2. Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 1 - Shall We Dance?
In spite of my annoyance with the directors for giving Hermione an inflated role in some of the earlier movies, Emma Watson is, I think, the best of the trio. She has a gravitas that infuses the character of Hermione so that when Ron balks at the idea of leaving Hermione behind, we agree that they "wouldn't last two days without her." Hermione with a broken spirit is very hard to watch. I remember reading the end of the chapter entitled "Godric's Hollow" and nearly crying at Harry's wish to join his parents beneath the snow rather than continue in his futile quest. In the movie, Hermione breaks my heart in a similar way. The best example of this is her speech in the Forest of Dean: "It's just how I remember it. The trees, the river, everything. Like nothing's changed. Not true of course--everything's changed. If I brought my parents back here, they probably wouldn't recognize any of it. Not the trees or the river...not even me. Maybe we should stay here, Harry, grow old." Every person in Harry's quest is carrying their own burden and in the book, Harry deals with Hermione's temporary loss of Ron as best he can. He takes care of the enchantments, throws a blanket over her when she cries herself to sleep, doesn't make her talk when she's not in the mood. In the movie, the dance scene seems--on the surface--superfluous. Harry takes the Horcrux and shows Hermione dancing skills that would put the most awkward of sixth-graders to shame. But let's look at it again. He takes the burden of the Horcrux from her, knowing the effect that it has on anyone wearing it. He then tries to take her secondary burden away by taking her mind away from that place and that time and everything that is going wrong. She finally smiles and even seems to laugh at the man she is still willing to die for. And then, in a heartbeat, that light fades. She's back to the person who can't yet get over Ron abandoning them and who probably blames herself as much as Harry for their lack of progress. While the movies were great about staying true to the books, they sometimes left the development of the friendship behind and jumped between events. This is a fantastic filler. P.S. Honorable Mention While we're on the Hermione thread, let's not forget the torture scene in which Emma Watson and Helena Bonham-Carter agreed that Hermione should have the word "Mudblood" carved into her arm. I almost wish that had been canon.
Kaki Olsen
Contributor
That's Kaki pronounced like the pants, thank you very much, my family nickname and writing name. I am a Red Sox-loving, Doctor Who-quoting, Shaara-reading walking string quartet of a Mormon writer from Boston. I currently work 40 hours at a stressful desk job with a salary that lets me pick up and travel to places like Ireland or Philadelphia. I have no husband or kids, but I have five nephews to keep me entertained. When not writing, working or eating too much Indian food, I'm always looking for something new to learn, whether it's French or family history.
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