Half-blood Prince might be the most unique of all the Potter films in that the main plot takes a back seat to the emotional storylines. Many people blasted the film for being so slow and it obviously hurts that it is one of the longer Potter films, but for me this film presented a breather from all the frenetic action that moved at overwhelming speeds in the last film. In many ways, Half-blood Prince is the "romantic comedy" of the Harry Potter movies, as love and heartbreak take centerstage.The film takes liberty with the source material. During the previous installments it became increasingly clear how Ron and Hermoine feel about it each other. In the books, Rowling does not acknowledge this possibility until the sixth book and it is a passing comment. As a result, Yates and Kloves (who are both back and in top form) let the audience explore the feelings in more depth. The result is that Ron and Hermoine almost become the two main players for a great portion of this film. Ron runs off with newcomer Lavender, breaking Hermoine's heart. This is the most vulnerable she's been the entire series and Emma Watson's touching performance connects us with her like never before. The most beautiful scene in arguably the entire film is the moment where she runs off after seeing Ron kiss Lavender and hides in a corridor. Harry runs after her and the two share a genuine moment of comfort for their difficult love situations. Grint finally gets a chance in this film to show off his charisma and insecurity in good measure. The most memorable moments coming right before he is to play the Quidditch match that would determine his athletic career. Grint gains our pity and then makes us smile as he regains his mojo almost instantly. I was thrilled to see that the filmmakers finally made these characters come to the forefront emotionally like never before.
The main plot of the film, well, it's actually quite complicated. The film takes us back a few steps and reintroduces the world to us (or simply aggregates new information). On one hand, Harry has a magical potions textbook that was used by an obscure genius known as the Half-blood Prince. On the other is this idea of the Horcruxes which Dumbledore brings up to Harry (well that comes toward the end). In any case, these two mysteries, which took forefront in the book, are in the backseat for the film, and to be honest, it's all in good measure. Yes, Voldemort's story is not as fully developed as in the book, and yes the discovery of the Half-blood Prince's identity at the film's climax has a meak pay-off, but in the grand scheme of things, it was more important to have the audience take a closer look at the characters and their emotions in order to further connect with them. Yates, gives off enough information to keep the story interesting without distracting from his main intentions with the film.
Ginny and Harry's romance gets a bit less play however, which is interesting considering that Harry is the MAIN character. However, the tension is built slowly until the first kiss comes in one of the sweetest moments in the series. In the book, that kiss is so random that one barely gets to experience it. The filmmakers changed up the context and made a magical moment out it. There is also the inclusion of a new scene in which the Deatheaters attack the Burrow and Harry and Ginny are placed in grave danger. Seeing Ginny run after Harry only strengthens the audience's connection to their budding romance as does seeing them protect one another moments later. Another risky choice that pays off handsomely.
I've already talked about Watson and Grint's show-stealing in this film. Radcliffe does not do so bad for himself, though he seems slightly less involved than in the last film. Gambon comes the closest he's come to Richard Harris' performance in what may be his finest of the series (I haven't seen Hallows part 2). Jim Broadbent adds another British thesp of reknown to the series and he puts on quite a show. The moment when he describes the present he got from Harry's mother is one of the most subtle and beautiful acting moments of the film. Juxtapose that with his charming presence at the start of the film as he tries to impress/seduce Harry. But in my opinion, the true break out performance in this film is Tom Felton as Draco Malfoy. This film finally develops him further than the vengeful nasty archrival to Harry. In many ways, Malfoy, as presented here is Harry from Order of the Phoenix, asked to take on a task that he does not know how to take on. His innocence is finally being destroyed. Felton doesn't have much to say, but it becomes increasingly clear throughout the film how much this task is bearing on him. The boy who acts all tough, it finally falling apart.
Yates continues to build his craft in this film, with some of the most poetic moments yet. As mentioned, Malfoy's story exerts itself because of Yates' character-first approach. Visually there are quiet moments that amplify his story and his loss of innocence. Moments after Ron and Lavender are seen running and chasing each other up a staricase, the camera follows along the tower until we see a lonely Malfoy looking down, almost afraid and clearly conflicted. This juxtaposition of images solidifies and emphasizes Malfoy's state. Later on in the room of requirements, Malfoy takes the white bird from the cage instead of the dark bird. Later on, this white bird is the one that gets strangled while the dark bird is allowed to escape from inside the vanishing cabinet. It is a subtle gesture, but it clearly portrays Malfoy's loss of innocence and descent. I also commend the lack of an epic fight at the end. The film was intended as a quieter piece and the altered ending though not as epic, certainly lends itself to the intimate nature of the film. It also further delays the epic fight and creates greater anticipation for the final film and battle. The trip into the cave is one of the most frightening scenes in the film and is masterfully edited.
Hooper also improves his trade, presenting his best and final score. The most memorable moments are likely the aforementioned sequence in which Hermoine and Harry confide their emotions to each other. The music is full of nostalgia and sadness and really speaks to the characters in that moment. I still don't love his work, but commend his improvement from one film to the other.
The cinematography (which I believe improves in Hallows part 1) was nominated for an Academy Award deservedly so. The cinematography has never graced so many moods in this series to perfection and it is likely because of the diversity of the source material. The work in the cave is absolutely stunning. The images in which Ron comes to breakfast before the Quidditch match are deliberate and in away jokingly play to the life-ending emotions that Ron seems to be feeling. Everything is so angular and rigid (including his toast and eggs) and the muted desaturated colors only emphasize this dread further. The Visual Artists should also get some credit. They got a bit of a break in this film, but when they had to show up (the scene in the cave), their work was mesmerizing.
All that flowering aside, I do admit that Voldemort gets the short end of the stick from a developmental standpoint. Many parts of the book regarding his history were fascinating and we really get no sense of where he came from. We get hints, but they seem rushed. The dynamics of the Harry/Dumbledore relationship are also minimized sadly. Because the obvious opportunity to make this relationship blossom is not taken, the ending does not pay off as strongly as I had hoped.
Half-blood Prince ultimately takes the movies in a more atmospheric direction where the mystery plot is minimized and the characters get a closer look. It may seem like the most messy from a structural stand-point, but the film is genuinely satisfying emotionally.
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