if at all. Books rarely move me to tears, the Bible being the exception, of course.
Yeah, my mom didn't even cry. I, on the other hand, cried quite a bit. Near the end of the sixth book, I actually had to put the book down for ten minutes because I couldn't see the pages through my tears. Thankfully in the last one, I could read continually, though I was still wracked with sobs at certain points. But, J.K. Rowling said that that part was the most emotional for her to write, so I felt better.
I just remembered, and thought I would add, that today is both J.K. Rowling's and Harry Potter's birthday! Coincidence?
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