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

[unbroken-halo.livejournal.com]

The wiki, like Pottermore, rather pisses me off but for now, since it's the only one of the few sources we have, we have to make do. But I can also say this; as fabu as JKR's world is, she ain't exactly on the ball either. When the damned creator can't even keep shit straight in their own world, then it isn't going to be easy for anyone else either. We're all human, you know?

So, yeah, moving on.

I can honestly say I took the moments to mean Draco's failure. Here's why. In the book, we are shown everything through Harry's eyes. He wants Draco to fail. Doesn't matter what it is. Books don't translate easy, to movies and there's an wider, easy method of getting everyone;s POV across without confusion. So I figured this was Hollywood translation of Draco's talking with Moaning Myrtle. If I recall correctly, he's talking about his failures and he's crying is how it happened in book canon.

Movie translation canon: The missing chunk of the apple to me reminded me of the kid Fred and George shoved in the cabinet: don't remember his name but he was a Slytherin. Anyway, he was lost for some time before he reappeared later in the year. His memory had been altered, if I remember correctly.

The dead bird, honestly no clue cause it creeped me out, but again, I thought, shit failed again because of the look on his face. It never occurred to think about his transitioning character, just his desperation that he wasn't doing any better than his father and that he'd alienated Snape.

Me canon: Draco's distress was extreme and with each failure, those of trying to kill Dumbledore included, were just compounding his issues.

It wasn't until I rewatched the clips you posted and my daughter says, 'who bit the apple?' and 'how did the bird die?' that I had to consider it as you had laid it out.

Maybe it is just a personal interpretation of the scenes, characters and not so much about who is wrong or right, because either way they are taken, they both get the point across that this child is in trouble.

[birdsofshore]

I like your thoughts about POV and this being a stand-in for Draco crying to Myrtle. You're also right to bring up the boy who got lost for a while - was it Montague? Montescue? Hmm, I want to read fic about what happened to Montague while he was in there, now :D

It's interesting you say you could consider my version of events while watching the film and there was some plausibility to it. I've found everyone's arguments feasible, it does seem to be a choice of which version you prefer, and the implications for Draco are bad either way. I just prefer us witnessing his fear and horror at the fact that he has been successful, as it deepens his character in my opinion, but we feel pity for him either way.

[unbroken-halo.livejournal.com]

Yes, Montague. I think that was it, and oddly enough, I want to read more fic with the cabinets in it now, too. It's a fantastic concept to be exploited. *ponders*

I like your version, too, because honestly, it works. My daughter saw it this way. And I hadn't even read her your post. She got that from watching the clips and not because she likes Tom Felton. She hardly paid attention to the films or books, even though we are now working our way through them since she's old enough to read/understand them on her own. Though she's more of a Phelps/ G-n-F fan, truth be told, but I'll fix that later. *g*

Completely agree about Draco's character development in this film, though, and how it was brought about. I really didn't like Draco as a character either until after I read the scene on the Astronomy Tower in HBP. Not saw it, but read it several times over even. Despite all that happens, HBP is my favorite book in the series. Although TF is just too cute to be ignored even by this old lady, but yeah...

It wasn't until that moment in book canon that I saw Draco (not TF although he does the part justice) anything other than a spoiled brat, replacement DE, and Harry's nemesis. The movies and TF, though, really nailed this empathy potential he had and in more ways than just the Vanishing Cabinet scenes.

I've really come to adore the book Draco, now, and the changes he's gone though. In all actuality, I think all of the characters evolved BUT Harry. Then again, it wasn't Harry that drew me to the series but the magic.

[birdsofshore]

HBP is absolutely my favourite book, too. I love the moments of Draco's development, and Snape, too, and the whole set piece on the Tower is such an incredible climax. I connected with it on first reading so intensely and almost more than I did with other climactic moments such as Harry's death, Voldemort's defeat. I think it's one of JKR's absolute triumphs of plotting and writing. I am blown away by it every time I read it!

I'm glad your daughter agrees with me. Smart girl :DD I like the Phelps twins Fred and George a lot, myself (I don't feel like they are very popular in the fandom?)

[unbroken-halo.livejournal.com]

Yes! Agreed! JKR had her moments, I will say that, especially since she despairs so much about the supposedly 'bad' characters and the moments that define them or make them shine in my opinion. I tend to think those are her best work. *shrugs*

*g* Thanks, she's a good kid, I think. I like that she makes her own decisions when we talk about the books/movies. We tend to disagree muchly on the entire Slytherin/Gryffindor issue but she presents her arguments well. I am certain she'd be a Ravenclaw, maybe a Hufflepuff. LOL!

I loved Fred and George, but like Draco, I had reservations about them and their characterization. I don't think they should have been in Gryffindor. They were little bullies and prats in their own right. But they were fun. I agree with you, and don't think they are as popular as some other characters and it may be because of those same reasons, I mentioned.

My apologies, I didn't mean to hijack your thread. It is fun chatting with you, though!

[birdsofshore]

There is no hijacking here; I like it when people talk about whatever they want to!

I enjoy Fred and George's subversiveness but yes, they do get pulled up on their bullying behaviour in fandom a lot, and probably quite rightly. I like their prattishness, though, it appeals to me :D

JKR had her moments, I will say that, especially since she despairs so much about the supposedly 'bad' characters and the moments that define them or make them shine in my opinion. I tend to think those are her best work. *shrugs*

I'm with you on this one. I'm not seriously trying to compare us as fic writers to JKR herself, but I guess we all value different things about our own writing and it may not be what another person values or admires about it.

edited to fix pwn to own, LOL

[unbroken-halo.livejournal.com]

Great! Cause given half a chance, I will chat your ear off. *g*

F&G's funness is why I like them, but yes, I like that they get a comeuppance in FF, too. JKR doesn't hold any of her "good" characters accountable. Well, I suppose she does by killing them all off, but still you understand my meaning. The 'bad' ones suffer and bear the label of evil when the good ones walk the line, cross it most times, even, and wear halos throughout.

I'm not seriously trying to compare us as fic writers to JKR herself,

That's the thing though, every fan fic writer has the potential to be JKR, IMNSHO. I know some that completely blow her out of the water, even, because they have a better understanding of characterization, plot and world building.

While FF'ers may be playing in someone else's world, they are building skills of their own, some even better and stronger than JKR's. She started at the bottom, too, and it was sheer dumb luck, to steal a phrase, that she was discovered and made it. I think if someone had been as hard on her as our FF betas can be on us, then she wouldn't have some of the world building problems she did. *shrugs*

[birdsofshore]

Ah, I think she had more than luck on her side. When you look at her notebooks of amazing planning, notes, maps, character lists, and so on, I feel completely overawed at her genius!