First of all, I'm not going to review the film of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, as Paul Montgomery has already done a fine enough job of that.  Instead, what I want to focus on is the storytelling, namely, how the feminine presence is dealt with here and how the film is a Tolkien-esque adaptation of a J.K. Rowling story.

First of all, what does it mean to be Tolkien-esque?  There are a number of elements, such as a fully realized world and history, recognition of power beyond mortal understanding, a sense of foreboding mixed with hope, and a reliance on co-operation and the power of "humanity" (though that term is not meant to exclude other races employed in the story).  These were intentional concerns in J.R.R. Tolkien's stories and certainly exist in Rowling's Harry Potter universe. 

One of the most controversial elements in Tolkien, though, is the role of women.  Many critics have called Tolkien's books a "boy's club," with most of the power players male and most of the story focused on male figures.  At least within the main texts of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, female characters are few and far between and, when they do appear, usually are very flat characters with minimal dialogue (Eowyn might be the one exception, but even she is forced to disguise her femininity to be able to have involvement in the story, and its only relevance comes as a loophole to defeat the Nazgul king).  Rowling's works openly challenged that model, including an effective girl (now a woman) in the core trinity and using women teachers and characters in key roles (Mrs. Weasley is just as much a member of the Order of the Phoenix as her husband is, the Quidditch teams have male and female stars, Bellatrix LeStrange kills an important character, etc.).  The women are wives, mothers, teachers, students, athletes, friends and heroes.  This is very much a product of its times and influences, just as Tolkien's work is a product of his times and influences. 

In this film, however, the female element is really removed.  The first scene really sets the tone here, as Dumbledore wisks Harry away despite Harry's desire to meet up with the waitress in the coffee shop.  Dalliances with women must take a back seat, as the men have more important things to do.  Hermione, normally an integral character, here spends so much time being besotted with Ron that she is rendered nearly useless.  Even her fallback role as as class brainiac is taken over in part by Harry as he uses his Potions crib sheet to win over Slughorn.  She casts nary a spell (other than to subtly aid Ron), nor does her vaunted research skills aid the hero any.  Ginny, whose budding romance with Harry was a key feature of the book, is likewise a mostly silent presence.  Her dialogue is minimal and usually revolves around Harry.  Sadly, the film takes away the one moment that really made her stand out in the book, when she plants a big one on Harry; that would have helped to balance the scale on the male/female portrayals.  Lavender Brown becomes a one-note character, the clingy obsessive girlfriend stereotype, and the fact that she gets the kiss Ginny should have had is just annoying in light of that fact.  The other female mains, especially Mrs. Weasley and Professor McGonegle, also have a severely reduced presence here.  Lastly, Katie Bell, the only other named female, plays the role of victim of one of the assassination plots on Dumbledore (to be fair, so does Ron, but his attack is played initially for comic effect, then later to emphasize the neutered nature of Lavender and Hermione).  The only two women who have any real presence are Draco's mother, whose matronly concern is important but only openly expressed in one scene, and Bellatrix, whose cackling madness is once again portrayed wonderfully by Helena Bonham-Carter.  However, they're on the "evil team," which again could be taken as gender commentary (I don't think it means anything, but it COULD be read that way). 

Meanwhile, the filmmakers have made the males of the piece much more prominent.  One of the key points of this movie is the teacher/student dynamic, as shown through Dumbldore/Harry, Snape/Draco, and Slughorn and his "collection," but focusing on his relationship with Harry and Tom Riddle-Voldemort.  Now, this is important to the plot, and I'm not complaining that there isn't a female counterpart relationship, but it is one of the elements that makes this a "boys' club" story.

Also, and this was true in the book as well, this is really Harry's story moreso than any of the other books.  In the past, all the key events involved him with Hermione and/or Ron, excepting his first encounter with the resurrected Voldemort.  Even in the Goblet of Fire, although he had to go through the trials alone, he still had the support and aid of these two and others.  But here, it's all about him and Dumbledore, and this is one of the parts that recalls Tolkien.  The review of the Tom Riddle memories is, in its way, an extended version of the second chapter of Fellowship of the Ring when Gandalf relates to Frodo all that had happened up to that point.  The final combat Harry and Dumbledore participate in together and the way it was filmed likewise recalls Gandalf vs. the Balrog in the cinematic retelling of Fellowship, which may have been a conscious choice, as was Harry watching the death of Dumbledore and not being able to stop it. 

Ron's role is also upped in this story.  While he was just as love-struck as Hermione, his experience was humorous (and Rupert Grint pulls it off excellently) while hers was mopey and debilitating.  Again, Ron does not get to be the hero of the piece or even a part of the hero's battles, but he does get his moment to shine in Quidditch, again showing that his feelings don't get in the way of his ability to act.  He appears quite confident in his role as Keeper during the one filmed match, and you could imagine that if there were a Potter version of Sports Illustrated or ESPN, he would have made the highlight reel or shot of the week.

The one time where the Tolkien-like nature of this story is both challenged and maintained is the very end, when Harry declares his intention to go off on his own to hunt down the horcruxes.  Hermione's declaration that there's no way she and Ron would let him go alone is very reminiscent of Sam's declaration to Frodo.  But having that come from Hermione and not Ron reminds us that she's just as much a part of the final act as the two males of the trinity, and I think the balance will be restored in the next two movies.

This does not mean that it was bad movie or that I didn't like it.  I really did, and I can't wait for the final two installments of the series.  But as a part of the whole tapestry, this film is notable in its missing element of strong female characters.  It doesn't degrade or diminish women (though the over-the-top behavior of Lavender is a little painful), but it doesn't make them prominent, either.  It is the one element of Tolkien's storytelling that this series could do without.            

Article Tags

Write a Response