HBP Sartoris22 comment - and my thoughts on what they did to it

[justcarol67]

Brian wrote:
<snip>
> JKR totally botched Harry and Ginny's relationship in the books, making it totally unbelievable.  The film did improve on that, but it still didn't really do justice to the relationships at all. 
> Missing Dumbledore's funeral was guaranteed to make fans who care about the characters mad.
> Missing Fleur's powerful declaration of love was unforgivable.
> And continuing to give all Ron's "loyal" lines to Hermione destroys the trio.
> Need I mention the kiss? <snip>
>
> Given their total disregard for the important things in HBP, I seriously doubt that DH 1 & 2 will improve.  <snip>

Carol responds:
While I agree that the film disregarded important elements of HBP, my list of items that they should have included is slightly different. I don't care at all about the relationships except to the extent that they contribute to the plot (for example, Ron's being poisoned after by the mead intended for DD after eating the love=potion-filled chocolates and the consequences for his relationship with Hermione). Ginny can be left out of both the films and the books for all I care. I did miss Fleur's declaration of love, but it wasn't important to the plot, and it was part of a more important scene change, the substitution of the pointless burning of the Burrow for the small battle between Order members and the DA on one side an d DEs on the other, which would have included the attack on Bill. I can understand the omission of Dumbledore's funeral, which might well have seemed long and anticlimactic. What I didn't like and still find frustrating is the diminution of the Half-blood Prince himself. Snape in both his manifestations, teenage "friend" and helper and enigmatic adult, should have had much more screen time. (I actually read a review that said he was too transparently evil--obviously, that reviewer is in for a surprise in DH2.)

Carol, who nevertheless enjoyed the film more than she thought she would and hopes to see it again