Thoughts on the Order

Last night I saw Order of the Phoenix and for me it was just like the last movie – slightly disappointing. I know, I know – the movies can’t follow the books exactly. But there are parts I was looking forward to seeing that were cut; i.e. the visit to St. Mungos hospital, more of the Black house, and Dobby’s part.

Overall, it really was not a bad movie. The cinematography was excellent, and I enjoyed seeing much of the same scenery and sets that were in the third movie, Prisoner of Azkaban. I particularly enjoyed the parts the director David Yates tells through newspaper articles. The actors, especially Radcliffe, Watson and Grint, have matured and become even better with time. Helena Bonham Carter as Bellatrix was especially good, even though her part in this film was small.

I really should not allow myself to be disappointed. The movie is well-done and captures the darkness of the book and Harry’s anger, which are probably two of the most important parts. But I would not mind sitting through an extra 15-20 minutes if that means less has to be cut out.

Does anyone agree or disagree? Let me know what you think.

 

The Importance of Bellatrix

J.K. Rowling has just given us another clue to Book 7.  In a recent interview with Helena Bonham Carter, she let on that Rowling revealed to her that Bellatrix will be very important in the last book.

Bellatrix Lestrange had been mentioned in a couple of the middle books of the series, but she became important in Order of the Phoenix, when she broke out of Azkaban and participated in the Battle at the Ministry in the Department of Mysteries.  We know that Neville especially has it out for her, since she was one of the Death Eaters who tortured his parents into madness.  Will the two of them be part of the climactic battle in Book 7?

Bellatrix also considers herself one of Voldemort’s most loyal followers and might have had a lot of inside information  into the Death Eaters and Voldemort’s use of horcruxes.  Being a cousin of Sirius and Regulus Black’s, did she know anything about the locket?

And, what I consider to be most important, why did she torture the Longbottoms after Voldemort had already disappear?  What did she believe she had to gain?