Just saw it again. Loved it more this time. It really helped to have seen it once already, as I was able to just sit back and take it in a little more smoothly. The first time was such a blur, so there was no question that it needed another go.
Everyone has brought up the main stuff already, so I figured I'd touch on some little that I really loved. Kind of a long read..."woot:
- Like Part 1, the short prologue that precedes the main title. "Lily's theme" is a beautiful piece, and it fit wonderfully with the stark imagery of Snape against the pale surroundings.
- The entire tunnel/dragon sequence. Again, the score was fantastic here, and some of the shots, specifically the wide cave shots (there is one of the dragon scaling a wall that is great), were really beautiful.
- "Hedwig's Theme" when Harry returns and when McGonagall restores order. Not much else to be said here, although, speaking of the scene in the Great Hall, the look on Snape's face throughout Harry's speech about Dumbledore is so telling. Additionally, I thought the way Yates handled Voldemort addressing everyone (everything goes dark, his voice rings) was very cool.
- Statues. The freakin statues. Anyone who remembers my posts in these threads knows that I was freaking out when it was reported that they would be included. The whole "prepare for battle" sequence set to Desplat's beautiful score made me well up both times.
- Harry/Voldemort feeling the destruction of the horcruxes. A departure from the book, but one that I found to be both welcome and quite cinematic. One of my favorite moments in the film is after the Diadem is destroyed, and we get the intercut, sweeping shots of both Harry and Voldemort holding themselves. This is then followed by perhaps my favorite moment in the film; Hermione watching Harry intently, the cogs clicking in, and the reaffirmation in her mind that Harry is a horcrux. Silent and completely visual based, but a truly great moment.
- The dialog during Snape's death scene. It was reworked from the book, and I picked up on it's interesting significance this time during the second viewing. Replace all mentions of the "Elder Wand" with "Snape," and see what you get: a conversation about where the loyalty of Snape lies. This adds some cool weight to lines such as "It obeys you, and you only." The irony, of course, is that Voldemort is clueless to the end. Anyhow, it's just something small, but I really liked how the discussion of the Elder Wand mirrored Snape's role almost perfectly.
- There's not much to be said about The Prince's Tale that hasn't been brought up, but I thought I'd just comment that the cinematography during the young Snape/Lily scenes was pretty stunning. Felt like it was out of a completely different film, which was of course intentional. The outdoor shots were beautiful, and the actress playing Lily was quite adorable.
- Hermione and Ron letting Harry go. Again, a change, but I liked it. It worked for me. Emma sold it so well. Hats off to her, really. A fantastic bit, and one of my favorite moments. As mentioned, I really enjoyed the fact that she deduced the secret of the seventh horcrux. Oh that Hermione, highly logical and able to look past extraneous detail.
- "Leaving Hogwarts." The wonder of the first film was recaptured (reinvigorated) in a mere few minutes. I know some may have disliked the epilogue but I thought it was not only perfect, but necessary. The Hogwarts Express departs Platform 9 and 3/4. The magic lives on. Perfect.
On the complaints front, most of what crossed my mind after the first viewing was rectified with the second. Do I wish that we got a bit more of the verbal smackdown from Harry? Do I wish that everyone witnessed Voldemort's death? Yeah, I think so. But it doesn't make or break it. I think it could have been included with the extended version they went for, but the end works, and that's all that matters.
All in all, despite
just seeing it again, I'm already craving a third viewing. I think both the quick pace and just the overall hardworking team effort, on all fronts (effects, sets, actors, editing, etc. etc.), are responsible. That, and it could also be my extreme inability to let go.
Way to try and save face.
