“Did I know that I just met the most dangerous dark wizard of all time? No.”
What’s it all about? In the beginning of his sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is immediately and blindly suspicious of his arch-rival Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton), especially after two attempts are made on the lives of his classmates. A curious potions book formerly owned by the “Half-Blood Prince” might just be the tool Harry needs in order to discover his bleached-blond classmate’s intentions. HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE also stars Rupert Grint and Ronald Weasley, Emma Watson as Hermione Granger, and Jim Broadbent as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor.
Half-Blood Prince By the Numbers
How old is Harry Potter? 16
How old was I at the film’s release? 21
Disconnect: 5 years
How many times have I seen the film in theatres? 2
How many times have I read the book? 1
Harry Potter Nerdery Level: Very Low (Completed the seven stages of grief after my disappointment with Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows. I still make the effort to see the HALF-BLOOD PRINCE in theatres, despite knowing that I’ll loathe it terribly.)
I have never liked HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, nor do I think I ever will. As a story, HALF-BLOOD PRINCE has two saving graces, the first of which is its contribution to the overall story-arc of “Harry Potter”. Throughout “Half-Blood Prince”, J.K. Rowling starts to focus on the end-game. She’s chosen the players and weapons for the final battle — and it shows. Much like any penultimate episode in a series, HALF-BLOOD PRINCE really just serves the purpose of placing each character into position for the final battle, like pieces on a (Wizarding) chess board. This explains the heavy-handed treatment of the horcruxes and Severus Snape — the two features of HALF-BLOOD PRINCE that are integral to the final installment of the franchise. HALF-BLOOD PRINCE has to get across a lot of information and convince you of its importance; Personally, I don’t think it succeeds. When Snape reveals he’s the Half-Blood Prince at the end of the film, I muttered indifferently in my theatre seat.
Besides its contribution to the overall narrative, HALF-BLOOD PRINCE also benefits from the at-long-last development of Draco Malfoy’s character. This is easily the most interesting feature of HALF-BLOOD PRINCE. Even though Harry is right that Draco is the one after Dumbledore, the Boy Who Lived is off-base regarding Draco’s motivations. The young Malfoy has come from wealthy yet corrupt circumstances — circumstances which have only benefited him up until his sixth year at Hogwarts. Draco is obligated to be loyal to the Dark Lord, if only to protect his mother. He does not know how to live as an independent body, as someone outside the influence of his family. So, becoming a Death Eater is, to the frightened Draco, the only avenue available to him. It also doesn’t help that Voldemort has threatened his life and the lives of his parents. HALF-BLOOD PRINCE does an admirable job conveying sympathy to a character who was previously just a caricature of the over-privileged. Disappointingly, however, the final two films do not maintain this careful consideration of Draco Malfoy, and his potential allegiances — to Voldemort, to Dumbledore, to Harry or to his mother — are never plainly spoken aloud. This is a missed opportunity for catharsis right here.
Favourite Harry Potter Moment: While confronting Draco after Katie Bell is revived, Harry uses a spell that he only read about in the Half-Blood Prince’s potions book — “Sectumsempra!” Despite his suspicions that Draco is attempting to murder Dumbledore, when Harry sees what this spell does, you can see the regret all over Harry’s face. The relationship between Harry and Draco has so much depth. Why did you drop the ball, J.K. Rowling and Steve Kloves? Why?
Favourite Ronald Weasley Moment: Oh, there’s the loyal and dependable Ron we’ve all come to love. Where were you in GOBLET OF FIRE, my dear? Yes, you also stood up for your best friend throughout ORDER OF THE PHOENIX even when the rest of the world thought Harry was a liar and a chest. High fives all around. Oh, but now you’re snogging that terrible, crazed woman who keeps calling you “Won Won”. Ugh, Ron! Why do you do these things..? Sorry, I was distracted. Favourite moment? Well, that would have to be everything about the love potion spell from Romilda Vane. Rupert Grint just kicks that scene out of the park.
Favourite Hermione Granger Moment: The first time Harry uses the Half-Blood Prince’s textbook, he prepares a highly-complicated potion to perfection, much to the complete frustration of the resident know-it-all Hermione Granger. It’s in this moment that Hermione reverts back to her bushy-haired, huffing-with-impatience old self. I swear I could hear her mumbling under her breath, “You’re saying it all wrong. It’s leviosa not levio-sah!”
Notes: Directed by David Yates; Produced by David Heyman, David Barron; Written by Steve Kloves, J. K. Rowling; Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, Michael Gambon, Jim Broadbent, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Felton; Music by Nicholas Hooper, John Williams; Cinematography by Bruno Delbonnel; Editing by Mark Day.
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I probably don’t hate this movie as much as you, but I am probably more irritated by its adaptation since I vastly like the book more than you. I felt the book deepened numerous characters and managed to position the finale in such a way that it was actually a compelling story in its own right (more so, frankly, than the stop-start pacing, wand convolution and overly tidy resolution that was Deathly Hallows). The movie, though, is nothing but the alignment; it’s like watching someone rack pool balls for two and a half hours. Even Tom Felton’s fantastic performance can’t make up for how much of Draco’s agonized arc gets simplified for the sake of simple plot progression.
I understand your objections to the book—it is by far the most “tell, not show” book in the series—and that’s probably why Yates was always going to mess it up; he has little gift for dialogue, and his visual flair isn’t distinctive enough to properly convey the two contrasting moods of nostalgia and darkness. This movie is just so leaden because of it.