I Can Be a Bit Passionate...

October 5, 2009

Some people may hate me for what I am about to say and some may love me. I just finished watching Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince online and remembered how much I love these movies. I know tons of people who rave about these movies and I also know tons of people who don’t give them a chance because they think they are about silly things like witches and wizards who wave wands around to make food appear and things like this. The truth is, I am deeply moved both by the artistic and the emotional beauty of these films. It is so simple of a plot; a fight against good and evil. Now, don’t get carried away with what I’m about to say, but something in these movies just really reminds me of the Gospel. Granted, there are plenty of parts that do NOT remind me of the Gospel. But I just look at the type of good and the type of evil in them. Voldemort is so deceptive. He is sneaky and he strives to corrupt Harry as a whole person with an ultimate desire to destroy him. Harry is astonishingly obedient and loyal to Dumbledore. He has complete trust in him even when he doesn’t know Dumbledore’s plans. I find it amazing to see this type of relationship portrayed in a “silly movie about magic” when it’s so far beyond what many of our own relationships look like with God. We want control. We want to be in the know. We want to do things our way. We lose faith. We are disobedient. You can even see Harry’s struggle at times within the movies when he wants to act out of emotion or pain or hatred. But he has community around him, whether it is his professors or his friends or just other people who are also loyal to Dumbledore, who are always there to speak truth into his life and let him know that they are there to help. I love all of the pain in the movies. It blows my mind how strong of a character he is after all of the loss he has suffered. And now venturing in another direction, the art in the movies is simply breath-taking to me. There is a scene in the Half-Blood Prince where Dumbledore is swirling fire over his head and it is consuming all of the creatures around him and even going into the water and striking them. It is an extremely powerful scene to me and I can do nothing but stand (or sit) in awe when I see it. The transitions into memories and use of magic (whether it be simple or things like freezing a moment) are nothing short of extraordinary. I feel the artists are true creative geniuses and it really awakens my passion for art. I thought I would leave you with a scene I find beautiful and moving from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. 

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Voldemort Vs. Dumbledore