November approaches, and July (far too long) after that, which for the last times means a Harry Potter movie. They have always released them alternating Thanksgiving or mid-summer, and this coming season they will have a movie opening on both days because they are splitting Deathly Hallows into two movies. I know many people are complaining that they did this solely to make money, and while I am certain that was a part of it, those same people have complained for years about what has been left out of the movies. I would rather go to two movies than have the last book trimmed down so far that we miss the conclusion we have all been waiting for.
In preparation for each book or movie release, I have gone back and watched or read (usually both) the chapter immediately preceding it. This time around, I am starting from the beginning and working forward. And now that I know where things are going, and how they are getting there, I feel I am getting a fresh perspective. Therefore, I have decided to compare each movie with each book and see which small touches made each unique and enjoyable. Now, to be clear, I generally think books are superior to movies because they come first, and credit must be given for the original idea. In this case though, the books and movies are tied so closely together, and Jo Rowling had creative veto control over enough that I feel that we can judge each against each other in the small things that add up to a larger preference. There are little things that I miss from the books in each movie, and little things that are in the movies that I think are superior to the books. This is not a question of how faithful the adaptations are, but how each medium benefits from the other. And so, today I give you Book One, and the next 5 before the last movie comes out.
Sorcerer's Stone: Book vs. Movie
This movie is the most faithful to the book, and some critics say it was faithful to a fault, and that it lacked the momentum that a really good adventure requires. I disagree with that. I think for a first movie of a beloved book, especially a children's book, you have to be faithful. It sets a tone (literally, as John William's score is some of his best work, which is really saying something) for all that is to follow. While some parts simply worked better in the book, like the trials the kids go through to get to the stone, they cut as much as they could while keeping the climax of the film recognizable. Some things, such as the Potions riddle, just don't translate to exciting footage. And while some critics complained when the film debuted that there was too much of Harry's internal struggle, I think people would now say it was an excellent jumping off place. For people who loved the movies but have never read the books, they needed to see inside Harry's brain, and I think director Chris Columbus and Daniel Radcliff did that amazingly well, especially given Radcliff's young age.
Which brings me to the greatest accomplishment of the first movie: casting. I can count on one hand movies that have been so perfectly cast as this. I am sure it helped that every working actor with a British accent wanted a roll in these films, no matter how small the part. Casting a film as popular as this will always run up against critics, mostly angry fans who had a certain idea in their heads while reading the book. Vivien Leigh once gave an interview saying that the amount of hate mail she received for being a British girl cast as the most famous Southern woman of all time was only half as astonishing to her as the fact that her mail doubled with nothing but love and praise after Gone With the Wind came out. (Side note: I have been writing this blog for over a month, and this is the first mention of GWTW. Be proud, people). So when it was announced that movies were (inevitably) being made of Harry Potter, many people braced for backlash, but that backlash never came. I truly can't remember whether Maggie Smith, Alan Rickman or Richard Harris was announced first, but I distinctly remember reading those names and knowing the movies were in good hands. In a movie (and series thereafter) full of fantastic casting, those three people were exactly as I had envisioned them, and to this day when I reread the books, those are the faces I see.
So while there are lines I wish had made the cut in the film (Ron's "Are you a witch or not?" to Hermione was not only hysterical, but immediately reminded us that while she was brilliant, she was still muggle born, and her first reaction was not yet to use magic) and some wonderful descriptions that we saw come to life on screen (like all of Diagon Alley) even more vividly than in the book, I can not choose a preference between the two. (Don't worry, about later books/movies, I am MUCH more decisive). Sorcerer's Stone created a magical world, and the movie breathed life into iconic characters. I for one love going back and experiencing them each again, and I know I am not alone in that. In fact, I should probably buy my tickets for the midnight show of HP 7 now....
Next time: Chamber of Secrets, or Look, it's Lockhart!
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