When it comes to Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, many Potterheads may first think of Pensieves, Horcruxes, and the duel between Snape (Alan Rickman) and Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) on the Astronomy Tower that ends with the tragic death of the iconic headmaster. Before the film takes that dark and heartbreaking turn, however, the sixth Harry Potter film features a very different tone that we have never seen to this extent in the popular fantasy series.
Because what Harry Potter 6 is, besides its fantastic and adventurous elements, is a romantic high school comedyOn the 15th anniversary of the world premiere on July 7, 2009, we want to take a closer look at this interpretation.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the romcom of the fantasy series
After the first romantic relationships have already begun to emerge in Harry Potter 4 and 5, the sparks are finally flying in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. Whether between Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Ginny (Bonnie Wright) or the love triangle of Ron (Rupert Grint), Hermione (Emma Watson), Lavender Brown (Jessie Cave) and Cormac McLaggen (Freddie Stroma): the big and confusing feelings of the teenage years break in on our protagonists in the sixth year and not only cause a lot of chaos, but also lots of comedy.
The fact that part 6 explores this genre, which is unusual for Harry Potter, is a real advantage. After all, the fantasy series has to grow with its characters part by part and constantly reinvent itself in order not to become boring over eight films. Although there is a dark lord to defeat, the interpersonal relationships are for many young people in the Peak phase of puberty but it is always the main theme – and our golden trio cannot escape it either.
Warner Bros.
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
The scene in which Ron eats chocolates laced with a love potion and suddenly becomes keen on Romilda Vane (Anna Shaffer), a stranger to him, is particularly memorable, so that Harry has to start a rescue mission with Professor Slughorn (Jim Broadbent). The Quidditch scenes are similar, in which Ron is cheered on by Lavender and Hermione and sometimes cuts a more or less good figure. Harry and Hermione’s visit to Slughorn’s Christmas party, where Hermione flees from Cormac’s advances before he vomits on Snape’s cloak, could have taken place in American Pie in a similar way.
Harry’s taking of the Lucky Potion Felix Felicis under whose influence he and Professor Slughhorn attend Aragog’s funeral at Hagrid’s (Robbie Coltrane) and various slapstick elements come into play. Harry’s rare stupid facial expression is only the tip of the iceberg in this scene, which is underpinned by Slughorn and Hagrid’s drunken singing and an absurdly tragic eulogy.
RomCom elements lead to the goal in Harry Potter 6 ‒ and culminate in the big fantasy showdown
But of course it wouldn’t be Harry Potter if all the comedy didn’t give way to seriousness and a return to the fantastical basics. So we are left with the laughter stuck in the throatwhen Slughorn tells us about Harry’s mother in the same scene a little later and finally reveals his memories of Voldemort. Where the comedic and romantic elements first took us by the hand and playfully drove the plot forward step by step, here they finally lead Harry to his goal.
Harry and Dumbledore’s journey to the mysterious Horcrux cave is once again the usual thrilling fantasy film, which comes to a tragic conclusion with Dumbledore’s death. And this comes all the more shockingmore intense and – for those unfamiliar with JK Rowling’s novel – more surprising, since the film had mainly scratched our diaphragms in the 90 minutes before.
Thus, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince creates a unique balance of light and shadow, which creates a perfect cinematic experience of dark fantasy and cheerful coming-of-age story.