POA - Movie Review - Does Contain Spoilers

[junediamanti]

--- In HPFGU-Movie at yahoogroups.com, "Krissy" <surreal_44 at y...> wrote:
> I really feel the need to address this topic, because as a writer 
of 
> fanfiction and also as a roleplayer it's a rather sore subject. I
> sometimes appear curt when I write, so please take what I write 
with a
> small grain of salt, because it may come across as insulting, and 
I'm
> not trying to.  :)

I certainly don't see the way you've written here as insulting at 
all.  However, I also write fanfic, and original stuff and I have to 
say that to imply the stories belong only to Jo is naive.   The 
stories belong to her until they are published.  After that, they are 
the property jointly of her and the reader.  That's true of any 
story. It is no longer yours once you publish, or in the case of 
fanfic, upload.

This is similar to ongoing rows you get in fanfic groups over 
reviews - usually started when someone gets a review they do not 
like.  A kind of "how dare they not love my vision!" thing. The 
writer then  proceeds to justify themselves with "That is not what I 
meant!".  Please note, I am not for a moment suggesting you do this!  
However, while it is admirable for Jo to defend the movies (and 
considering the prices at stake, she'd better) it does not win the 
argument.  She can't be seen to get in a public row with Warners.  
Neither would win. 

For me, and a good many other fans, the backstory issue of MWPP and 
Snape is a central subplot of the book and series.  The character of 
Severus Snape and his behaviour in certain episodes of the book is 
also pivotal and for a good many fans may well be the reason why they 
love this particular book more than any of the others. 

I'm not for a moment saying that all good fans should boycott this 
movie. I'd recommend all fans go and see it - there is a good deal to 
feel very pleased about.  There is however, for me, a bloody huge gap 
between what the movie delivered and my expectations of it. 

It's not down to production.  It's not down to acting (I'm not 
impressed by Rickman's performance in this film, but given that his 
role was subjected to chainsaw massacre can we blame him?).  It is 
down to the screenplay - which has been written by someone who for me 
does not understand the book.

You can screenplay "difficult" books in the fantasy genre.  The LOTR 
trilogy has proved that.  There were cuts made from book to movie and 
changes too that infuriated the purists.  However no one can doubt 
that Jackson was true to the spirit of the books, and the emotional 
centre is still strongly there.  

Not so with POA.


> 
> --- In HPFGU-
Movie at yahoogroups.com, "a_reader2003"<carolynwhite2 at a...>
> wrote:
> 
> <snip>
> >>What slightly worries me is that Jo is apparently very pleased 
with
> the way this film stays close to the emotional truth of POA, when it
> seemed to me to skim very lightly over the top of it. 

I hate to utter this heresy, but I feel she can sometimes be 
irritatingly asinine.  First of all to quote Mandy Rice "She would 
say that, woudn't she" - Jo's not going to diss the movie, whatever 
she may chose to think about it.  

Secondly, she is either not able to fully read back her own work in a 
detached way, or millions of readers of that scene have totally 
misunderstood what was going on.  I don't think the movie does 
justice to the emotional rendering of the book.  this is the first 
book where Harry begins to discover something of his mysterious 
past.  And I'm sorry, for me this movie just didn't cut it.  It was 
half there - it could have been all there.  Easy - cut the crap with 
singing toads and spend that five minutes with an explanation of 
the "Prank".  Curtail the hippogryph flight and lets have Snape going 
ballistic at the end.  

Highlight the fact that Harry helps Sirius escape and loses the 
chance of a loving home!  It was there, but not adequately stressed.  
What did we get instead?  Wonderwoman!Hermione practically running 
the show.  I love her character, but it was talked up out of all 
recognition.

> 
> 
> 
>  Why in the world would it worry you that the author of the series
> that we all adore so much is happy with the movie? She is the one 
with
> the insight into the characters. She knows their motivations, what
> they feel, and what makes them tick. She knows how the series is 
going
> to end, and she has a good idea of how to accomplish it in her next
> two books. 
> 
> If she is happy with the movie, I think it's silly and selfish of
> people to nit-pick the hardwork that many people have put into 
trying
> to  visually create the world of Harry Potter. Just because it isn't
> what -you- envisioned doesn't mean that it's wrong. 

That's fine, except I don't fully buy that she is totally satisfied.  
And I still believe the fans have some strong entitlement here. The 
book would not have been filmed to this budget, or level of 
production value if it had not been a best seller.  So to some 
extent, it is the fans that bought the movie. It would not have been 
made unless it was a major seller. 

June