Cinematical Seven: Elisabeth's Favorite 'Harry Potter' Moments
Filed under: Fandom, Cinematical Seven, Harry Potter, Lists, Summer Movies
We're nearing the end of the Harry Potter series, and I imagine every fan is dreading that day a little bit. It was hard enough when the last book came out, but at least we had the comfort of anticipating a few more cinematic adaptations. But soon we'll be graduating from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and left to muddle through the Muggle world without new encounters with Harry, Hermione, and Ron.
Since we started Potter week with seven good Potter jokes, I thought it would be fun to end Potter week with a gushing, lovelorn look at seven of my favorite moments of the series. Like any Potter fan, I tend to walk out of the theater overjoyed, and then immediately start picking on all the things that were changed. But look at all the things from the books that they've gotten right – and sometimes even improved on! Here's seven such moments from all five films so far. I hope you share your own in the comments.
1. The first glimpse of Hogwarts' Great Hall (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
I remember being a little skeptical as Chris Columbus' first installment breathlessly raced through its first scenes. I loved the opening with baby Harry, but then the film seemed to dash over the ugliness of the Dursleys in order to get to The Really Cool Stuff(!). Luckily, the film took a moment to pause, and show us that they cared with its first breathtaking look at the Great Hall. There it was – the changing sky, the floating candles, the Gothic arches, and a serene Professor Dumbledore (Richard Harris, who I still prefer over Michael Gambon) surveying it all. I remember thinking "Oh! So that's what Hogwarts looks like!"
Since we started Potter week with seven good Potter jokes, I thought it would be fun to end Potter week with a gushing, lovelorn look at seven of my favorite moments of the series. Like any Potter fan, I tend to walk out of the theater overjoyed, and then immediately start picking on all the things that were changed. But look at all the things from the books that they've gotten right – and sometimes even improved on! Here's seven such moments from all five films so far. I hope you share your own in the comments.
1. The first glimpse of Hogwarts' Great Hall (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
I remember being a little skeptical as Chris Columbus' first installment breathlessly raced through its first scenes. I loved the opening with baby Harry, but then the film seemed to dash over the ugliness of the Dursleys in order to get to The Really Cool Stuff(!). Luckily, the film took a moment to pause, and show us that they cared with its first breathtaking look at the Great Hall. There it was – the changing sky, the floating candles, the Gothic arches, and a serene Professor Dumbledore (Richard Harris, who I still prefer over Michael Gambon) surveying it all. I remember thinking "Oh! So that's what Hogwarts looks like!"
2. The introduction of Severus Snape (Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone)
My sister and I both read the Harry Potter books picturing a certain actor in the role of Severus Snape: Michael Wincott. We were kind of on the right track, since they ended up casting his Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves costar, Alan Rickman. Any disappointment we had (and we were disappointed they hadn't called two girls in Colorado for casting opinions) was quickly allayed by Snape's violent, rude introduction. Little did we know what twists and turns that character was in for, and a "Wow, he's so perfect and mean!" became a waiting game to see Rickman dig into the emotional trauma that awaits the rudest professor of Hogwarts.
3. Gilderoy Lockhart's First Day in Class (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
The Harry Potter series has been full of UK casting coups, but I think my favorite remains Kenneth Branagh as poncy Professor Lockhart. It proved Branagh had a sense of humor, and one that could poke fun at his own overblown persona. He took the best clownish moments of the book, and laced them with a something a tad more sinister. I've always thought Columbus overplayed Lockhart's sleaze in the bookstore, but it's redeemed by Lockhart's disastrous first day of class. The way Lockhart interacts with his own portraits never ceases to make me laugh.
4. Lucius Malfoy and his cane (Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets)
I never took much notice of Malfoy Senior in the book. To me, his constant Hogwarts hovering was more annoying than villainous, and a weak attempt to explain Draco's bad behavior. But when Jason Isaacs smacked down his snake-headed cane, and curled his nostrils at the sight of Weasleys and Hermione's Muggle family, the Malfoys quest took on a new level of maliciousness. I really feel that one of the major flaws of the series has been its tendency to leave Lucius on the cutting room floor. The Malfoys have been at the center of every Voldemort plot from Chamber onward, with Half Blood Prince being the culmination of their ugly weaving.
5. "Expecto Patronum!" (Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)
I'm not as in love with Azakban as other Potter fans are, but it's grown on me. It's a tough call between Professor Snape in a dress (right down to the ostrich hat!) and this. But this one actually inspires tears, so I'm going to go with it. Plus it's at the heart of a delicious time travel sequence, and sets up the scene in Goblet of Fire when Harry's parents do return to help him. I love that they've always been a distant, ghostly presence and possibility throughout the series.
6. The Death Eaters Destroy the World Cup Camp (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)
J.K. Rowling hasn't shied away from portraying just how evil Voldemort and his legion of Death Eaters are, but their first major appearance was still kind of cartoonish in the book. But the movie took out the nightgown jokes, emphasized the screams and fire, and showed the Death Eaters for the racist horrors they really are. When I first saw the costume design, I thought they were too much ... but why be subtle when dealing with the killers of families? This is where it stops being all fun and games, and starts getting real.
7. Fred and George Abandon Hogwarts (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)
If there's one thing the Harry Potter movies have never had enough of, its Fred and George. I could have seen a little less of Seamus exploding things, and a little more of their wonderful, snarky jokes. Thankfully, #5 gives them time to shine ... not only as the happy pranksters they are, but as Weasleys who have always been taught to fight the good fight. I love the scene where they're comforting a first year, and the look they get when Professor Umbridge clucks at them for the umpteenth time. All the pranks the movies missed out on were rectified when David Yates included that big, glittering "W!" in the sky.
What are some of your favorite moments from the Harry Potter series?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-17-2009 @ 1:43AM
Kurt said...
All great moments, especially Snape's introduction. I loved when the Weasley's abandoned the school--they got all sorts of cheers from the theater.
Another favorite of mine is from Prisoner of Azkaban during an establishing shot, when the Whomping Willow thwacks a passing bird.
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7-17-2009 @ 3:18AM
John Muth said...
Great topic...and honestly in this series, pretty much everything has had something great to appreciate.
As you mentioned, Elisabeth, and the greatest thing this series has done, is with casting. I have to fully agree on the Rickman as Snape; but also Robbie Coltrane as Hagrid has been one of my favorites and also Brendan Gleeson (something about the larger men, I can find a rapport with) as Alastor Moody. Then of course, there's the ol' dark wizard himself, perfectly done by Ralph Fiennes.
I'm kind of with you on the Azkaban movie, I tend to prefer Goblet of Fire myself, which was full of amazing scenes - and in particular the dragon and under water sequences.
And finally, as a graphic designer (and just general artist, I guess) I actually loved all the type setting and newspaper layouts that were flashing by in Order of the Phoenix. It was that stuff more than anything else in that movie that really made me like it.
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7-17-2009 @ 3:31AM
joits said...
i found the cedric diggory death more touching and sad than dumbledore's death in half-blood prince so i would have to say that would one of my fav scenes. makes me wish that alfonso cuaron did all the HP movies.
i also enjoyed the scene during azkaban when hermione unconsciously grabbed ron's hand during the buckbeak scene... well played by the two actors.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6JZVTxuEd0
one of the funniest scenes too was when ron and harry kept talking to each other no matter how many times snape smacked them until finally snape slowly and deliberately rolls up his sleeves for one final smack!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzDkWCV8waI
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7-17-2009 @ 1:36PM
Wendy said...
I think my favourite parts of the Snape scene are when Ron's brother winks after getting a date, and Hermione comes back from handing in her work and says, "And I said YES." Though Snape is certainly funny.
I've got far too many scenes to mention, but I think the casting of the whole Weasley family is amazing. I really want to meet the oldest brothers though, I always had secret crushes on the both.
Also, I was quite happy with Harry's whole introduction to the wizarding world in the first film. It might have been the excitement of watching it on opening night in 2001, but there was just this feeling of living the whole beginning of the series again and wanting to be part of the whole Harry Potter world myself.
7-17-2009 @ 4:08AM
yani said...
At the risk of sounding particularly fanboyish (but if I can't do it here, where can I do it?), I have to disagree with you on #5. The whole Patronus scene at the end was a big fizzer for me. Firstly that's not so much a lake as a large puddle and secondly, Harry's Patronus appears as a stag and (quoting from memory) "charges down the Dementors"... it's not lame ripples of energy that turn into a stag later.
I would happily substitute the scene where Hermione punches Malfoy in the face as one of my favourite scenes from that movie though.
And I didn't think Lucius's cane had a snake's head, I thought it was a fist holding a spike... or am I mixing him up with somebody else?
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7-17-2009 @ 4:11AM
Elisabeth said...
Someone else, though I'm not sure who. I think it might be the Russian professor? Hmmm ... a quest!
Lucius' cane is a Slytherin serpent. His whole costume is covered in hidden snakes, it's a cool bit of detail for such a diehard Death Eater:
http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Film/Pix/gallery/2002/10/23/lucius_malfoy3.jpg
7-17-2009 @ 8:12AM
Mangorilla said...
I know it's kind of obvious, but I loved the battle scenes in Order of the Phoenix. Dumbledore vs. Voldemort was of course epic, but the kids fighting essentially by themselves, taking on Death Eaters in the narrow aisles of the ministry of magic, with most of them having just learned true "combat" spells was really suspenseful and well done. They've come a long way from making feathers float in the first film. And I really liked how each wizard had their own styles of combat, especially when the rest of the Order showed up.
And it's nice to see other Potter fans that liked Goblet of Fire more than Prisoner of Azkaban. Thought I was the only one...
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7-17-2009 @ 2:27PM
Eric H said...
I have to wholeheartedly disagree, they were very poorly adapted from the book, now the ones in the book would have been something to behold. The Potter series as a whole seems to water down the action moments of the books.
7-17-2009 @ 12:17PM
ICON! said...
Lots of great moments in the whole series. With all do respect to Richard Harris, one of the best moments in the series was when Michael Gambon stepped in as Dumbledore. Harris's portrayal was to whimsical and borderline overacted for me, Gambon portrayed him the way i invisioned him and grounded the character, especially in the later books, spot on.
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7-17-2009 @ 2:36PM
Eric H said...
I hate to contradict, but you must be watching different films, Harris was exactly as Dumbledore was written. Gambon is over the top and nothing like Dumbledore, he is far to angry and never conveys the cool and calm power that Dumbledore is supposed to possess.
7-17-2009 @ 12:34PM
Erin said...
My favorite moment was the battle between Dumbledore and Voldemort at the Ministry of Magic in OOTP. For the first time, Gambon was starting to feel and act like Dumbledore in this movie, and Ralph Fiennes is just brilliant as Voldemort. When they come head to head, it's almost exactly how I pictured it in the book. There was the right amount of magic and both showed how powerful they were. It's brilliant.
And I definitely agree about Fred & George. I'm so glad they got more screen time in HBP than I thought they would.
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7-20-2009 @ 12:15PM
Julie said...
There are far to many wonderful moments in all the films to list them all. I too am a huge fan of Fred and George, and of course the whole Weasley family in general. Besides wanting to attend Hogwarts I really wanted to live with the Weasley family at the Burrow.
While the films have often let me down in their adaptations, the casting has been superb, really spot on. And I agree that sometimes, like in the case of Lucius Malfoy, the portrayal not only brought the character to life but improved upon him. Robbie Coltrain's portrayal of Hagrid has made him even dearer to my heart than in the book, if that's possible.
I think the most important part of the films, is that they really bring the books to life visually. Suddenly the things you have imagined are real, and in that I think the films have been truly spectacular. Despite multiple directors and two Dumbledores, the attention to detail in everything from set design to costumes has been really fantastic.
And just to add my vote to the mix, Richard Harris was and always will be for me, Professor Dumbledore. I completely agree with Eric H., Harris as Dumbledore was exactly how he was written. Gambon was far to mean and never fatherly. Unfortunately I don't think Gambon got it right until Half Blood Prince, and then it was too late.
It it going to be very hard to say goodbye to Harry Potter. When that last film closes it will be as sad as it was for me to close the cover on the last book. To be a part of that world is everyone's wish...
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7-27-2009 @ 12:45PM
adam said...
I realize I'm late to the conversation, but wanted to chime in. Nice list of moments -- thank you for sharing. Perhaps my favorite moment is the battle at the ministry in OOTP (I am a sucker for impressive visual effects - but they're so much of what makes a movie-going experience, no?). I also really enjoyed the whole time turner sequence in POA. I thought it was really well done.
Speaking of "Prince of Thieves" I had envisioned Slughorn being played by Michael McShane (remember Friar Tuck?). He would be fatter and more boisterous, as I had imagined. Broadbent I guess was a decent choice, though.
And I gotta say, I do like Michael Gambon -- but I love Richard Harris as Dumbledore. There were maybe a couple scenes where I could understand some criticism, but I feel like that may have been more to do with the script than anything. All in all, I feel like Harris IS Dumbledore. As I read the series, and Dumbledore being my favorite character, it was always Harris I saw in my mind's eye. Gambon is a good replacement, since Harris has passed on. But to me, it will always be a shame we could not see what Dumbledore would have been like in the remaining movies had he continued to have been played by Harris.
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