Vintage Wine in a New Bottle

The enigmatic and handsome Daniel Radcliffe has grown up and so has the character he plays. Harry Potter is no longer the little schoolboy who first appeared on the screen but a teenager with emotional confusion and angst. He is emotionally vulnerable and the sensitive-looking Radcliffe fitted the role to perfection. His friends became more significant in his understanding of himself and the characters of Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) deepened accordingly. Ron Weasley, for example, stood out in certain scenes to show that he has come out of his friend, Harry Potter’s shadows. The film, like the book, has improved with age, much like vintage wine.

In the latest movie, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the main character cuts a lonely figure. He is accused of breaking the law by using his magic powers on a mugger (ordinary human beings with no magic power), becomes a social outcast except for his two friends who stood by him, and rebels against institutional injustice. He has to deal with anger, antagonism, suspicion, frustration and desolation. While the adventure, suspense, twists and turns and magic of the movie still exist, the additional dimension of psychological struggle adds depth to a fun and enthralling movie. It is realistic in a magical way.