GoF Reduction Discussion

[cubfanbudwoman]

No: HPFGUIDX 103543

Ariana wrote:
> IIRC, in the same interview where Dan Radcliffe said he was 
> learning scuba-diving, he mentioned that he wasn't looking forward 
> to filming the scenes for the first task, because sitting on the 
> broomsticks was very uncomfortable (heh :). Which indicates to me 
> that the first task is in the script at least.
> 
> I've given some thought to the matter of what they could remove 
> from the movie. If they really want to tear out the heart of the 
> book, the film should concentrate on two main points: the 
> Triwizard Tournament itself, and the Moody is actually Crouch Jnr 
> revelation at the end.
> 
> We already know that the actors playing the Dursleys haven't been 
> asked back, so any scene involving them will have been removed 
> from the movie, which isn't much anyway. The next victim could be 
> the Quidditch World Cup. While it is a fascinating insight into 
> the wizarding world, and offers a nasty reminder of what the Death 
> Eaters were all about, its only tie to the two points above is the
> introduction of Viktor Krum and Winky. One line of dialog from Ron
> would be enough to explain who Krum is when the Durmstrang 
> delegation turns up for the Tournament, and Winky could be 
> dismissed by Crouch after the Tournament starts at Hogwarts. If 
> they go straight to Hogwarts, that's 10 chapters less to stuff 
> into the film already.
> 
> (Having said that, PoA wasted a good chunk of screen time on the 
> Knight Bus, which served no useful purpose to the plot compared to 
> say, explaining who the Marauders were, so I don't know that they 
> won't succumb to the "cool" factor of the World Cup and skip the 
> whole 'Moody is actually Crouch Jr' plot instead! :)
> 
> The three tasks will probably go as described in the book; they 
> only seem to take a long time because there's a lot of Harry 
> dreading them in the book, but I don't think all that will be
> necessary, or indeed very useful, in the film.
> 
> The Yule Ball will definitely feature, as it's a chance to play up 
> the romance between Ron and Hermione, which the films have always 
> done so far. It also starts the Harry-Cho-Cedric thing. The 
> graveyard scene will be there -- though I'm not sure if the fate 
> of Wormtail's hand would suit a PG film. 
> 
> I don't know whether SPEW will feature; they pretty much
> glossed over the protracted Crookshanks/Scabbers subplot in PoA, 
> so I can't see a great deal of screentime for a Hermione-centric 
> topic. 


SSSusan:
I enjoyed this very much and agree w/ you about the Knight Bus scene 
in PoA.  It was fun and Stan Shunpike's bit was fairly important, 
but it went on longer than necessary...as did the blowing up Marge 
scene.

As for what will stay from canon in GoF, I agree that the Yule Ball 
will stay for its romantic interest and that the Triwizard tasks 
only *seem* that they'd take up so much time because the book shows 
Harry dreading them for so long, so I think all three will likely be 
there.  And a GoF movie WITHOUT the graveyard scene would be a total 
travesty.  No way that's left out.

As for what you've suggested might get cut...well, I've no history 
in the film industry or anything, so my views carry little weight, 
but I don't think they'll totally cut out the QWC or SPEW.  I don't 
see SPEW as just a Hermione-centric topic but [along w/ the Muggle-
baiting and Dark Mark at the QWC] as a build-up to the importance of 
JKR's themes of prejudice and treatment of other creatures.  [I'm 
thinking of the fountain in OoP here, esp., and DD's remarks about 
it and the WW's culpability for its treatment of magical creatures.]

Anyhoo, I think the whole QWC could be done in maybe 6-8 mins., 
unless they use the whole camp set-up as an introductory, get-
settled-into-your-seats-and-see-the-wacky-witches-who've-no-clue-
about-the-Muggle-World scene. [Which is how I saw the Marge & Knight 
Bus scenes in PoA.]  So a condensed QWC scene and then get the kids 
to Hogwarts, and you're ready for the arrival of Durmstrang & 
Beauxbatons and the GoF in 15 mins. or so.

Or so it'd be if *I* ruled the world.  Ha!

Siriusly Snapey Susan