Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
After first seeing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
last year, my initial reaction was that I had not enjoyed a movie
so much since I was a child. But can a sequel measure up to so
brilliant a first installment? In this case, the answer is yes.
In The Chamber of Secrets, along with Harry, most of the
characters are back-Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Hagrid, and
Professors McGonagall and Snape. The late Richard Harris also
makes his final screen appearance as the benevolent Headmaster
Dumbledor (yet it is not without some heartbreak that one hears
the strain in the actor's voice, his having played the role as
he was dying of Hodgkin's disease). We are also introduced to
Ron Weasley's family, and their meager but charming household.
There are some new faces in this film as well, including the
great Kenneth Branagh in a portrayal of the incompetant egomaniac
Gilderoy Lockhart, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
Also new is Dobby, a well-meaning house elf who is bent on keeping
Harry out of danger but gets him into worse trouble in the attempt.
Harry's nemesis Draco Malfoy is back, and we are also introduced
to his even more sinister father Lucius Malfoy, played to black-hearted
perfection by Jason Isaacs (best known as the villainous Colonel
Tavington in The Patriot).
In this film, Harry learns of uncomfortable similarities between
himself and the evil Voldemort (who may still be at large). Even
Harry's friends retreat from him a bit when it looks as though
he may have played a part in some diabolical goings on.
Nevertheless, there is a generous portion of humor throughout
the film. The film also offers up a slew of nail-biting thrills,
including a quidditch match in which things go terribly awry
when a bludger flies out of control, and a hair-raising encounter
in the forest with hungry giant spiders. The climax of the film
is also tremendously exciting and spine-tingling.
Despite a running time of nearly three hours, there is nary a
dull moment. This can be attributed to J.K. Rowling's phenomenal
storytelling gift, which balances elements of childlike fantasy,
comedy, and mild horror with a compelling narrative, all of which
lends itself beautifully to cinematic treatment. This is also
a more rich-looking film than its predecessor, as the photography
by Roger Pratt (Brazil) is far more expressionistic than
John Seale's photography for Sorcerer's Stone. The visual effects
are slightly better, too, particularly in the Christmas scene,
as hundreds of horse-drawn sleighs skate across the frozen loch
beside the school.
John Williams' new score is fabulous, with a slightly harder
edge than his more fanciful work for the first film. Williams
expands on his ideas from the Sorcerer's Stone, but new
musical themes also abound. In fact, much of the magic-and spookiness-of
this adventure is due to the aura of his music.
In the end, however, it is the human elements of this story which
make it such a memorable experience. The characters (and the
gifted actors who bring them to life) are all drawn with three-dimensional
reality. The magical setting is ultimately just a fun framework
within which J. K. Rowling spins a tale of loyalty, courage,
love, and the triumph of the righteous over the wicked.
With so much jaded entertainment flooding our culture today,
this film series is a breath of fresh air. Although condemned
by some as a glorification of the occult, these stories are genuine
moral fables with far more in common with C.S. Lewis than Aleister
Crowley. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is, like
its predecessor, a stupendous achievement, and a more than worthy
successor.
Paul Andrew MacLean
© 2003
Shelton CT 06484 USA
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LadyJanet@RenaissanceMagazine.com