Initial review by Diana L. - Krum Bewitched.

[Diana]

Diana wrote: <snipped by bboyminn>
> > Krum's eyes were clouded over due to the Imperious curse?  HUH?  
> > Then why was this curse such a problem for the Ministry if the 
> > victim's eyes cloud over while in effect?  Was this a red 
herring for the five audience members who didn't know that 
Voldemort, through Moody!Barty Jr. was controlling Krum?  ... why 
bother to introduce the Imperious curse earlier in the movie?  

 Diana L.

 
Steve/bboyminn wrote:
 
> Just a quick explanation of this one point. True the Imperios 
Curse is introduced earlier in the movie, but no where in the maze 
or after is it said or implied that Krum was Imperioed. Harry merely 
says that Krum was 'bewitched', and we are presumably to accept that 
he wasn't responsible for his actions. But it seems to be left at 
that. 

> WE ALL logically assume he was Imperioed because we read the books,
> but the movie doesn't establish that fact. 
> 
> Just one small thought.

Diana replies:

I understand what you're saying and it's reasonable. Yet, I have 
problems with the movie makers doing that.  While it is not 
specifically mentioned in the movie what spell was used on Krum, the 
earlier explanation, by Moody, of the Imperious curse and the 
difficulty it has caused (in telling liars from victims) was the 
perfect set up for what happened to Krum.  Readers of the book did 
not know Krum had been imperio'd by Moody!Barty Jr. until well after 
the fact.  We were allowed to wonder if Krum wasn't as good a person 
as we'd been led to believe, even if it was idle wondering because 
we didn't truly believe that Hermione could be that bad of a judge 
of people.  Why deny us that same suspense in the movie?  Especially 
when the filmmakers purposely left in a red herring scene showing 
Karkaroff closing the doors with him alone in the room with the 
Goblet of Fire before the names were chosen?

Why bother to throw out bizarre red herrings that cataract!Krum was 
the result of some spell cast by the maze (DD's comments about the 
maze changing people) when the Imperious curse had already been 
perfectly, and carefully, set up to be the reason for his actions?  
Especially when Moody!Barty Jr. later admits to Harry that he had 
Krum get rid of Fleur and Cedric.  I've only seen the movie once so 
far, so I'm not even sure of the wording, but I'm positive Moody!
Barty Jr. made some comment to Harry about Krum's actions in the 
maze being his doing.  Please correct me if I'm wrong on this point.

Why change the spell that made Krum do what he did?  It doesn't make 
sense because no other spell that could make others do a wizard's 
bidding (even when removed a considerable distance from the 
spellcaster) had been mentioned or implied throughout the movie or 
in the books.  And having DD's comments thrust in there just set up 
the explanation that the maze did it to Krum for the sake of non-
book readers is just silly, IMO, since Krum saw Harry and purposely 
ignored him.

Unfortunatley, I have a feeling that the filmmakers, thinking that 
children in the audience wouldn't understand that Krum isn't really 
a bad guy, added those cataract lens to show them that Krum was 
under a spell when he attacked the others, but, by default, left the 
spell used on Krum remain the Imperious curse as cast by Barty Jr. 
(as in the book).  I wonder if someone somewhere realized that the 
clouded lens didn't jibe with Moody's comments regarding the 
Imperious curse and had shoepicked in DD's ridiculous warning to the 
champions about the maze changing them to get us to discuss exactly 
what we're discussing - what spell or enchantment was actually used 
on Krum in the maze?  LOL    

I think their logic in this case was the same logic that ended up 
with the polyjuice potion in CoS just changing Harry's and Ron's 
appearances into Goyle and Crabbe, yet not their voices.  They must 
have though children wouldn't understand that Goyle and Crabbe were 
actually Harry and Ron unless something remained the same so 
children could tell who they really were.  

Diana L.