Put-Outer & Screen Time (was Re: Still More Musing on Adaptations

[Monique]

> >> As for the Put-Outer, I'll have to take your word
> that the movie order is backward (and bestow upon you
> a special citation for L.O.O.N- iness for spotting
> this).  But perhaps they are setting up the shot, and
> they observe that having Dumbledore extinguish the
> closest lamp first fouls the lighting or obscures him
> or something.  So they fix it on the spot, not out of
> ignorance of the book, but because of the practical
> issues in filming a movie. <<
> 
> This film was made by an experienced director with an
> experienced with proper planning they could have made
> the scene work any number of ways, including with the
> lights going out from closest to furtherest. Close
> your eyes and picture the scene as it was in the
> movie, but with the lights going out from closest to
> furtherest. You see the Put-Outer held up and open...a
> long shot of Dumbledor holding it up...light from the
> street lights falls on him...a flick of the putter
> outer and the light from the nearest lamp goes to him
> and into the Put-Outer...the figure at the end of the
> street cast into shadows...as he flicks the
> Put-Outer...another light comes to him, illuminating
> him as it travels to the Put-Outer....etc... I think
> this could not only have worked, but it also would
> have been much more dramatic.
> 

My problem with the Put-Outer scene is completely different. 
I thought it took *forever*. Backwards or forwards makes
not difference to me. The scene felt slooooooow. It's not 
awe-inspiring magic to me. It's a simple thing that should
have taken less than half the screen time it did. Since
time was of the essense (screen time that is) I would have 
quickened this scene up, by half at least, and added ...hmmmm... 
Snape. Snape deducting points. In my estimation, that would have
been a much better use of the the 20 seconds.

Also, I'm with the reviewers who felt that the start of the
movie was slow. See above as an example. Although, to be honest,
I felt the start of the book was slow too.

-Q