inspire his growing legions of followers. The fic-
tional struggle against Voldemort has a trajectory
similar to the historic struggle against Hitler: Com-
placency delays resistance until almost too late, but
the forces of reason finally unite to stand up to the
evil megalomaniac, who is ultimately undone by his
own hubris.
Voldemort exploits the weaker characters’
need to belong to the winning team; the character
of Harry Potter appeals to an essential human
longing to be special. A narrative analysis of the
Potterfilms might explore Harry’s place in a clas-
sical storytelling tradition. He is an ordinary boy
suddenly revealed as a chosen one with extraordi-
nary hidden talents and a special destiny. This
secret savior is plucked from obscurity, undergoes
training, and is tested by a series of increasingly
dangerous challenges. In the end, our unlikelyhero defeats a seemingly invincible evil. This
same description could be applied to characters
at the heart of other recent popular serial adven-
tures, including Neo in the Matrix movies and
Luke Skywalker in the original Star Warstrilogy.
Some scholars maintain that Jesus Christ belongs
to the same narrative tradition; others may argue
that the character type is in fact inspired by
Christ’s actual experience. Regardless of one’s
own religious beliefs, it’s hard to deny that HarryFamiliarity and progressionThe eight Harry Potterfilms
offer the rare opportunity to experience familiar characters’
physical and emotional development over an extended period
of time. For many viewers, especially those who grew up
during the decade it took to produce every installment,
watching (and rewatching) Harry, Ron, and Hermione’s
serialized adolescence can feel like paging through a family
photo album. [1] Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone*
(2001, Chris Columbus) (UK title: Harry Potter and thePhilosopher’s Stone); [2] Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets(2002, Chris Columbus); [3] Harry Potter and the
Prisoner of Azkaban(2004, Alfonso Cuarón); [4] Harry Potter
and the Goblet of Fire(2005, Mike Newell);
[5] Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(2007, David
Yates); [6] Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince(2009,
David Yates); [7] Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
Part 1(2010, David Yates); [8] Harry Potter and the Deathly
Hallows: Part 2(2011, David Yates).Harry Potter and World War II One reason that
audiences were drawn to the Harry Potterfilms may be the
movies’ narrative, thematic, and visual references to World
War II. Although most viewers were born long after Adolf
Hitler was vanquished, the threat he posed to civilization had
such a profound effect on our culture that Harry’s struggle to
stop a seemingly unstoppable tyrant bent on world
domination still resonates with contemporary audiences.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1(2010, David
Yates) opens with the Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour
(Bill Nighy), delivering a stirring public pledge “to continue to
defend your liberty and repel the forces that seek to take it
from you” that evokes the famous wartime speeches of
British Prime Minister Winston Churchill [1]. Later in the same
film, Harry discovers Voldemort’s followers publishing “pure-
blood” pamphlets that bear a chilling similarity to anti-
Semitic Nazi propaganda [2]. The sets depicting Hogwarts in
the aftermath of the battle scene in Harry Potter and the
Deathly Hallows: Part 2(2011, David Yates) echo indelible
war-era images of devastated European cities [3].13
2WAYS OF LOOKING AT MOVIES 25