Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince – Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Directed by: David Yates | 153 minutes | drama, adventure, fantasy | Actors: Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Helena Bonham Carter, Alan Rickman, Jessie Cave, Robert Knox, Jim Broadbent, Bonnie Wright, Tom Felton, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Helen McCrory, Robbie Coltrane, David Thewlis, Warwick Davis , Evanna Lynch, Natalia Tena, Julie Walters, Hero Fiennes-Tiffin, Katie Leung, Matthew Lewis, Frank Dillane, Mark Williams, David Bradley, Anna Shaffer

Raging hormones, falling in love and butterflies in the stomach. Every teenager has to deal with it sooner or later. The students of Hogwarts, the school of magic where Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) is now in his sixth year, cannot escape. Love reigns supreme in ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ (2009). The feelings Harry has developed for Ginny Weasley (Bonnie Wright) over the years finally blossom. Hermione (Emma Watson) struggles with her feelings for her polar opposite Ron (Rupert Grint), who in turn is overwhelmed by the affections of the hysterical Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave), who can’t hide her love for the red-haired Ron. stings. Rupert enthusiastically tells a British newspaper about his first kiss scene: “It was extra exciting, because that first kiss happened after a Quidditch match and I’m on a stage, surrounded by a hundred people! Fortunately, Jessie is a very nice girl, after a few scenes it got better and better.”

Despite all that infatuation, the highly anticipated sixth installment of the Harry Potter series is the grimiest yet. The Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort’s henchmen, don’t just curb life in the magical world, the Muggle world too! Professor Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) anticipates that the great confrontation between Harry and Voldemort is drawing closer and is figuring out how best to fight the lord of evil. Together with Harry, he seeks out Horace Slughorn (Jim Broadbent), an eccentric retired potions teacher who prides himself on having had several famous wizards as apprentices. Voldemort, then called Tom Riddle, was also one of his students. Although Slughorn doesn’t like a return, he gives in anyway. At least he can say he taught Harry Potter! Meanwhile, Draco Malfoy (Tom Felton) is chosen by Voldemort for an important, life-threatening task. He clearly struggles with this burden on his shoulders, for he does not want to disappoint the lord of evil.

In Slughorn’s class, Harry stumbles upon an unusual textbook, once owned by the Half-Blood Prince. Although Harry becomes obsessed with his search for who this mysterious dark mage was in JK Rowling’s novel, it is unfortunately hardly reflected in the film. Only towards the end is revealed who the Half-Blood Prince is, during one of the most exciting scenes, so that the impact of it fades away considerably. Of course screenwriter Steve Kloves – who also wrote the scripts for the first four films and quickly got in after seeing the mediocre fifth part – had to cut out a lot of fascinating material, you can’t get around that since the book consists of more than six hundred pages. There could have been quite a few more references to the Half-Blood Prince (the title of the film by the way!). Those who don’t know the book will now scratch their heads and wonder what the heck is so special about knowing who the Half-Blood Prince is.

It is one of the few shortcomings in this otherwise impressive sixth part. Kloves may have cut the story a bit too drastically, but he also added a spectacular opening scene in which the Death Eaters attack London’s Millennium Bridge – just to emphasize that the Muggle world is not safe from the dark magic forces either. The film looks like it’s going to be through a ring. A new cinematographer was brought on board, the Frenchman Bruno Delbonnel who previously delivered enchanting work with ‘Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain’ (2001). He makes Hogwarts and its surroundings more foreboding than ever. The emphasis is no longer on the charming, expressive portraits on the wall or the atmospheric classrooms, but on the gray medieval character of the building and the endless corridors in which you can easily get lost. Plus, Delbonnel and director David Yates take us outside. For example, the spectacular final scene, where one of the main characters is killed, is set on the Astronomy Tower, where we can see how dazzlingly beautiful the environment really is. That beauty, combined with the grim atmosphere, will make you feel uncomfortable. Little wizards grow up and are now undeniably in an adult world.

Contrasted with this grey, sometimes frightening veil is humor. A lot of humor even. Especially Rupert Grint shows that he has a natural comedic talent. His scenes with the maddened teenage girl Lavender lend themselves perfectly to this. But Daniel Radcliffe is also funnier than we’ve ever seen him before. Where he could have been forced to come across as serious in the previous films, he now seems more relaxed and at ease. The romantic vicissitudes give some air and are a welcome distraction after all the frightening, sometimes apocalyptic spectacle. However, it also ensures that the bow is not always tense. The middle part of the film focuses too much on the romance, which gives you the feeling that the film is sinking for a while. Fortunately, Yates picks up quickly afterwards and we get an impressive closing. Just like in the book, this violent scene has a huge impact: it is a slap in the face for the viewer. Perhaps it would have been better if he had cut this sixth part after this ominous event, but Yates doesn’t. In a completely unnecessary scene he briefly refers to the next part (the book ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ is being made into a film in two parts). He may have thought such an addition was necessary, but we certainly did not.

Many characters from the previous parts return in this sixth part. Some just for a minor cameo (Timothy Spall aka Wormtail we see only one door opening!), most for a substantial contribution. New to the cast is Oscar winner Jim Broadbent (‘Iris’, 2001), who makes a great addition as Horace Slughorn. His entrance is truly genius (thanks also to the technical department!), the tone is immediately set. Slughorn isn’t really that interesting character in the book at all, but the ever fantastic Broadbent makes something great out of it. The tragedy of this Potions teacher, who deeply regrets something from his past, is hidden behind his clumsy eccentricity. Outwardly he is a dandy (although on his return, judging by the loose buttons on his tweed jackets), inside he is eaten by his feelings of guilt. Broadbent beautifully complements an already impressive cast of masterful character actors such as Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Maggie Smith, Robbie Coltrane and Helena Bonham Carter. Tom Felton – who has clearly aged and towers above his fellow students – is also given the space to show that he has grown as an actor.

It’s hard to say which Harry Potter film adaptation is the best in the series. We may have to wait for the last two parts for that. ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince’ can certainly compete with the best, although it remains a shame that so little attention is paid to the actual theme of the book – Harry’s search for the identity of the Half-Blood Prince. No doubt it was chosen with the best of intentions, but fans of the book will no doubt be missing a substantial part now. This does not alter the fact that this sixth part in the series is a very entertaining film that unites all the exponents that can make cinema so fascinating – suspense, adventure, romance, drama and humor. The film looks really fantastic and the soundtrack by Nicholas Hooper is also very nice. The acting gets better with each film: newcomer Jim Broadbent steals the show with his hilarious yet tragic portrayal of Professor Slughorn. This sixth part will undoubtedly attract a large cinema audience again and stir up the Potter madness even further!