VCB 23: I'll Deathly your Hallows

This blog is going to be my thoughts on the newly released Deathly Hallows trailer from Warner Bros. I will only comment on things that occur in the trailer! It should be spoiler free. I certainly won't give anything away that would ruin your enjoyment of it without warning ever. I could rant for 5 blogs about how I hate it when people do that!

First off, if you haven't seen the trailer... why not you silly person!?!?! Er... I mean here it is. Enjoy.



At the beginning of the trailer we have a dark foreboding piece of music* and Harry Potter walks in the forest clearing to meet Voldemort. I think as an opening to a trailer I think this is great. There is a sense of inevitability in the way Radcliffe and Fiennes (Potter/Voldemort) act it so you get a sense of this really being the beginning of the end.

*Despite loving this music trailers are composed by different people and don't reoccur in the feature

This opening part is also intercut with a quick shot of the trio (Potter/Weasley/Granger) walking through a very pretty, bright country scene. It is shows both a sense of isolation for them because of this ebautiful landscape and only them in it, but it also provides a contrast to the world of Voldemort as it cuts back to the dark, blue-misted wood.

The trailer then kicks into to quick cut shots of scenes form both part one and part two of Deathly Hallows. Some people are disappointed that this is not just a Part One trailer but I feel the opposite. I am positive Warner Bros with put out a Part One trailer or teaser seperately. I am greatful to have a trailer which shows the fianl story as it was meant to be told - as one epic plot (this isn't to say I didn't want the split. I am just saying there is only one book.)

I won't go into what parts of of the clips represent in the films a) because it would take to long and you'd all give up reading and b) it would ruin it for people. I am sure fans will be able to pinpoint immediately what all the shots are and I am personally very happy with the look of the film. The fact they have split it into two parts means they can put in more story and this epic trailer gives me great confidence that all of the gaps they have left in the past will be filled up and fleshed out in this final installment.

The first panel you see come up says "The finale of the worldwide phenomenon", and the second says "The motion picture event of a generation". They are certainly selling these films as not only the most anticpated film of the year but obviously one they are confident will satisfy a hungry audience. It has been 13 years since I read the first Harry Potter book and for me, while my life with Harry will continue, it will very much feel like the end of an era.

Between these panels are a shot of Hogwarts with a protective spell around it (see below) and then the Hogwarts Express being ground to a halt by a sinister looking Death Eater. I think that these clips being placed between the two written panels is very clever; people have grown up with the Harry Potter stories on film and Hogwarts has always been the safe-haven. Granted bad things still happen but it wasn't until the end of Half Blood Prince when Snape killed Dumbledore that Hogwarts changed from being a place of education to a place of war. It emphasizes the importance and scale of this final installment and is a reminder that even Hogwarts isn't safe anymore.



I think we get a good coverage of old and new characters in this trailers. I know that people who are not familiar with the books will probably be thinking "Oh who is that again" at some faces, and then "Who could that be?!" in others. They also use a lot of mid-shots to close-ups of each of these characters (i.e. them turning their head or then reacting to something). By doing this they are almost suggesting an ensemble cast or at least that the amount of characters is on a more epic scale; much more of a battle than a fight. This is further emphasized with the wide shots of large amounts of people running as if into war rather than like they are moving away from something.

My favourite bit in the trailer is when Voldemort says "Why do you live?" and Harry replies "Because I have something worth living for". I have to do a little punch in the air whenever I watch that part; a kind of IN YER FACE VOLDY moment. Without telling the audience the outcome of the series the trailer is highlighting the key messages from the entire film series so far i.e. Harry is strong because he has his friends around him. We learn this in the very first film when Hermione and Ron help Harry retrieve the Philosophers Stone.

Near the end we get some clips from Part one with the release date and then the same for the second film. It is at this point I think audiences are wishing they could have a separate trailer. I think they could have possibly not split right at this section and continued the trailer as one complete story but perhaps this is a stylistic choice. I don't think it impacts too heavily on the effectiveness of the trailer as whole though.

We end on a dual between Voldemort and Harry with Voldy saying "Only I can win" which then goes straight into the title card with some awesome lightening and three-d letters. This end note is like a challenge. Audiences are going to want to see whether this is true and/or how Harry will prove him wrong. It is great note to end on with foreboding and excitement both emoted at this point. Very cool.

You know what isn't cool though? "Complete the journey in 3D". I think I will say no thanks. I don't want to watch these epic, amazing, thrilling, emotional films while wearing glasses on top of my own and wondering what they are adding to the story. Give it up Hollywood. I like my films the traditional way.

QUESTION OF THE DAY: ON A SCALE OF 1-10 HOW EXCITED ARE YOU FOR THE TWO DEATHLY HALLOWS FILMS?
My answer: A gazillion. Or y'know 10 if we are being sensible. Woo.