Come and talk me through my Half-Blood Prince film canon WTF moment

[birdsofshore]

OK, this is going to take some explaining, but bear with me.

I was looking up something about the Vanishing Cabinets, and, being lazy and feckless, I looked on the Harry Potter wiki. YES I KNOW. We have had a lot of trouble with it before, I know, stating film canon as fact even when it contradicts book canon, using lego games as canon, I KNOW.

This is a bit different. It's about something that isn't mentioned in the books, but only in film canon.

When Draco is trying to fix the cabinet in the film, he tests it with various things: first an apple, which comes back with a bite out of it, and then a white bird, which comes back dead. Now, I took these as signs that the cabinet was now WORKING - that the apple and the bird had been successfully transported, and that Death Eaters had done these things to them to show that they had indeed traveled to Borgin and Burkes and back.

However, Harry Potter wiki (and on googling, loads of other sources on the internet) states that these things proved the cabinet was NOT working - that the apple came back 'missing a moderate chunk' because Draco HADN'T fixed it properly, and that the bird came back dead for the same reason. WHAT? I mean-- WHAT? REALLY?

OK, I am annoyed about this for lots of reasons. One, because it's WRONG. Two, because it's WRONG-- no, two, because there's clearly a BITE taken out of the apple. Three, because the interpretation that the Vanishing Cabinet isn't working when these things happen ruins all the implications of these scenes that I really like.

A bite from an apple has all sorts of symbolism: the poisoned apple that kills Snow White, the innocence lost in the Garden of Eden. There's chilling music when we see the bitten apple, not because "oh dear, Draco hasn't fixed it yet", but "oh shit, some Death Eater bit the lovely perfect apple with his big old teeth and ruined it", and both we and Draco know the implications for the school when Death Eaters come into Hogwarts via the cabinet.

The same with the bird. When it comes back dead, Draco looks stricken - and lots of sources are saying this is "because he knows he hasn't fixed it properly". NOOOO! It's because he knows he HAS. We have the symbolism again of the white bird (peace, love) being destroyed by the Death Eaters who are waiting at Borgin and Burkes.

This feels important to me, for the development of film!Draco's character. He isn't celebrating that he's repaired the cabinets - he's appalled, fearful, sickened and anxious at the knowledge of what it means that he has. The apple and the bird symbolise, to me, the innocence of the lives that will be lost at Hogwarts, but also Draco's lost innocence. I think Tom Felton did a bang up job of portraying this, and it makes me annoyed to read these scenes so misinterpreted.

I know it's all a bit cheesy, but I really like these scenes :( If you want to review them yourself, they are here:

Apple scene: from about 25 secs here

Bird scene: from about 3 mins 15 on the same video (which is a random collection of Draco scenes from the first 6 films).

What do you think? Am I completely wrong? Is Harry Potter wiki completely wrong? Am I mad for caring? Shall I go and do deep breathing? Will I have to sob in annoyance now every time I watch the Half-Blood Prince?

Comments

[facecat.livejournal.com]

Ah ha. IIRC the Half-Blood Prince book had Harry obsessed with Draco and the Half-Blood Prince. That didn't come out at all in the movie.

[enchanted-jae.livejournal.com]

I prefer the birdsofshore version of events.

:D

[gamma-x-orionis.livejournal.com]

Oh, I like your interpretation so much better than the 'official' one! I never gave it much thought (because... movies. Better to turn one's brain off in these situations), although I /guess/ my assumption was pretty similar to what HP Wiki says... *shrugs*

What I'm really confused about now is that gif caption. According to google translate, that's latin for "contrived harmony suffered"... um, what does that mean? (I always thought that Draco praying in that scene. Is this a prayer that I've never heard of?)

[fantasyfiend09.livejournal.com]

Exactly! And then he gets the the Astronomy Tower and realises there is no glory to have.

[birdsofshore]

Sorry I never got to this comment sooner, gamma! I think it's the incantation that Draco says, to make the Vanishing cabinet 'work'. If you watch the video, he says those words each time before looking inside to see if the thing has gone, or come back.

[birdsofshore]

Yay! :D This post has definitely given me food for thought, though. I can kind of twist my head to accept other people's explanations as well, now, so it was a good discussion.

Sorry I never got round to replying to this sooner :(

birds

[timemixer]

have not read the books seen the film HBP. Cannot recall seeing a black bird in a cage but have seen a white and black bird in a cage on Wiki in an entry birds on the seventh floor but also have seen an empty cage in the Draco poster at Harry Potter Wall art. Will have to review film to see if black bird is visible in any cage...is he ? Will also have to see if bites appear to be in apple to have any leaning towards theories. Sniggering at shop where second cabinet is kept can be interperted in several ways. Will have to review part where black bird ? Flies ? from cabinet at Hogwarts....BUT if this is a black bird why would it appear then ? Would DM send it then leave before it returned or just leave it in the cabinet afterwards. Additional scenes in HBP do not show any birds. Believe DM felt remorse as he caused bird to die. the poster of Draco at Harry Potter Wall Art seems to show this. Would really like an explanation if both birds can be seen in a cage anywhere ? Some posts in other forums talk about black bird being seen being put into cabinet in film. Does this make sense ? thanks for any help

[cagnurit.livejournal.com]

Sorry for being so so late (as I've just started stalking your #(am i in love with draco malfoy) tag recently).

I just want to add an (important, I think) scene with the birds: at earlier of the movie, about minute 43-44, there is a scene with both the birds (one black, one white) in a beautiful delicate cage, right before the scene of Draco walking in and standing in front of RoR the very first time. So we can be sure the birds are both sent from Draco.



About the interpretation, I read others' comments, and while I think they are logical, I agree with you. This is how I see it: 1) The apple is a success, Draco is pleased with that. 2) The white bird is also a success, because it is chirping at B&B's; and when it comes back dead meaning someone kills it, Draco feels distressed, even frightened to realize the cruelty of DEs and the desperate situation he is in. 3) But I'm still vague about the role of the living black bird. I think one explanation is that Draco still wants to experiment with the remaining bird as he's fixing the cabinet, but I'm not sure.

[birdsofshore]

Ah, you can stalk my Draco tag any time! It is the best tag <3

I like your thoughts on this thorny question. Especially the bit where you say I am right. ;) It's the kind of thing that can drive me mad if I think about it for too long. You could come up with 20 different answers and still nobody would agree :D

Even later ... just re-watched em all...

[teh_b00sh]

It just clicked, finally ... i used to agree with most these posts long ago but now i realize the truth!

The cabinet works 100%

The apple- a bite taken

The white bird- neck snapped

The black bird- ssent back alive because unlike the white bird standing for good, the black bird stands for evil. So, to voldy it symbolic of evil triumphs over good!

-& i actually thought it was Voldy himself doing all 3 returns but suppose could be bellatrix or fenrir?

Lastly--the only other option that ive heard not listed thus far, that makes sense would be the black bird, malfoy never sent due to losing his nerve...