Rowling

I read somewhere that J. K. Rowling has agreed to write a series of screenplays based on the world she created for Harry Potter, but set back in time, before Harry. I was glad to hear it, I enjoyed Harry immensely, both in print and on screen. I was a little disappointed that she plans to write scripts and not books, but I suppose you can’t have everything. I think the movies were well made, and if you pay attention, you’ll find a scene here or there that tells an entire story in the space of a few seconds. One example: in ‘The Half-Blood Prince,’ Dumbledore takes Harry along on a visit to Horace Slughorn. Dumbledore wants him to come out of retirement, and Slughorn refuses. Dumbledore and Harry accept his decision and they leave, but the camera lingers on Slughorn’s face, just for a few seconds. There he is, an old man in his pajamas, surrounded by his creature comforts, all alone. You get the impression that he has everything he needs, except for a reason to continue. As you look at his ruin of a face you wonder if perhaps he has not just seen, maybe for the first time, how empty and pointless his life will likely become if he stays where he is. And then, blink, the scene is gone, the film does not hit you over the head with it. To me it is an indication that there are artists at work, that care has been taken. It’s there if you want it, or if you prefer you can eat your popcorn and wait for the smoke and the loud noises. At any rate, it is good to hear that Rowling is back at work.