Tonight 10 February on Italia 1 at 9.30 pm “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” will be broadcast, a film released in 2007 as well as the first, very successful film directed by David Yates. The fifth transposition which, more than the others, marks the gradual departure from Rowling’s pages. We had said it: with the overlapping of the transpositions, the departure from Rowling’s novels would have been more and more consistent. The differences between book and film
In the film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is missing many, too many details that invalidate the understanding of the plot. Fundamental elements even just for understanding what will happen next. Let’s find out together. Harry Potter in Little Whinging
Harry is shocked by Cedric’s death, he has so much anger inside him and in the book he can hardly hold it back. In the film we see a more sedate character. Even in the park scene: in the book he calls Dudley, eager to make him pay and let off steam. In the film, however, it’s the other way around! Then the Dementors appear who, if they seem ethereal between the pages, here are physical and strong enough to lift Harry. Mrs. Figg
Mrs. Figg appears out of nowhere in the underpass immediately after the arrival of the Dementors, it is a pity that she has been present in the books since the first novel. It is to her that the Dursleys leave Harry when they are not there, and she the petulant neighbor of the endless afternoons, but she is also a sorceress put in Little Whinging by Dumbledore and to protect him.The Ministry’s Recall Letter
The letters that come to Harry for practicing a spell in front of a Muggle are different and, in the book, there is also one from Sirius reassuring the boy. Only the last one contains the indications of the court call and only at this moment Harry decides to escape. He is forced, which does not appear in the book, to tell the Dursleys what happened to his friend, about the return of Voldemort and the possibility of Azakban, a term that Petunia is well aware of since the first tales of the magical world of the young Snape. An important element that tells even more a past that we will only read in The Deathly Hallows. The escape
The Dursleys leave and Harry is left alone to wait for the Order to bring him to safety. The scene is very similar in the film but, nevertheless, it does not take place in the middle of a London which, albeit in a nocturnal version, is still full of people who could have seen them. 12 Grimmauld Place
Grimmauld Palce is the house that Sirius inherited from his family, and here he now lives with Cricher, who in the book is just a speck but will be fundamental in the last book.
The place is protected by a Fidelius Charm from Dumbledore and only a few, in fact, can access it. All things that are not explained in the film, together with the fact that, for example, in these days even Snape is there, whose voice we only listen to for a few seconds. In this place they will then spend weeks, and this does not appear in the film, cleaning and tidying up and they will also find a Boggart who scares the hell out of Mrs. Weasley. The purpose for the Order at the moment is not only to protect Harry but also the prophecy and, all of this, is not shown in the film. Harry’s hearing
We are shown, for the first time in films, the Ministry at the center of other, incredible, fighting. Soon after we go to school where Ron and Ermione have become prefects. Harry is getting more and more nervous because he believed he deserved such a role. Dolores Umbridge
One of the new characters entering this book and in the transposition is Dolores Umbridge, whose personal story can be found in Rowling’s ebooks. A character perfectly played by Imelda Staunton. One of the worst villains ever told, according to Stephen King himself, who generates the hatred of all teachers, especially McGonagall (read the book to find out the story of the cookie given to Harry). Luna Lovegood
Another character who makes an appearance in the book is Luna Lovegood, played in the film by Evanna Lynch who joins the cast with a truly moving story. She is much more calm than the character of the books, and in any case a noteworthy transposition for the extraordinary skills of the actress who makes her one of the most loved characters of the series. Dumbledore’s Army
We then witness the assault of Mr. Weasley but the film forgets to show us the visit to St. Mungo’s, the hospital for illness pages. Here, in addition to meeting Gilderoy Lockhart, we also meet Neville’s parents, hospitalized there after the tortures of Bellatrix LeStrange. Fiorenzo
Another forgetfulness of the book “Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix” and certainly Fiorenzo who had saved Harry in the first book. He becomes a divination teacher after graduating from Cooman teaching. He will be the viaticum to then introduce the forest scene with Umbridge and here too there will be an exactness because the centaurs would never attack the boys they consider pure creatures. Harry and Cho
Harrye Cho’s relationship is poorly understood in the film. There will be more kisses, meetings, a Valentine’s Day in between and even a fight. Another serious forgetfulness is that it will not be Cho who will be the spy, but his friend Marietta. Office of Mysteries
The Mysteries office, in the book, is completely different from that of the film, or rather, much richer in details and mysterious rooms in addition to that of the arch and the prophecy. The prophecy
The only one who can withdraw the prophecy and, of course, Harry, who is lured by deception but who does not read aloud, risking being heard by the Death Eaters but, in the book, does so in silence to preserve his secret. Voldemort and Dumbledore
The fight is one of the best scenes of all films, very beautiful to see and full of pathos. Harry and Dumbledore
The film skips the last part of the book, deliberately. The last chapter of the fifth book is in fact one of the most important. And the connection with the future and with what it will have to face. Finally, in fact, he will know the true meaning of the prophecy: there would be another child, Neville, who could take his post but Voldemort decided to make himself Harry’s enemy. And this is the fundamental part completely skipped in the film.
The fifth film adaptation and the first that often, almost definitively, the chains with the novels. The films, from now on, will not show key parts. It will then become more and more important for fans to refer to Rowling’s pages.
