Anyone who reads this blog will know that I'm not always a big fan of the films. I tend to use this space to vent my frustrations at the liberties the movie-makers have taken with J.K. Rowling's treasured novels.
As a result, I feel that it is important for me to make a big deal of it whenever I find something in the films that I really like, especially when I think the movie version is better than the novel in some small way. It happens so rarely, after all, I might as well make a point of writing about it.
For example, I am enjoying reading The Goblet of Fire right now and, with a quiet Sunday facing me, I broke down and decided to watch the movie as well. I'm not big on the idea that the filmmakers decided to make Durmstrang and Beauxbatons single-sex schools (Durmstrang with boys only and Beauxbatons with girls), nor with the loss of the whole S.P.E.W subplot, the roles of Dobby and Winky, etc.
I recognise that they had to cut a lot out of the 600-page novel in order to get the story told in a 140-minute movie. I'm just not happy with some of the changes they made.
What I did like, however, was the decision they made to have Neville give Harry the tip about Gillyweed for the second task of the Triwizard Tournament. I think it really works.
You will recall that, in the book, it is Dobby who finally gives Harry the Gillyweed, just ten minutes before the task begins. That's fine and works well. But it fails to take advantage of the fact that Crouch (as Moody) had, in fact, given Neville a text on Herbology earlier in the novel.
The filmmakers take the Dobby connection out entirely in order to save time but, in doing so, they take full advantage of the earlier kindness Crouch showed to Neville. In the novel, this kindness is actually kind of strange: why would a character so completely bent on helping the Dark Lord capture Harry and return to full life take the time to be kind to a kid at the school?
The movie version works better. We find out that Crouch's "kindness" was simply another step in his cunning plan to help Harry win the tournament without anyone realising he is doing so.
In this case, at least, the filmmakers actually improved on the original.
why would a character so completely bent on helping the Dark Lord capture Harry and return to full life take the time to be kind to a kid at the school?
ReplyDeleteIn the book, Crouch specifically says, when he's confronting Harry at the end, that he gave Neville the book in order to give Harry the information, expecting Harry to be asking for help, but Harry foiled his plan by being too proud to ask anyone for help, so Crouch had to get Dobby to do it otherwise Harry wouldn't have done well in the test.
Thanks for this comment. It's funny, I saw Crouch's comment too, when I read the book again later. But the comment was already posted so... But you're right. Crouch was consistent.
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