By Graham Osborne
Hello again. It feels like it’s been ages since I wrote the last one of these (it has been. I wrote part four in May!) But I’m back now, and I have a full quiver of corrections ready to shoot into the target of Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix (or is that cadre of spells in my wand? I’m never sure with metaphors). Regardless, on with the show.
The reintroduction of Mrs Figg to the books was an interesting choice, especially as it was said that she would play an important part in the proceedings. It turned out that she wasn’t quite as important as people initially thought, but she still had a larger role than previous. Her portrayal in the film lacked the backbone of the books. She always seemed like a manic old bag lady; in this she seemed weak and pathetic. She should be a sterner figure, possibly slapping Harry when he goes to put his wand away. It does create a slight juxtaposition to how she acts in the court scene, but it is still fairly easy to explain away as she is nervous about being in front of the entire Wizengamot.
Hello again. It feels like it’s been ages since I wrote the last one of these (it has been. I wrote part four in May!) But I’m back now, and I have a full quiver of corrections ready to shoot into the target of Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix (or is that cadre of spells in my wand? I’m never sure with metaphors). Regardless, on with the show.
The reintroduction of Mrs Figg to the books was an interesting choice, especially as it was said that she would play an important part in the proceedings. It turned out that she wasn’t quite as important as people initially thought, but she still had a larger role than previous. Her portrayal in the film lacked the backbone of the books. She always seemed like a manic old bag lady; in this she seemed weak and pathetic. She should be a sterner figure, possibly slapping Harry when he goes to put his wand away. It does create a slight juxtaposition to how she acts in the court scene, but it is still fairly easy to explain away as she is nervous about being in front of the entire Wizengamot.
Speaking of characters that are drastically different to their portrayal in the book are the Dursleys. They took a break during the fourth film due to plot requirements, but return in the fifth to make complete fools of themselves. Dudley doesn’t really change, he’s still shown as a bully who is scared of Harry’s magic, but our first shot of Vernon is of him with his head in the fridge, a spoon in his mouth and a tub of ice cream in his hand. This is not the violent, malicious character that we have seen previously. It feels as though the director completely missed the point with the characterisation from the previous films. They try and bring it back when they’re rounding on Harry when he receives the letters, but the hatred has gone, replaced by pity. To put this right, the characters just need to be returned to their original odious selves. Make Vernon a man who shouts anything he needs to say to Harry because he despises him so much, and make Petunia an incredible neat freak who dotes on her son.
Following the Ministry of Magic’s warnings to Harry against the use of magic to repel the Dementors, he is busted out of the Dursleys’ by members of the Order of the Phoenix. At this point they decide it prudent to fly through central London, along the Thames and past a boat on the river to get to number 12 Grimmauld Place. I’m fairly certain that breaks just about every single law on magical secrecy in one hit. If Fudge had decided to bring that up during Harry’s hearing I expect the book series would have taken a different narrative turn. It makes sense from a cinematographical perspective, (people flying through clouds doesn’t make for a very interesting action sequence) but unless you’ve got all the wizards escorting Harry surreptitiously casting memory charms on everyone who happens to be walking along Embankment you’ve got a major problem on your hands. It would be simpler to have Moody cast some sort of disillusionment charm on Harry and the others to make their movements unknowable, it would take an extra bit of dialogue, and it could be incorporated into watching muggles walk along the banks of the Thames whilst their clothes get blown by a gust of wind, we can then change to a shot of seeing the group of wizards fly past more unsuspecting muggles.
Following the Ministry of Magic’s warnings to Harry against the use of magic to repel the Dementors, he is busted out of the Dursleys’ by members of the Order of the Phoenix. At this point they decide it prudent to fly through central London, along the Thames and past a boat on the river to get to number 12 Grimmauld Place. I’m fairly certain that breaks just about every single law on magical secrecy in one hit. If Fudge had decided to bring that up during Harry’s hearing I expect the book series would have taken a different narrative turn. It makes sense from a cinematographical perspective, (people flying through clouds doesn’t make for a very interesting action sequence) but unless you’ve got all the wizards escorting Harry surreptitiously casting memory charms on everyone who happens to be walking along Embankment you’ve got a major problem on your hands. It would be simpler to have Moody cast some sort of disillusionment charm on Harry and the others to make their movements unknowable, it would take an extra bit of dialogue, and it could be incorporated into watching muggles walk along the banks of the Thames whilst their clothes get blown by a gust of wind, we can then change to a shot of seeing the group of wizards fly past more unsuspecting muggles.
At Grimmauld Place we are given a scene in which Harry gets angry at Ron and Hermione for not being able to tell him anything about what’s been happening over the summer since the return of Voldemort. As this is happening, Fred and George “overhear” Harry speaking and apparate in. This is a curious moment, as we hear and see the apparition effects happening. However later in the film, both have completely changed for no apparent reason. Secondly, during this scene, Harry isn’t shouting, nor does he seem too angry at the fact that his friends haven’t been keeping him up to date with the wizarding news. This makes Fred and George’s entrance out of place since they have originally come down to say that he’s being very loud and creating interference with their Extendable Ears for listening in on the Order’s meetings. Giving Harry a raised voice would help account for why Fred and George come down, either that or have them arrive and say something along the lines of “we heard you’d arrived”, it stops the scene from being slightly incongruous.
During the film, we never find out what Snape’s role is within the Order. We know from the end of the fourth book that Snape returned to Voldemort as a Death Eater whilst passing information back to the rest of the Order. In the films we are never told this, despite it being a rather important plot point, especially in the Half Blood Prince. Even implying Snape is acting as a double agent would allow the audience a bit more understanding of his character. We know that he was a Death Eater thanks to the trial scene in the previous film, Voldemort even hints at it briefly when he has been resurrected. Having some sort of reference can set up an overarching storyline that helps prove Snape’s fall and redemption in the later films.
During the film, we never find out what Snape’s role is within the Order. We know from the end of the fourth book that Snape returned to Voldemort as a Death Eater whilst passing information back to the rest of the Order. In the films we are never told this, despite it being a rather important plot point, especially in the Half Blood Prince. Even implying Snape is acting as a double agent would allow the audience a bit more understanding of his character. We know that he was a Death Eater thanks to the trial scene in the previous film, Voldemort even hints at it briefly when he has been resurrected. Having some sort of reference can set up an overarching storyline that helps prove Snape’s fall and redemption in the later films.
The introduction of Luna Lovegood is done by Hermione in the film. This is despite the fact that Luna is in the year below her, in a different house to her and Luna is friends with Ginny. It wouldn’t take much to add Ginny to the group as they go up to the castle, as she is friends with everyone in the group, and introduces Luna in the book itself. Hermione also acts very dismissively of Harry’s claim that he can see the Thestrals pulling the carriages. It would make more sense if she said something along the lines of “it’s just magic” or say that “Hogwarts: A History” doesn’t mention anything about it so it must be nothing, just letting her apply some form of logic to the scenario makes it seem more believable. Also, due to the fact that witnessing a death results in seeing them, Harry should have always seen the Thestrals, since he witnessed his parents’ deaths at the hands of Lord Voldemort when he was a baby, unless he was too young to comprehend the ramifications of death at a young age.
This next point is more nitpicky than the rest. But I’m not happy with the use of the Ordinary Boys being played in the Gryffindor common room. I’m aware that it could easily be a muggle born student playing it to their wizarding friends, but it has never occurred before or since in the films, as a result it is very jarring and doesn’t gel with the tone of the setting. It would have been better to have the Weird Sisters from the previous film to write another song, or just not have a song playing in the first place.
Fred and George’s “Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes” makes an appearance in this film, but it would have been nice to add some back-story, such as Harry giving them his Triwizard winnings at the end of the previous story. The joke shop is also the reason why Fred and George leave Hogwarts with such a bang (I’m so, so sorry!). The pranks pulled by Fred and George against Umbridge are very good at showing her ineffectiveness as an authority figure.
Once again we come across a problem that could have been solved by maintaining continuity set up by previous directors (thankfully that stops here as Yates was director for all of the four remaining films) Sirius’ appearance in the fire of Gryffindor common room fire is different to what we saw in the previous film. Keeping the continuity is a small thing but it helps keep the audience (who can be sticklers for continuity (at least in my circles)) pacified.
This next point is more nitpicky than the rest. But I’m not happy with the use of the Ordinary Boys being played in the Gryffindor common room. I’m aware that it could easily be a muggle born student playing it to their wizarding friends, but it has never occurred before or since in the films, as a result it is very jarring and doesn’t gel with the tone of the setting. It would have been better to have the Weird Sisters from the previous film to write another song, or just not have a song playing in the first place.
Fred and George’s “Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes” makes an appearance in this film, but it would have been nice to add some back-story, such as Harry giving them his Triwizard winnings at the end of the previous story. The joke shop is also the reason why Fred and George leave Hogwarts with such a bang (I’m so, so sorry!). The pranks pulled by Fred and George against Umbridge are very good at showing her ineffectiveness as an authority figure.
Once again we come across a problem that could have been solved by maintaining continuity set up by previous directors (thankfully that stops here as Yates was director for all of the four remaining films) Sirius’ appearance in the fire of Gryffindor common room fire is different to what we saw in the previous film. Keeping the continuity is a small thing but it helps keep the audience (who can be sticklers for continuity (at least in my circles)) pacified.
We now move on to Dumbledore’s Army. Don’t worry, there’s nothing wrong with the scenes themselves, the spells on the other hand… Harry decides to teach the rest of the students Stupefy - the stunning spell, except it looks suspiciously like the disarming spell of Expelliarmus. Stupefy is meant to completely freeze up the opponent, similar to Petrificus Totalus (the full body bind curse) but leave the opponent completely oblivious to their surroundings, almost as if they were in a coma of sorts, but the wand flying out of the hands is not a side effect. Continuing along this note, Harry teaches the students of Dumbledore’s Army the Levicorpus charm. Leaving aside the fact that Harry doesn’t learn the spell until the Half-Blood Prince, the spell lifts the recipient in the air by their foot, leaving them suspended upside down. The spell that Levicorpus pertains to be looks more like the levitation spell Wingardium Leviosa (last seen in the Philosopher’s Stone,) even then it’s not quite the same spell as in the first film. This spell seems to consist of what looks to be a jet of warm air being projected from the tip of the wand which is then used to levitate the target of the spell.
Returning to Thestrals now. It would be an interesting framing device (and save the FX studios some money) if we were to see who can and can’t see the Thestrals during the flight to London. Harry and Luna’s mounts could be seen underneath them, whilst Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville’s steeds could be invisible underneath them. It would help show the fear that they would inevitably be feeling if they could see the ground moving underneath them with nothing holding them up. It would save money for the FX studios as they don’t have to animate extra flying skeletal horses, just edit out the green screen boxes the actors are sitting on.
Returning to Thestrals now. It would be an interesting framing device (and save the FX studios some money) if we were to see who can and can’t see the Thestrals during the flight to London. Harry and Luna’s mounts could be seen underneath them, whilst Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville’s steeds could be invisible underneath them. It would help show the fear that they would inevitably be feeling if they could see the ground moving underneath them with nothing holding them up. It would save money for the FX studios as they don’t have to animate extra flying skeletal horses, just edit out the green screen boxes the actors are sitting on.
Finally, there are some people who complain about Sirius’ death at the hands of Bellatrix Lestrange. The main problem is that people argue it takes too long for him to die, whilst this could be argued that it is just narrative timing, allowing the full effect of what happened to sink in to the audience’s consciousness, another argument can be made that his proximity to the portal is what caused the delay, his entire body is enveloped by the portal, whereas it would normally be just the spirit of the deceased to pass through, one could argue that an entire body would take longer to absorb into the ether.
That’s the end of another Fix it. As usual let me know what you think in the comments below, I’ll try and get these out quicker than the gap between two and three. They’re starting to get shorter again, the films started to work out what was and wasn’t so important as they got closer to the end.
Keep up to speed with the Harry Potter fixings with part one, part two, part three and part four.
That’s the end of another Fix it. As usual let me know what you think in the comments below, I’ll try and get these out quicker than the gap between two and three. They’re starting to get shorter again, the films started to work out what was and wasn’t so important as they got closer to the end.
Keep up to speed with the Harry Potter fixings with part one, part two, part three and part four.
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