Book dialogue vs. script dialogue, soundtrack

[pigwidgeon37]

Alexander W. Hertzog wrote:

>Perhaps this is simply because I'm American, and perhaps it's simply 
>because I'm inundated with such schmaltz and deprived of a sense of 
>subtlety, but to me this is overreaction in the extreme. The "blood" 
>line *is* low-key. It makes sense, and it's so inconspicuous I did a 
>double take reading this email to make sure I understood what was 
>being 
>picked on. I would entirely expect a friend to tell me that computer 
>programming was in my blood (most of the men in my family are 
>engineers 
>of some kind). Does this line really bother you that much? It 
>certainly 
>didn't seem self-important to me. Just a friend showing a friend the 
>most encouraging thing she can, especially considering the fact that 
>Harry's parents are such a mystery to him.

The last thing I wanted to create here was some kind 
of "sophisticated European vs. Simplistic American" situation- I 
don't believe in it, it's stereotyped and, above all, useless.
As for being flooded with bad movies, it's a pity that probably none 
of you except for the few members from Germany, Austria and 
Switzerland have seen any of the German and Austrian post-war movie 
production, or else you would know what schmaltzy *really* means (I 
sometimes watch them on TV for fun).
Whta bothers me about most of the dialogue in the HP movie is that 
there's such an awful lot of really brilliant dialogue in the book 
which the script writer simply didn't use, but instead created lines 
of his own. Had he done a good job, I'd readily forgive him, but 
the "It's in your blood"- thing *is* awful. 
I also agree with Tabouli (was that you?) about Hermione's 
line "You're a great wizard, Harry etc.etc.". Now this is something 
taken from the book, but then a good script writer should know that 
something that sounds good when you read it for yourself, does not 
necessarily sound good when pronounced by an actor and accompanied by 
background music. Call me nitpicky, but if somebody pretends to be a 
top-of-the-range script writer, he should at least master the basics 
of his profession.
Same goes for Dumbledore's "It's love, Harry": In the book, it 
creates this wonderful, dense and intimate atmosphere between Harry 
and Dumbledore, in the film it sounds slightly kitchy.

May I say something else that will probably cause an invasion of 
howlers? I didn't really like Williams' music, at least not all of it 
(to say nothing of the fact that he shamelessly copied 
Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake"). Oh, and there was something interesting 
about the music which I only caught seeing the movie for the third 
time: There is such a thing like a "Leitmotiv" for Voldemort (you 
hear it when Hagrid tells about the death of Harry's parents). And, 
strangely, in one scene- I can't tell which one right now, have to go 
and do a 4th viewing- *Snape's* appearance is accompanied by the same 
Leitmotiv, I think it's when he catches the trio after they 
desperately wanted to see Dumbledore and tells them to go outside 
like the others. Now that would be a subtle hint at Snape being the 
bad guy! 

Susanna/pigwidgeon37