Five Scenes the Movies Improved
Many lists have been made compiling moments in which the books are better than the movies or instances in which the movies did justice to scenes from the books. Pretty much every Potterhead will go on about what the films left out and how it affected the series, but not many look at what the movies did better. Below are the five times I think the movies improved upon scenes from the books.
- Hermione wiping her parents’ memories
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 opens with Hermione, Ron, and Harry preparing for their coming journey. These opening few minutes allow us to see what was only briefly mentioned in the books. We see an emotional Hermione wiping any trace of her from not only her parents’ minds but from the house as well. Alexandre Desplat’s “Obliviate” makes the wonderfully acted scene even more poignantly heartbreaking.
- Harry’s leaving attempt
The ever self-sacrificing Harry decides to leave the Burrow under the cover of darkness. He doesn’t get very far until Ron stops him, reminding him that they’re all in the same situation together. This scene highlights the close and funny relationship between the two of them. We also get to see the side of Ron that grounds Harry.
- Snape holds Lily
Probably one of the most iconic scenes of the movie, the scene revealed the extent of Snape’s love to Lily. It was an incredibly emotional moment, which, once again, could not have happened without Alan Rickman’s amazing acting and Alexandre Desplat’s “Severus and Lily.” This is one scene that never fails to make me cry when I’m watching it, and I doubt I’m the only one.
- The fall of the Millennium Bridge
We never got to see much of the Muggle world in the movies, and the fall of the bridge encapsulates the fear that they, too, would have felt. We can forgive the historical inaccuracy (the Millennium Bridge wasn’t open till 2000, and Half-Blood Prince was set in 1996) for this glimpse into this destruction of the Muggle world.
- “The Tale of the Three Brothers”
I loved how this was shown in the movies. By choosing to change it from Hermione simply reading the story to an animated version, we got to visually see the fairy tale. The eerie style was perfect for the story it told.
Are there any other scenes that you think were better in the movies than the books? Let us know in the comments.
