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I'm sad to say that the one thing I have lived for for the past 14 years has actually come to an end. No more books, no more movies, nothing new for me to anticipate. At least they did me the favor of making the last installment in the movie series memorable, emotional, and wildly entertaining. I had heard rumors that this was the best of all the films so far. I can't say I fully agree with that, but it was still one of the best. I think the past three films in the series have been top notch, and that the Deathly Hallows Part I was actually a more enjoyable film than Part II. Part II seemed very brief (even though it was 2 hours and 10 minutes long) and very sad (but that was to be expected.)
The acting in Part II was better than the acting I've seen in any of the Potter films. In the past the young actors seemed to think breathing heavily could make any scene more exciting/frightening. In this film they finally learned to use their voices, facial expressions and body language to convey the proper emotions instead of just excessive and loud breathing. I had read of a few scenes that had been added/changed in translation from book to film, and I was a little wary about how they would affect my overall impression of the movie. In the end, I liked the changes they made. I've learned to sort of treat the Potter books and movies as completely different things rather than compare them word for word, because I'd always just end up disappointed that way.
They did brush over a few things that I would have loved for them to elaborate on, because for me they were the most important and memorable parts of the final book. However, some sacrifices had to be made in order to keep the movie a reasonable length (though I think all true Potter fans would have sat through a six hour finale without a complaint.)
What else can I say? This has been an emotional roller coaster for me. I cried through most of the movie not only because it was one of the saddest movies of the series, but because I knew this was the end. When I finished the 7th Harry Potter book at 3am two days after it was released in 2007, I cried harder than I have ever cried in my life. My mom came in my room to see what was wrong with me and found me surrounded by tissues just sobbing uncontrollably. She left as soon as she found out why I was actually crying, but she would've sworn I had just found out someone had died. In my mind it really was like someone had died. I grew up with Harry, Ron and Hermione and had grown deeply attached to them. On completing the book I knew they would no longer be a part of my life. Sure, I reread the books constantly, but it just isn't the same. Now with the end of the films as well, I have a definite sense of emptiness that I just can't shake. I may sound very dramatic right now, and most of you probably think I'm nuts, but I'm sure that some of you out there understand. This isn't just some book or movie, or some imaginary tale. To some of us, it is our childhood. I will leave you with one of my favorite quotes:
Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?
J.K. Rowling, "King's Cross," Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, spoken by the character Albus Dumbledore.
