Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 [Review]

Last week I did a review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 on my YouTube channel, but because it's YouTube and long videos get boring, I couldn't really say everything I wanted to say. SO, here we go - my in-depth review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. (This WILL contain spoilers if you haven't seen it.)

Right from the beginning from the film, I was emotional, which has only happened for me with Half-Blood Prince, where I started to tear up as soon as the score came up and the title appeared (though I credit that to Nicholas Hooper's genius). This time, it was Hermione who did it for me. Emma Watson was so brilliant in this film, it blew me away. I haven't been overly astounded by Emma before this first scene with her obliviating her parents, but this time, as soon as I saw Hermione in her bedroom, with that look on her face, chills ran up and down my spine, tears were in my eyes, and I even gasped. I don't gasp in films that often. She got the emotion so perfect and the way the David Yates made her disappear from the photos....merlin, it was heartbreaking. And then when she obliviated the Death Eater in the Muggle coffee shop...the way her hand shook. I just...wow. The whole thing was just amazing, and I can honestly say it was one of my favourite sequences in the films, right next to the fish story that Slughorn had in HBP.

I thought the acting in this film in general was just so good. Emma really stood out to me this time, but the others were just as good - Draco, for instance, in the first Malfoy Manor scene. The look on his face when he Voldemort kills Charity Burbage made me feel EXACTLY what he was feeling. (I loved that scene in general, by the way. The room was exactly how I pictured it, though I didn't expect Thicknese to be there, but that's not a biggie. My only problem with it was that Voldemort talked about the connection his wand and Harry's wand had, which wouldn't happen, but I get that Yates needed him to say that, other wise it wouldn't have gotten talked about.) Lucius was also SO wonderful in this film. His part was very small, but Jason Isaacs made it so very memorable. He was so decrepit and rundown and just very un-Lucius. Costumes and hair/make-up did a wonderful job on him, and Jason Isaacs, as always, brought everything to the table. Especially if you compare him to Yaxley, who I thought, acted and looked like Lucius in his prime, before the fiasco at the Ministry; the expensive robes, the I'm-better-than-everyone air, spending so much time in the Minister's (and Voldemort's) pocket. Even his long hair was reminiscent of Chamber of Secrets-era Lucius.

Speaking of the Ministry, Bill Nighy as Rufus Scrimgeour was brilliant. He wasn't really how I pictured Scrimgeour, but it wasn't one of those times where I was so caught off-guard by how different my Scrimgeour was to the one on the movie *cough* Narcissa *cough*. Movie!Scrimgeour worked really well, and Bill Nighy was such a good casting choice. The way he spoke as Scrimgeour almost gave me chills. His voice just kind of crept into my head, which I loved. The only thing I didn't love about Scrimgeour, was the reading of the will scene, which was no fault of Nighy's. I had always scene that scene as an interrogation in the books, but it wasn't in the film. It was more like a conversation between friends than anything - and Harry and Scrimgeour were anything but friends. The only hint of book!Scrimgeour I got was when he handed Harry the snitch with the cloth, instead of his hands. I was incredibly disappointed with the choice to cut the scene like that.

HOWEVER, I did love the Minstry of Magic scene. The trio's transitions from the trio to the Ministry workers was hilarious and just perfect. The actors who took the place of the trio acted just like them, I almost didn't even see Reg Catermole, Mafalda Hopkirk and Albert Runcorn - I just saw Harry, Hermione and Ron. Especially with Reg/Ron. I was disappointed with Harry not taking Mad-Eye's eye from Umbridge's door, but his "I must not tell lies, Dolores" made me so happy! Those lines (and the Dumbledore's man through and through bit) has been something I've really missed from these films, so I'm so so so glad that they put that in there!

Another scene I was really really pleased with was the Doe scene. The form of the doe itself was so beautiful, and the setting Yates chose was exactly how I saw it in my head. The light was so gorgeous in this scene, from what I can remember, anyway. The bit of Voldemort's soul in the Horcrux was really well done, as well, I thought. The inky, oily blackness of it disgusted me, like it should. Though I was disgusted and disturbed by the nakedness of Harry and Hermione. It worked wonderfully, but I wasn't expecting them to all of a sudden be naked.

Style-wise, I also really loved the Tale of the Three Brothers. I love love loved the animation on it. The colour of the background made it feel like parchment being drawn on by someone, which was just so cool. I would have liked to have Xenophilius explain it, rather than Hermione, but he was so distracted about Luna being gone and having Harry Potter in his house that it worked will. Speaking of Xenophilius - I LOVED HIM. When I first heard that Rhys Ifans was going to play Xenophilius, I was concerned. I had only ever seen him in The Replacements as the football kicker (and by football, I don't mean the American one) and that didn't jive in my head at all. But seeing him in DH as Xenophilius, with his long hair and his interactions with Luna and inside his crazy house...he was perfect. Absolutely perfect. I especially loved him at the wedding, even though we only saw him briefly with Luna. (The wedding, by the way, was gorgeous. I want a wizard wedding! And Fleur's dress! Ah! So pretty! Aunitie Muriel angered me, like she should have, but ahhh I haven't wanted to hit an old lady more in my life!)

Speaking of creepy old ladies...BATHILDA BAGSHOT. Ohmygod. She was perfect and terrifying and SO FREAKING CREEPY. As soon as I saw her I recoiled. With her cataracts and her layers and stooped back....ew. I could almost smell the stench coming from her, especially once they got inside the house. So gross. And then the snake came out of her. I really wanted to curl up inside myself. I hate snakes. It was so scary. And when Nagini came at the screen! Merlin! I have never jumped so much in a film. I was probably half a foot off my seat. *shudder*

Let's move on to not snake talk. I hate snakes.

Oh! Oh! When the trio is caught! I want to talk about that! I loved the chase scene! I'm really disappointed that Greyback hasn't had a bigger part in the films. He's just so damn scary in the books, but he's barely even there in the films. And instead there's that other Snatcher, who reminds me a bit of a Vampire from something Anne Rice would have written, who is creepy as HELL, but he's no Greyback. I mean, Greyback could have done everything that that Snatcher had done and it would've been more creepy, at least for me. Though I suppose Greyback isn't pretty enough or something to be the head Snatcher.

I love the exchange between the Snatchers and the Death Eaters at Malfoy Manor. Especially Bellatrix trying to get Draco to say that Harry is Harry. And he didn't even rat Harry out. I really love Draco in this film. So much. The cellar bit is really perfect too, Luna makes me so happy. I love her. The only part I didn't like in this scene was the fact that Bellatrix carved Mudblood into Hermione's arm. I get the symbology behind it and the reference to numbering in Nazi concentration camps but...I can't see Bellatrix using a knife to torture someone. Anyone can use a knife. Muggles can use knives to torture people. But only witches and wizards can use Crucio, and I think Bellatrix would have seen that. She wouldn't have used a torture technique that Muggles could use. No way.

That being said, I loved the escape scene. And Dobby's, "Kill? Dobby never meant to kill! Only seriously maim or injure!" I laughed so hard! Even though I was almost in tears by that point because I knew he was about to die. Which was another thing that bugged me - he didn't get a burial scene! That was one thing that I needed to see in this film; the headstone that said Here Lies Dobby: A Free Elf. I needed that! And it didn't happen.

One more disappointment before I move onto the soundtrack - the lack of explanation about The Taboo. One minute Harry is saying Voldemort the next, it's You-Know-Who. No explanation, nothing. That really bothered me. I know it was all a time thing, but still. Bothered.

Okay! Now! The soundtrack! I only just downloaded it today and I've been listening to it while I was writing this. I am severely disappointed with it. Nicholas Hooper's scores for Order of the Pheonix and Half-Blood Prince gave me chills every time I listened to them. Even Patrick Doyle's score - which I didn't like very much - moved me emotionally at times. This one...I get nothing. There are some really gorgeous parts - like the last twenty seconds of Ron Leaves and Obliviate...but I'm just generally very unimpressed.

That being said! I was very happy with this film in general. It was probably the best one, and the one I left the theatre being happiest with upon first seeing it. I've found things about it that I don't like as I've thought about it, but usually it's the other way around - I pick it apart in theatre, and find more and more things I like as time goes on. So all in all, I'd say I would give Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 Four chocolate frogs out of Five.