Yet Another Review

[elfundeb2]

Penny wrote:
> 
> Though I'm not a Ron fan and though I do think that this portrayal 
> of Hermione
> is very consistent with canon (it's just not PoA canon), I do 
agree 
> with those
> thoughts. It's obvious that Kloves loves Hermione, and while 
that's 
> wonderful
> (I do too), I can't quite figure out why everyone is letting him 
> make such
> drastic changes in the portrayal of Ron. Granted, I do see a 
gradual 
> arc
> beginning in PoA that is reasonably pronounced by OoP wherein Ron 
is 
> being
> relegated more and more to the sidelines or the background and 
> Hermione is being
> increasingly fitted into the role of "heroine." But, it's so early 
> for that.
> Does it give any of you Ron fans pause to think that Rowling has 
in 
> some way
> sanctioned this diminishment of his character in the films? It 
tells 
> me that
> it's possible that what I saw in OoP will continue.

I don't think Kloves' characterization of Ron was sanctioned or 
unsanctioned.  I've always thought that JKR's involvement in the 
films was really limited to insuring that changes made by Kloves did 
not conflict with future *plot* developments.  I don't think 
characterization is Kloves' strong point, and Ron is a more complex 
character than many give him credit for.  Kloves has converted Ron 
from a multifaceted character to a two-dimensional comic sidekick 
character that movie audiences will readily recognize.  Also, he has 
used Ron's fears as his comic trait, and follows common artistic 
practice by emphasizing it over and over.  Similarly, Hermione is 
treated as a brainy know-it-all, and Kloves emphasizes it by giving 
her as many of the information-giving lines as possible.  All of 
this allows the heroic spotlight to be better focused on Harry.

Jo wrote:

All I can surmise is that 
> she knows what she plans to do with his character and that any 
> necessary corrections can be made in the future films, once books 
6 
> and 7 are published.  

As my husband would say, Kloves' treatment of Ron thus far will 
simply make his comeback in Book 6 or 7 all the more glorious.  In 
the books there are only hints of Ron's intelligence and bravery; 
otherwise we wouldn't have so many debates about whether he's the 
third wheel in the Trio.  In the end, I don't think there will be 
inconsistency, just a difference in emphasis in the early films.

> I'm afraid I do disagree about the OOP arc showing Ron being 
> relegated to the "sidelines" while Hermione is becoming a heroine, 
> but this post is long enough already ;-).  I'd love to explore 
this 
> later, though if you'd like to pursue the topic.

I have to agree with Jo here.  What happened in OOP continued a 
theme that JKR introduced when we first met Ron aboard the Hogwarts 
Express in PS/SS and he laments that "everybody expects me to do as 
well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did 
it first."  This sets up the running theme of Ron's lack of self-
confidence.  For Ron to be shunted off to the sidelines in favor of 
H/H as hero/heroine in the last couple of books doesn't seem 
consistent with the attention JKR has given to Ron's self-
confidence.  In OOP, Ron showed signs of confronting this problem, 
but it was important that he learn those lessons for himself, which 
means that his story had to take place offstage.  Now that he's 
developed enough confidence to play Quidditch, I can't see it ending 
there.

OTOH, I found Superheroine!Hermione a bit hard to take (I wrote a 
long post on this topic on HPFGU last fall) and am expecting that 
her wildly unrealistic success rate will not continue through the 
next book.

Debbie