Magic Movie Moments with Harry, Part 7b: Deathly Hallows, Part 1

I am definitely guilty of liking each film better than the last, but I think that, had this installment landed anywhere in the lineup, I would have pronounced it the best adaptation of the bunch.  I'm interested to see if Part 2 will outstrip Part 1; it definitely has its work cut out for it.  There's a long list of things I love about Deathly Hallows Part 1, and I've managed to narrow it down to these few.

The Journey Begins
I really like the opening to this film (after the Minister's speech), where we kind of check in with each member of the trio before they're reunited and see what they're up to.  Ron is at home, visibly dreading leaving his warm, loving family behind; Harry is in the process of moving out of the Dursley home; and Hermione is by far the most tragic, erasing herself from her parents' memories so that they won't be targeted because of her.  Add in the tremendously beautiful swelling music of Desplat's "Obliviate" as they march off toward their respective destinations, and you've got pretty much the perfect introduction to the dark and winding story we're about to embark upon.

Undercover at the Ministry
Okay, so they definitely botch this mission, more than a little bit.  But it's still so cool to see our favorite trio attempt an actual, grown-up infiltration of the ever-more-threatening Ministry of Magic.  Employing Polyjuice Potion, they disguise themselves as three employees and embark on the search for their first horcrux.  I liked the point the film made to use three adults that look like the possible future versions of the three actors in question.

Godric's Hollow Graveyard sequence
Gosh...my heart.  I still get a little choked up watching this scene, just because of what it represents for Harry and his journey.  This scene in the film is particularly well-executed, because just about everything about it is beautifully understated-- the acting, the music, even the scenery-- and it works so, so well.

Tale of the Three Brothers
Round of applause for super sick animation!  Not only do we get a nice little morality tale weaved into an already wildly complex story, but we got to watch it actually unfold on the screen.  I'd been very apprehensive of how they were going to handle the explanation for this, and I think illustrating the story was the best choice they could have made.  And apart from that, there's just something very pleasant about Emma Watson's reading voice, no?

Malfoy Manor
Apart from being one of the more chilling scenes in the film, this is another instance of just taking a look at the talent crammed into one room in these films.  Helena Bonham Carter, Helen McRory, Jason Isaacs, Tom Felton, Timothy Spall...I could continue the list, but won't.  Emma Watson is spectacular in this scene-- I knew what was going to happen and I was still genuinely frightened for her.  That it is the beginning of the slope into Part 2 is icing on the cake, as it provides the perfect segway into the "shit's about to get real(er)" portion of the story.