GoF Reduction Discussion

Arya dequardo at waisman.wisc.edu
Tue Jul 6 01:02:57 UTC 2004


No: HPFGUIDX 104489

"justcarol67" <justcarol67 at y...> wrote:

> IMO, they can't do what Cuaron did to PoA and strip away or alter key
> scenes. The parts have to fit together, red herrings and all, even if
> it takes three and a half hours to do it.
---------

But Cuaron--or should we more accurately say, Kloves, didn't "strip away" and 
"alter key scenes" as much as he *restructered the entire storyline*.  The things that 
we hardcore readers knew to be missing from PoA, were not necessarily missing 
from what was a slimed down and more linear storyline.  

I believe I read Mike Newell as saying that he viewed this film as a mystery thriller.  
If they start at the QWC, you'd think they would just follow the book script from 
there.  But there's soooo many scenes!!!  I can't see how they will be able to fit in so 
many scenes if we follow the book's progression.  Some scenes will need to double 
up and serve as the setting for several plot points.  (Like the one Divination class 
where Hermione huffs off and Harry then receives Trewlawney's second prophecy 
all in one scene--two events that, in the book, happen in March and then June, 
respectively.)  

Actually, if you look closely at PoA, the movie, you'll see that there is very little in 
the film to suggest the passge of an entire school year.  There's summer, to Sept 
and then winter and spring, but the film avoid's suggesting the year is over to make 
it perhaps not seem like so much was glossed over.  There is no end of the year 
feast, no boarding the train, no exams--nothing.  The who TT incident just occurs 
sometime after spring and then Harry gets the Firebolt and rides until his face falls 
off.  The End.  

But GoF, IMO, is so very different. It has so many event that are bound to a specific 
date:  school year begins on Sept , Tournament opens at Halloween, First task on 
Nov 22 (IIRC), Yule Ball at xmas, Second Task on Feb ??, Third Task in June (on the 
summer solstice).  These things are not movable or able to be combined and I 
would think the rest must be bent around this structure.  

Arya (who forgot the point by now) 






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