On July 16, 2005 author J.K. Rowling released the sixth book in her popular Harry Potter series.  Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was an instant classic whose record sales were only eclipsed by the final book in the series.  Now, as this story gets ready to hit the big screen, where fans will revel in special effects and surround sound it is important for those who have not read the story in four years to be reminded what this adaptation is really about.  Only then, can the movie goers judge the film on its merits.  It can only stand up on its own if it stayed true to the heart of the book. With that in mind, let’s look with intent at the novel itself.

The Half-Blood Prince is where the J.K. Rowling’s villains take center stage.  Specifically, Lord Voldemort.  His power in the present is supreme, wreaking havoc not only in the world of witches and wizards but also in the world of ordinary humans who are referred to as Muggle’s in the series.  He and his minions leave only fear and terror in their wake, extinguishing all but the last vestiges of hope for our beloved characters and all they hold dear.  This tale is about the darkness before the dawn, and it is brought together wonderfully.

But, this story is not just about Voldemort’s present power.  This book chronicles his past transgressions with remarkable depth. The words that leap off the pages in this literary triumph capture the life of a boy who wanted nothing more than to be special and who would stop at nothing to live forever.  It is in this book that readers finally have clarity regarding Voldemort’s purposes.  We finally see that his chief aim was to live forever.  Or more to the point, to overcome death and prove to all that he is greatest wizard of all time.

Overcoming death is a theme that runs throughout literature and movies, and remains one of the most popular paths for dark characters to travel down.  Rowling’s vision is remarkable for not only its originality but also its humanness.  In pop culture only George Lucas has made such a point to focus a character on such a lofty goal.  However, Anakin Skywalker was seduced by power because at one point he wanted to use that power to save others.  Voldemort never had such aspirations.  Voldemort wanted power show others the proof of their inferiority.  He was the ultimate bully.

It is this human perspective and the depths which this novel takes its reader that sets the stage for the ultimate triumph of Harry Potter in the final book.  There would be no reason to rejoice over the triumph of love if the strength of hate wasn’t seen to be insurmountable.  Sacrifice can only be seen as valuable if the good that is worth fighting for was being taken away.  That is what makes this story so rich.  A richness that cannot be fully mirrored on the big screen.  But, it can be honored.  It can stay true to the hard choices each character faces, the tragedy of suffering, and the bonds of friendship.  If it does than the film can meritoriously stand on its own.

So, when you sit in a theatre somewhere, and you allow Hollywood to transport you to a world of stunning visual effects and sound, don’t lose the story that J.K. Rowling was trying to tell.  Pride must be dealt with.  Fear of death is not worth the destruction of your soul.  But, love, even in great darkness, always paves the way for the coming of triumph over any enemy.  No matter how presently powerful they might seem.

If you like action films, then you won’t want to miss Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger, Christian Bale as Special Agent Melvin Purvis, and Marion Cotillard as Dillinger’s girlfriend Billie Frechette.

Although not a perfect film, Public Enemies delivers a steady stream of action and even a little romance.  The special effects in the movie are outstanding, with gun battles that are incredibly realistic, especially for those that know the sound of real gunfire.  Machine guns and other types of weapons are authentic for the period.

The camera work in the film makes you feel like you are watching a full-length version of COPS, with handhelds doing much of the work.  The shots are shaky at times, but overall they seem to work, adding to the sense of “being there” especially as the action and the gun battles unfold.

There is surprisingly little profanity in the film and no full nudity.  A brief bath by the leading lady right before Dillinger’s capture, and a short love scene is about all you will see.

The romance between Dillinger and Frechette is compelling, if not deep, because it forces Dillinger to think in longer terms than just the here and now.  Cotillard play a sultry and sexy Billie Frechette, resistant to the advances of Dillinger at first, but who in the end gives in to his persistent and straightforward advances.

The story also gives us a glimpse into the life and times of John Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, Alvin Karpis, and Baby Face Nelsen, and the criminals they associated with.  It shows the loneliness and futility associated with the gangster lifestyle in the 1930’s.  The film stays away from details of the main characters lives before they joined forces in 1933 and 1934, what would eventually turn out to be the end of the line for all of them.

Christian Bale plays the straight man in the movie, special agent Melvin Purvis, of the fledgling Bureau of Investigations.  Promoted to head the Chicago field office, he makes quite a few blunders in his pursuit of nabbing Dillinger, even to the point he has to admit to J. Edgar Hoover that he and men are unqualified to do the job.  Eventually bringing in back-ups from southern police agencies, the Bureau starts to take form.

The story line does stray from the facts at times as it has Purvis and Dillinger meeting face to face in a jail holding cell, something that never happened but was obviously used to enhance the drama and “good versus evil” side to the story.

Most filmgoers know how the story line turns out so there is little drama as to what will happen in the end.  Still, the quality of this movie, the terrific acting, the action scenes, and the stage presence of Johnny Depp and Marion Cotillard make this movie worth seeing, maybe even twice.

“The Tunnel” (released 2005) tells the true story of East German Hasso Herschel, whose character in the movie is named Harry Melchior.

Harry Melchior was an East German swimming champion who had taken part in the uprising against the Communist regime in the June Rebellion of 1953, for which he had been imprisoned for four years. The movie opens as Melchior wins the German Freestyle Championship in a swimming competition. This was August 13, 1961, the day before the Wall officially separated East and West Berlin. Government officials wanted to propagandize Melchior, but he snubs them by retiring as an athlete. He is determined to get out of East Germany and to take his sister and her husband and baby with him.

Matthis, engineer and close friend of Melchior, tries to flee with his wife through the sewers. Matthis makes it, but his wife is captured and imprisoned. Matthis works from the other side and helps provide Melchior with forged papers and identification documents. On August 26, 1961, Melchior makes a daring trip through Checkpoint Charlie and passes through to West Berlin.

There, a group is working to provide documents to others, and Melchior has the fantastic idea of digging a tunnel. With Matthis to engineer the project, and another friend, Fred, to help, they embark on this impossible mission.

The movie takes the viewer through the frustrating beginning phase of constructing the tunnel, and moves through the laborious earth removal, bucketful by bucketful, to be dumped in a slag pile in the basement of the abandoned factory where the tunnel originates. As things progress, more people are trusted to help, and there becomes a vast network of secret workers on both the East and West sides of the Wall. The story is mesmerizing. A series of problems with the tunnel arise and must be dealt with. It is hard to believe that this chronicles actual events, the grit and determination of the people on both sides is so intense.
This is a story of courage and stamina, of loyalty and disloyalty between friends and comrades, of cat and mouse with the East German Stasi officer, Kruger, who is a master of psychological manipulation and deception. He cleverly tries to discover the details of the escape plan by exploiting every bit of information from every angle.

“Der Tunnel” was originally a 3 hour German TV production, and was shortened to this 150 minute movie version. It does NOT seem long. There are so many sub-plots and so much action and intrigue that it is difficult to even take a break. And did I mention that it is in German with subtitles? Don’t let that keep you from seeing this movie. Really.

The Tunnel is not a movie for young viewers, but teens should appreciate it. There are two scenes where sex/nudity might be a concern, but they’d be easy to skip over if you have your remote handy. They are not distastefully graphic, but worth mentioning.