CoS SPOILERS: All Snape, and nothing but Snape

[Wanda Sherratt]

--- In HPFGU-Movie at y..., "melclaros" <melclaros at y...> wrote:
 For those of us 
> who have
> > seen Alan Rickman in many movies, fluidity is his norm, and the 
> abruptness
> > of some of his movements stood out more. And in CoS, here we 
find 
> him
> > stalking around the desk, projecting menace. No other word for 
it 
> than
> > "stalking." Lovely.
 Rickman is perfect and I think 
> he has a read on the character that far out reaches the 
director's! 
> HOPEFULLY this new director will allow him to demonstrate it.

I realized just how the director and editor changed Rickman's 
portrayal when I saw the longer Potions scene in SS when the video 
came out.  When I saw him go charging over to Harry, get right in 
his face and hiss all those answers to the questions he'd just 
asked, it made the whole character look different.  Suddenly it 
matched up with his explosive entrance to the classroom - before, it 
had just seemed odd that he would come in so violently then go 
deadly quiet when addressing the class.  NOW, I realize that THAT is 
the real Snape - quick, decisive, active, and dare I say it, FIERY.  
The quiet voice and still body show the iron control, but 
underneath, we're meant to understand, is a very tempestuous 
character.  It matches up with the rest of Snape's appearances, too, 
both in SS and in CoS - how often does Snape enter or leave a scene 
*running*?  Even the quick way he turns his head to look at or 
address someone; Rickman's interpretation of Snape is really that of 
a man of action, not a cerebral plotter.  I hope that the next 
director doesn't obscure that interpretation - Rickman is really 
doing a very delicate job showing someone who is naturally active 
but keeping a lid on it.  It's all too easy to over-emphasize the 
quiet menace and leave out the other half.