Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

It's probably too early for me to write this review, since I went to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix just this morning. We HP fans are a difficult bunch to please because we tend to view every act of artistic license as a betrayal of the books we love so much. During my first viewing of the fourth movie (HP and the Goblet of Fire), I kept a running count of all the characters and plot elements missing in action; however, when I saw the movie a second time, I was able to relax and appreciate the film's many strengths. I have no doubt that the same will hold true for this movie as well, but for now, here is a quick rundown of cheers and jeers.

Cheers
... to the wonderful Imelda Staunton for her absolutely dead-on, pitch-perfect performance as Professor Dolores Umbridge. She gets it all exactly right, from the fussy pink sweater to the annoying little laugh, and the scenes and montages narrating Umbridge's rise to power are uniformly terrific.

... to Alan Rickman, who was once again underutilized. We really should have seen more of him, but Rickman's Professor Snape is so deliciously oily that he steals every scene he's in.

... to Daniel Radcliffe, whose strong performance allows him to hold onto our sympathy even during Harry's tantrums.

... to the art direction and really superb visuals. I particularly liked the use of newspapers and the large poster of Cornelius Fudge, which simultaneously recalled 1984's Big Brother and Orson Welles' Citizen Kane.

... for the much-publicized first kiss between Harry and Cho. Even after all the hype, it didn't disappoint.

... for the spectacular fight scene in the Department of Mysteries. I was a little disappointed that some of my favorite exchanges between Dumbledore and Voldemort were lost, but the filmmakers have made a valid choice to keep the focus on Harry's inner struggle as much as possible.

... for the superb psychological realism of the entire film.


Jeers
... for violating the laws by which at least two, and possibly more, magical objects/processes work. One of J. K. Rowling's greatest talents lies in the creation of an internally consistent fantasy world. She always respects her own rules; the director and screenwriter should have followed suit.

... for prominently featuring a spell Harry doesn't learn until the sixth book.

... for dumping the Quidditch plotline, which leaves Ron almost nothing to do but follow Harry around and be quietly supportive. Joining the Gryffindor Quidditch team gives both Ron and Ginny a chance to emerge from the shadow of their older brothers and develop on their own, but the film denies them this opportunity. The HP movies have consistently shortchanged Ron, portraying him as a rather fearful sidekick rather than a valuable ally, and Ginny does not fare much better. Although she does some impressive wandwork, she asserts little individuality.

... for also dumping the plotline in which Hermione and Ron (not Harry) become prefects. The Inquisitorial Squad, which makes only a brief appearance in the film, is meant to be a corrupt foil to the traditional, legitimate form of student authority; the Squad has little meaning by itself. In Book 5, we see students like Hermione and Ron (and, in flashback, Remus Lupin) struggling with their new power as prefects. Without this plotline, an important theme about the responsibilities of authority is compromised; viewers are more likely to come away with an image of smart kids rebelling against cruel and stupid adults than with an understanding of the obligations and abuses of power.

To give one example: Rowling's Hermione knows she is subverting the system when she talks Harry into teaching the kids Defense Against the Dark Arts, but she is careful to stay within the letter, if not the spirit, of the law: "[E]ven if Umbridge does come in here there's nothing she can do to stop us, Harry, because I've double- and triple-checked the school rules. We're not out-of-bounds . . . . And I've looked up everything I can think of about study groups and homework groups and they're definitely allowed" (Order of the Phoenix 336). In the book, Hermione is prepared to use Hogwarts law as a defense; in the film, however, she merely giggles and says, "Sometimes it's fun to break the rules." Ron's response is both ironic and appropriate: "Who are you and what have you done with Hermione Granger?"

... to the screenwriter and director for ignoring the lessons of their own movie. Over and over, the film insists that Harry is the stronger for being part of a group while pushing Ron, Hermione, and the others further into Harry's shadow.