phoenix rising

[Jeremy Robinson]

First thoughts on 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix'.

Two great opening set-pieces: the Dementor attack and the wizard escort to London.

The book seemed to slow down too much in the Grimmauld Place chapters. Mrs
Weasley got incredibly tiresome with her continual shouting and screaming. And
Harry's restless anger was became tedious. Rowling seemed to be trying for a
'darker', more 'rebellious' Harry, a misunderstood, hormonal teenager, but the
repetitive outbursts of rage didn't build up to something greater. However, in
the 2nd half of the novel, Harry's characterization was tremendously
effective. 
The themes of 'tragedy' and 'darkness' which Rowling was striving for came out
much stronger in the scenes of Mr Weasley in hospital, and Sirius's death. And
Neville's insane parents in the hospital were, in a way, the most disturbing
image in the book (the narrator underlines this: 'Neville looked around at the
others, his expression defiant, as though daring them to laugh, but Harry did
not think he'd ever found anything less funny in his life'). Mental illness is
perhaps more of a taboo in contemporary popular culture (in films and books)
than violence or death. Rowling handles it really sensitively (like the touch
of having Neville save a candy wrapper his mother's given him). 

When the action moved to Hogwarts, as so often in a 'Harry Potter' book, 'The
Order of the Phoenix' moved into a far more satisfying realm. 

The idea of Harry teaching a Dark Arts club was genius. 

Professor Umbridge was a fabulous villain and hate figure - the school
inspector from Hell. (Pam Ferris, who's in 'Matilda', would be great in the
film of the book). But a close second to Umbridge as a loathsome villain is
the psychopathic witch Bellatrix. 

Rowling didn't seem to know exactly what to do with Sirius (or Lupin). Sirius
was stranded at Grimmauld Place for most of the novel. True, the reasons given
for Black's hiding came from no less than the chief authority in the 'Harry
Potter' series - Dumbledore - but Black could've been more than just a link
with Harry's past, and his father. Somehow, one thought that Black would be
more than another distant father figure for Harry. 
In the same way, although Dumbledore's absence for much of the book was also
part of the plot, one missed his presence (partly because the relationship
between Harry and Dumbledore forms the core of the 'Harry Potter' series). 

Trelawney playing such a prominent role in the central plot (with her prophecy
about Harry and Voldemort) was a surprise - especially after Rowling had so
ruthlessly satirized Trelawney, astrology and divination in earlier books. 

The cute Cho and Harry scenes (the first kiss, the Valentine's Day date) were
great. Just as amusing were the debriefings afterwards, with Hermione coolly
pointing out everything Harry did wrong. 



Other great bits:


The wizards in the paintings in Dumbledore's office. 

Hagrid's story of meeting the giants.

Ron at the quidditch match. 

Ron's outbursts over Ginny's boyfriends. 

The twins' triumphant broomstick exit from Hogwarts ('I think we've outgrown
full-time education'). That scene's a powerful wish-fulfilment fantasy for
kids who want to escape the deadening authoritarian regime of school. 

The new locations, particularly the hospital and the Ministry of Magic. 

The new characters, particularly Tonks, Umbridge and Lovegood. 

Dumbledore very very coolly running verbal rings around any antagonist,
particularly Fudge and Umbridge. It was a great touch having Dumbledore acting
supremely calmly in the climactic battle: '...continuing to walk towards
Voldemort as though he had not a fear in the world, as though nothing had
happened to interrupt his stroll up the hall'. 

---

The confrontation between Harry and Snape during the Occulumency lessons was
wonderful, some of Rowling's best dialogue (Rowling always writes great scenes
when they feature Snape). And Snape still remained a darkly ambiguous figure,
with all sorts of hints at his role in the final books. 

The climactic rescue mission was marvellous, with many highpoints, including
the wizard duels, the chase through the Dept of Mysteries, and Dumbledore's
stand-off with Voldemort (a scene readers have been waiting for since book
one). 

The introduction of Neville as a major character was marvellous, including his
tragic past and parents which mirror Harry's experience. And taking Neville
right to the end of the climax at the Ministry of Magic, beyond the points
where Hermione and Ron were involved, was another welcome surprise. Neville's
the new hero of the 'Harry Potter' books, especially in the final scenes. 
Since the first book, though (where Neville played a larger part than in the
film), Neville's been a significant character: in Harry's very first try-out
on a broomstick, in 'Philosopher's Stone', he saves Neville's remembrall from
Malfoy - a seemingly trivial act which embodies many of the confrontations of
the 'Harry Potter' series (good vs. evil, Gryffindor vs. Syltherin, a battle
over a magical object, Harry vs. the son of a Death-eater and follower of
Voldemort). Four books later, Harry and Neville are pitted against another
Malfoy -  Lucius - who, at the end of 'The Order of the Phoenix', leads an
attack of Death-eaters on the group. 
Neville also ties in with Dumbledore's pronouncement to Voldemort, a few
minutes after that chase and attack: the Dark Lord's convinced there's
'nothing worse than death', but Dumbledore replies there is. In Rowling's
universe, one thing worse than death would be living without love (love being
the one thing Voldemort keeps under-estimating). But another thing worse than
death would be having both your parents turned insane, which happens to
Neville's folks. In a way, the living death Neville's parents endure is even
worse a fate than that of Harry's parents. At least the Potters died
instantly, but Neville's parents are faced with forty years of mental illness. 

Frustrating that audiences'll have to wait until at least 2006 or 2007 to see
the movie of 'The Order of the Phoenix'. 
It'd be great if Warners recut the 'Harry Potter' films into an epic TV series
some time, putting back every deleted scene and shooting extra material.
There're lots of cool bits in every 'Harry Potter' book that haven't made it
to the screen yet.