Sunday, October 10, 2021

Harry Potter and the Order of The Phoenix


 J.K. Rowling's longest and most exhaustive novel was seriously condensed to one major film storyline. Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix is usually the least popular of all the Potter books because it's so long, there's too many storylines and this is really where Harry is at his absolute lowest point. However, this book is also Harry's turning point as well. No longer is he just a student in training, he becomes a teacher and a leader determined to break the rules, fight back and never compromise, no matter the situation. 



After the events at the end of Harry's fourth term, the witnessing of the rebirth of Voldemort, provided by the death of Cedric Diggory, Harry Potter begins to sink in a world of fear, loneliness and rage. Cut off from his friends and teachers, Harry is essentially abandoned all summer with no news of the developments of the Wizarding World. After Harry saves his cousin from a dementor he is taken to trial at the Ministry of Magic, but is released due to Dumbledore's interference.

Meanwhile the Wizarding government is doing their own share of interfering when they send a psychotic Ministry employee to oversee Hogwarts as well as teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. Harry watches is his beloved home becomes a jail cell and his mind becoming more and more open to Voldemort's attacks. With Ron and Hermione's assistance, Harry begins to teach students how to defend themselves from the dark arts while silently rebelling against the Ministry's dictatorship.

  • This is the only Potter film where I went to the midnight premiere. My siblings and friends dressed up and it was so much fun meeting other Harry Potter fans.
  • I was somewhat disappointed at how Snape's Worst Memory was done. I was expecting a full on 10 min. scene, but we barely got 10 seconds. 
  • Sirius' house is exactly as I expected it to be.
  • Mad-Eye Moody, Tonks and Shackelbolt were the ultimate rescue squad. 
  • The scene when Harry and Sirius meet each other again and hug is both heartwarming and heartbreaking.
  • It was great seeing that Harry actually had a wonderful gift for teaching and how it shows him becoming happier, more confident and growing as a leader. 
  • I've never been a fan of Luna Lovegood. As a fellow Ravenclaw I should like and admire her, but to be honest none of the Ravenclaws in the Harry Potter series are really likeable. Luna was weird, but I found to be more annoying than endearing. 
  • For all those people hating on Cho Chang because she betrayed Dumbledore's Army. You well and truly suck. In the book it wasn't even her and in the films she had the Veritaserum used on her. She was a complete innocent.
  • Delores Umbridge, I hope your tombstone says....wait you're not even worthy to have a tombstone. 
  • "You can't deny, Dumbledore's got style."

Order of the Phoenix did a remarkable job at getting into Harry's psyche and really seeing the damage that Voldemort was doing to him. After what happened the year before, we see Harry struggling with the onset of PTSD. Then when he lashes out in anger because he's terrified, he has nightmares, he's scared of being killed, of losing everything he has worked so hard for, people disregard him, neglect him and tell him he's a liar. In many ways, Harry's rage was completely justified. It's how he eventually handles his anger toward the world that separates him from Voldemort and gives him clarity that his life is his own and no one else's to possess. 



4 comments:

  1. This one hit way too close to home this month. There are a lot of Umbridge's in the world.
    I think Snape's memory deserved a longer scene too.

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    1. It won't last forever. Of that I've that I'm assured. What's going on right is nothing new to our world and the Umbridges will disappear once they realize that there are people that are not going to tolerate them any longer.

      I was so looking forward to that scene and it was a major disappointment.

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  2. Aw, I love Luna - I always liked Cho as well though. I think this is my favourite of the later films? Definitely think the acting from the kids steps up in this one and I still think Harry should have been a teacher when he grew up!

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    1. I never minded Luna in the books, but in the films she was a little too detached from reality and her lack of social graces and skills left much to be desired.

      Harry should have become the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, but at the same time, when your whole life has been centered around dark arts it's understandable why he would want to walk away from it all together.

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