Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - A ... - St. Brigid's School

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone - A Film Review by Orla Hesseling – Year 7

Based on the bestselling book by J.K.Rowling, ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ is a film about an orphaned boy who learns on his eleventh birthday that he is a wizard. Harry attends his first year in Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, making two friends (Ron and Hermione) on the way. However, life at Hogwarts is not all fun, with strict professors; arrogant, despicable Slytherins; and Dark wizards intent on killing Harry. He faces an adventure with large trolls; Giant, three headed dogs; ginormous chess sets and more! Played by Daniel Radcliffe, the character of Harry is interesting, because he changes a lot throughout the film. Starting off as a young boy who has grown up without any love, and then suddenly told he possesses magical powers and is a celebrity in another world. Harry has to take in a lot of things, which he seems to do quite well and calmly. In the film you see Harry mature and become more confident in himself and what he does. As the protagonist, Radcliffe does a good job in making the character of Harry come to life. As this film was originally a best-selling book, it had a lot to live up to. This was because everyone who had enjoyed the book would have been waiting eagerly for the film version to arrive. Personally, I think Chris Columbus did a very good job of directing this film, as you can hear phrases and see actions that the characters do, which are recognisable from the book. He also chose excellent actors/actresses that really help us to visualise the characters. The film adaptation is a real asset to J.K.Rowling, as it visually shows the story of Harry Potter, but does not totally change the plot and characters. Even though the film keeps most the things from the book the same in the film, there are of course going to be some differences from the film and book. One thing from the book that wasn’t in the film, was Peeves the Poltergeist. In the book, Peeves is a mischievous ghost who causes havoc all over Hogwarts. He particularly annoys the caretaker Argus Filch, as he is continuously knocks over things and creates a mess. I assume Peeves was left out, because it would make the film longer if his scenes were included, and would also mean more work for the special effects group. It goes without saying that Harry Potter is about magic. This means, most of the scenes include special effects. One major effect was the game of Quidditch. Harry and members of other teams have to be ‘flying’ on broomsticks. There also has to be Quaffles, Bludgers and the Golden snitch added to the game. The effects work well, but as this is an older film, people nowadays can tell that it is fake (besides the fact that we know brooms don’t fly!). Another good effect is the sorting hat, which the crew has made look like it is a talking hat, using the creases as its ‘mouth’ and ‘eye’ space. I think that the idea of the creases being used is very clever. One of the many things that worked well in this film was the Great Hall. It was exactly how I imagined it, with the ceiling ‘bewitched’ to look like the sky above, and the long rows of tables and chairs. It shows you how large Hogwarts is, with all the professors and students. The cameras film from above in selected scenes, which is effective because it shows you the different colours of the houses, and the mass of food on the tables.

There are now eight Harry Potter films, and this one was the start of an amazing journey for many ‘Potterheads’ out there. This film introduces many characters which are important for the rest of the series, so the director had to make sure he got everything right. The rest of the films, are perhaps even more action packed and adventurous, all leading up to the finale where it is the final battle between ‘The Dark Lord’ and ‘The Boy Who Lived’. I love every film in the phenomenon, as each has its own contribution to the final battle. Each film has moments where we can learn a lesson, or relate to our own life. For example, most of us have had that person who takes pleasure out of annoying us (Draco Malfoy) or we may have had our first relationship (Harry and Cho Chang). Whatever the occasion, the Harry Potter series is a wonderful collection of films, which can touch our hearts. I would recommend ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ to Muggles of all ages, and generally people who like a funny, action-packed adventure. You can purchase this film from stores and online websites such as Amazon, EBay, HMV etc. for the price of under £10.00 .

I would rate this: (4 ½ out of 5)