Editor’s note: This will be our last user-submitted Potter-at-Oscars post put on Hypable’s front page. If any more are submitted, we will place them in News By You.
Yes, sorry everyone, I’ve got another Harry Potter & The Oscars article for you to read. But I feel what I am about to say is important, so please read on.
I have been rather surprised and saddened of late to see so many Harry Potter fans on Hypable come forward to tell the world why the Harry Potter films aren’t wonderful, and voicing strong opinions as to why Deathly Hallows Part 2 does not deserve to be nominated for, or win, big awards.
I thought I’d try and restore some balance to Hypable, which afterall is supposed to be a fansite written “for fans, by fans”. Let’s lose the cynicism and ‘holier-than-thou’ approach and start highlighting Harry Potter’s many strengths and support it in its campaign for awards season glory. I mean, if we don’t support it, no one’s going to.
So here are the categories that I, as a huge Harry Potter fan and as a huge film fan in general, believe Deathly Hallows Part 2 deserves at least a nomination for from the Academy voters:
1. Art Direction
Harry Potter fan or not, you can’t deny that Stuart Craig and Stephanie McMillan’s sets and props were outstanding. Some highlights include Shell Cottage, the Gringotts interior, the Vault and the Room of Requirement. I’ve watched a lot of films this year and not many can match Harry Potter in terms of quality in this craft, and the amount of work put into it behind the scenes was enormous.
2. Visual Effects
Deathly Hallows Part 2 was a triumph in visual effects. It was there from start to finish. The dragon escape sequence was masterful, Hogwarts Castle was brought flawlessly and seamlessly to life, the transformation of Ralph Fiennes into Voldemort was inspired, and the effects used in the fight scenes made it feel raw and real. It was very impressive stuff and it was definitely one of the best in this category in 2011. I would say it is more deserving than the currently slightly overrated Rise of the Planet of the Apes.
3. Cinematography
This one is best evidenced in pictures, so just look at the images below taken directly from Deathly Hallows Part 2. They are just a few examples of Eduardo Serra’s gorgeous photography and lighting that worked wonders for the film. Again, there aren’t many films this year more deserving of this award.
4. Sound editing and mixing
Put simply: the sound in this film was awesome.
5. Original Score
Again, to keep it short and sweet, Alexandre Desplat did a magnificent job on the score. I’ll quote some critics (because they put it much better than I can):
“Desplat finally proves that his style can transcend his obvious technical mastery of an orchestra and reach levels of tonal majesty that can be summed up in a single word: epic.”
“Just as John Williams created Harry Potter’s musical language, Alexandre Desplat succeeds magnificently in completing it. Desplat crafts a highly emotional thematic anchor with its strings and solo vocalist.”
“Harry’s story was always about death, and Desplat’s decision to build his score around a musical motif representing those departed souls was a perfect one. This is one of the scores of the year.”
6. Supporting Actor
Two actors from Deathly Hallows Part 2 deserve to be in contention for this award. Firstly Ralph Fiennes, for his expert portrayal of Lord Voldemort. Ralph manages to display Voldemort’s growing vulnerabilities as the film goes on, as his power gets dismantled by the destruction of his Horcruxes. He puts fear into Voldemort’s eyes and visualises his physical and mental weakening.
Secondly of course is Alan Rickman, who gave an incredible performance. In the early scenes he manages to express Snape’s internal struggle with just a few subtle facial expressions. His death had every viewer in the cinema gripped. In The Prince’s Tale he transforms into the devastated and broken man that was Severus Snape after Lily’s death. No other performance has moved me more in the last year, or in the whole Harry Potter series.
7. Best picture
While there are many factors standing against DH2 meaning a Best Picture nomination is highly unlikely, I still think it is deserving of inclusion in this most prestigious of categories.
The film is not only a brilliant visual spectacle, but always keeps the characters’ stories central to it. It wraps up the stories of the characters in a beautiful way, and packs an emotional punch. This film, just like the whole series, not only has technical wizardry in abundance, but most importantly has plenty of heart as well.
Deathly Hallows Part 2 was the incredibly sculpted icing on the cake, where the cake is a ten year cinematic journey that has captured the world’s imaginations, maintaining (even increasing) quality right the way through. I know the Academy Awards are supposed to recognise the best films of the past year, but in my opinion the voters should at least realise the impact that the huge long-running series has had on the world of film and beyond. I don’t want a pity vote, but I feel they could pay homage to the Harry Potter phenomenon’s legacy with a ‘thank you’ or a ‘well done’ vote. It’s a unique thing that hasn’t happened before and probably won’t happen again.
And it’s not unheard of for the Academy to recognise a series rather than the standalone film – if Return of the King won 11 Oscars I think it’s only right that Deathly Hallows Part 2 gets a bit of love as well.
To finish, I couldn’t agree more with film critic Philip Womack of the Daily Telegraph, who said, “This is monumental cinema, awash with gorgeous tones, and carrying an ultimate message that will resonate with every viewer, young or old: there is darkness in all of us, but we can overcome it.”
Oscar worthy? I certainly think so.