Denise Roper's Blog, page 14

Another Best of 2010 Poll & The Secrets of Harry Potter Podcast

Who are the best male buddies from the films of 2010?

 Ron and Harry!

http://www.buzzsugar.com/Best-Male-Friends-From-Movies-2010-Poll-12379214

Ron/Hermione won the best movie couple of 2010 poll at that site also. Wait until they see Deathly Hallows Part 2! If you are a Ron/Hermione shipper, this is a fun place to visit: http://phoenixweasley.tumblr.com/ I post & reblog lots of R/Hr pictures there.

In other news, Jim Beeghley, Ariadna Quijano, Maria Johnson, Lyn Francisco, and I just recorded the Christmas episode of SQPN's "The Secrets of Harry Potter"  this morning. Watch this blog for an announcement regarding when the show has been edited and is available to download.

The National Review Interviews Author David C. Downing

I just read a fascinating interview with Daivd C. Downing, the author of the Inklings novel Looking for the King. His comments on C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien and Charles Williams are very insightful and exhibit Mr. Downing's great knowledge of the Inklings' personalities, interests, and other biographical information. I really love what he had to say about the quest for the Spear of Destiny and the theme of renunciation in The Lord of the Rings:

DOWNING: The spear of Longinus (the traditional name given to the soldier who thrust his lance into Christ's side) is only one of many ancient artifacts associated with the Crucifixion. But it has a special aura about it because of its alleged powers. It is said that the Emperor Constantine claimed to have the spear, given to him by his mother Helena after her famous pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Legend has it that Constantine boasted he would never lose a battle so long as he possessed the spear. After that, all the conquerors seemed to lay claim to it.

Charlemagne said he had the spear, adding that it always brought him victory and even allowed him to read the thoughts of his enemies. As the fabled lance came to be known as the Spear of Destiny, it is said that both Napoleon and Hitler tried to lay their hands on it — though accounts differ widely about the veracity of these claims.

But if the Spear is seen as a talisman of power, that would make it almost the opposite of "Christ-centered." Christ emptied himself of power on the cross, refusing to call down legions of angels to come to his aid. As Tolkien suggests in his Lord of the Rings epic, perhaps the truly Christ-like act is not to seek out such power, but to renounce it. That is a question I try to explore in Looking for the King.

Renunciation of power as a primary theme in The Lord of the Rings has intrigued me ever since I read Rendel Helms' explanation of it in Tolkien's World. Nearly all of Tolkien's most noble, heroic, and admirable characters are tempted by the Ring (or some other type of power), and they exhibit their true worthiness by renouncing it. In the novel and in the films, we see that Frodo, Sam, Gandalf, Aragorn, Galadriel,and  Faramir are all tempted by the power of the Ring and all of them exhibit great moral courage and strength of character by renouncing it. Another example of renunciation in The Lord of the Rings is when Eowyn renounces her "love" for Aragorn when she finally realizes her first desire was for honor and glory as a warrior and then afterwards, her desire was for power as the wife of a king. She then confesses that she no longer wants to be the Queen of Gondor when she finds true love with the humble steward, Faramir. The depressed and lonely Eowyn finds true love and happiness only when she renounces the selfishness of honor, glory, and the tempatations of power.

This Christian theme of renunciation is also found in the Harry Potter series. In the first novel of the series, Harry is able to take the Philospher's Stone from its hiding place in the Mirror of Erised because he only wants to stop Voldemort from using it to obtain an immortal body. Harry has no desire to use the Stone for himself and gladly renounces the temptation to use it to obtain as much life and wealth as anyone could ever want. In the seventh novel Harry renounces two of the Deathly Hallows: the most powerful wand ever made–the Wand of Destiny–along with the Resurrection Stone. The uncanny similarities between the Wand of Destiny and the Spear of Destiny are described in my book, The Lord of the Hallows: Christian Symbolism and Themes in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter.

I also agreed with David C. Downing's remarks about the recent controversial opinion voiced by actor Liam Neeson with regards to who or what Aslan represents in The Chronicles of Narnia.

LOPEZ: Could Narnia's Aslan be Mohammed, as Liam Neeson recently suggested?

DOWNING: Neeson is a fine actor, but he is not a theologian or a Lewis scholar. Of course, Mohammed said he was a prophet of Allah; he did not claim to be divine himself. So the analogy doesn't really work.

 I suppose what was meant is that Aslan could represent the God of any religion. That is high-minded and well-intentioned, but it doesn't do justice to the Chronicles. You can pick up just about any guide to the Narnia books to discover how deeply rooted they are in Lewis's Christian faith. In my book Into the Wardrobe, I argue that the Chronicles constitute Lewis's Summa Theologica, the fullest and most comprehensive expression of his Christian worldview.

I wouldn't presume to give Mr. Neeson any tips about acting. And I think he would do well to avoid any politically correct but puzzling remarks about the spiritual foundations of the Chronicles.

You can read the entire interview with David C. Downing here:  http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/255485/thinking-and-believing-interview?page=1

Also, I'd like to recommend this blog post to Christian fans of The Lord of the Rings. This is a link to a blog post about Samwise Gamgee made by my friend and fellow author Michelle Weston: http://www.mbwestonblog.com/2010/12/somewhat-daily-inspirations-i-am-samwise.html

Comments are welcome!

The Best Movie Romance of 2010

And the award goes to…

…Ron and Hermione!

http://www.buzzsugar.com/Harry-Potters-Ron-Hermione-Chosen-Best-Movie-Romance-2010-12657712

Christmas in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

I'll be a guest on the next episode of "The Secrets of Harry Potter," SQPN's Harry Potter podcast. The topic of the show is "Christmas," so with that in mind, I decided to share part of one of my lectures on Christian symbolism in the Harry Potter series with those of you who follow this blog.

Early in the chapter called "Godric's Hollow," Harry's despair is overwhelming:

They had discovered one Horcrux, but they had no means of destroying it: The others were as unattainable as they had ever been. Hopelessness threatened to engulf him. (Hallows 313)

But it is when Harry begins to lose hope in the chapter entitled "Godric's Hollow" that Rowling uses the strongest Christian imagery in the series thus far. Harry sees the "little church whose stained-glass windows were glowing jewel-bright" and hears the sound of Christmas carols which "grew louder as they approached the church. It made Harry's throat constrict, it reminded him so forcefully of Hogwarts." (Hallows 323-324)

The stained glass window design from the book Harry Potter Film Wizardry

Christ the King is depicted along with the Four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Notice the four angels hovering and the descending dove of the Holy Spirit.

      

   Then, as Harry and Hermione walk through the churchyard, they discover the gravestones of Kendra and Ariana Dumbledore, and of James and Lily Potter. The fact that these tombs are found in a churchyard means that the wizard and witches buried there were laid to rest in hallowed ground, which means the Dumbledores and the Potters were given a Christian burial.

 That James and Lily may have belonged to a church or believed in the Christian religion isn't such a radical idea as some might think. In a 2004 interview at the Edinburgh Book Festival, J. K. Rowling was asked if Harry Potter has a godmother. Her response was:

"No, he doesn't. I have thought this through. If Sirius had married…Sirius was too busy being a rebel to get married. When Harry was born, it was at the very height of Voldemort fever last time so his christening was a very hurried, quiet affair with just Sirius, just the best friend. At that point it looked as if the Potters would have to go into hiding so obviously they could not do the big christening thing and invite lots of people. Sirius was the only [godparent], unfortunately."

In this interview, Rowling revealed that Harry was christened, meaning that he was baptized as an infant. Further proof that the Dumbledores and the Potters may have held Christian beliefs can be found in the quotations from the New Teastament which are inscribed on their grave markers.

Harry stooped down and saw, upon the frozen, lichen-spotted granite,  the words KENDRA DUMBLEDORE and, a short way below her dates of birth and death, AND HER DAUGHTER ARIANA. There was also a quotation: Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Hallows 325)

This inscription is from the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 6, verse 21, which should be examined in the context in which it appears in the Bible: This quotation is from Christ's "Sermon on the Mount."

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. (Matthew 6:19-21, NRSV)

This passage warns against storing up earthly treasures, as Voldemort did by using valuable objects such as Slytherin's ring and locket, Hufflepuff's cup, and Ravenclaw's diadem to create Horcruxes in attempt to cheat death and gain physical immortality. In his youth, Dumbledore did something similar by seeking the earthly treasures known as the Deathly Hallows in order to become the master of death. Unlike Voldemort, Dumbledore learned that earthly treasures can be lost or stolen. He learned not to try to escape from death, but to embrace it. Dumbledore learns that the only immortality worth having is not in this life, but in the life one receives after death.  In the graveyard scene, Harry has the notion that Albus Dumbledore may have chosen the inscription on Kendra and Ariana's tomb himself. What we know of his experiences seems to indicate that he did.

          Later in this chapter, Harry reads the writing on his parents' grave markers, encountering the second Bible quote Rowling used in the novel:

                   The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

Harry read the words slowly, as though he would have only one chance to take in their meaning, and he read the last of them aloud. " 'The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death'…" A horrible thought came to him, and with it, a kind of panic. "Isn't that a Death Eater idea? Why is that there?"

"It doesn't meaning defeating death in the way the Death Eaters mean it, Harry," said Hermione, her voice gentle. "It means…you know…living beyond death. Living after death." (Hallows 328)

Indeed, Hermione's interpretation is closer to the truth than Harry's. The Bible verse quoted here is St. Paul's Letter to the Corinthians, chapter 15, verse 26. Paul wrote to the Corinthians about Christ's resurrection being an indicator that Christ's followers would also be resurrected. In the Resurrection, death would truly be destroyed, and the faithful will "live beyond death" as Hermione described it.

Before they leave the churchyard, Hermione conjures a wreath of Christmas roses to lay upon the tomb of James and Lily. According to the tradition of Christian symbolism, the Christmas Rose is a symbol of the Nativity. The symbolism of the Holy Family of Joseph, Mary, and the infant Jesus can also be found in the monument of the Potter family, a memorial sculpture that depicts James, Lily, and the infant Harry.

          This hauntingly beautiful chapter takes place on Christmas Eve. In the works of Lewis and Tolkien, the significance of Christmas cannot be overlooked. The four protagonists in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe receive gifts, weapons they will need to fight against the White Witch, from Father Christmas. They learn that Aslan is on the move and the White Witch's reign over Narnia is soon to end.

The timeline that Tolkien devised for The Lord of the Rings shows that the nine heroes of The Fellowship of the Ring departed from Rivendell on December 25th. This was the beginning of their quest to destroy the One Ring , an event that would result in the downfall of the dark lord Sauron. According to Tolkien, Middle-earth's future is our past and present. Tolkien chose the December 25th date to foreshadow that in Middle-Earth's future, the Incarnation would occur that day, an event that marked the beginning of the end of mankind's enslavement to sin and the defeat of Satan.

          The White Witch and Sauron are the "Satans" of the fictional universes they inhabit. If they knew that the events occurring at Christmastime would lead to their destruction, we could surmise that these adversaries would cry out in rage at their impending doom.

          On page 342, Harry and Hermione, disguised as a middle aged couple, make a narrow escape from the trap set for them by Voldemort.

And then his scar burst open and he was Voldemort and he was running across the fetid bedroom, his long white hands clutching at the windowsill as he glimpsed the bald man and the little woman twist and vanish, and he screamed with rage, a scream that mingled with the girl's, that echoed across the dark gardens over the church bells ringing in Christmas Day…

Voldemort's wail of frustration, piercing the cold night air at just the very moment the church bells proclaimed the birth of Christ, reminds me of an English Christmas tradition.

An old Christmas Eve custom called ringing the Devil's Knell, persists in the town of Dewsbury in Yorkshire. The practice sprang up around the folk belief that the Devil dies each year at the moment when Christ is born. The Church bells still toll on Christmas Eve in Dewsbury announcing the Devil's demise. [This is a quote from The Encyclopedia of Christmas byTanya Gulevich, page 183.]

This tradition is also found in Ireland.

Many believed spirits walked abroad on Christmas Eve and deemed it wiser not to venture outdoors after dark. About an hour before midnight, church bells all over Ireland began to ring. This tolling, known as "the Devil's funeral" or the Devil's Knell, announced the death of the Devil, who was believed to expire annually on Christmas Eve with the birth of Jesus Christ. (Gulevich 286)

Harry had escaped from being murdered by Voldemort once again, not on the Eve of All Hallows, but on Christmas, the holiest night of the year. Rowling brilliantly sounded the Devil's Knell in triumphant counterpoint to the Dark Lord's scream of rage: this event heralds the beginning of Harry's triumph and serves as a warning to the Dark Lord that his days are numbered.

          It is on the day after Christmas that Harry and his friends begin to make real progress in accomplishing their mission to defeat Voldemort. Just as King Arthur's knights followed the white stag through the forest to find the Grail Chapel, Harry followed the silver doe to a frozen forest pool where he saw a shape  like "a great silver cross" (Hallows 367).  It was the Sword of Gryffindor hidden beneath the ice. The sword is one of the most fundamental Christian symbols:

The Cross is God's sword, held at the hilt by the hand of Heaven and plunged into the world not to take our blood, but to give us His.– Peter Kreeft    

      

Harry, while wearing the locket, tried to retrieve the sword, but the Horcrux around his neck began to choke him. It was when Harry began to drown that Ron returned to save his life. Proving himself to be a true Gryffindor, Ron pulled the sword from the water and severed the locket's hold on Harry. Voldemort, like Satan the Father of Lies, made a desperate effort to claim Ron as his own, and Ron, like the weasel who strikes against the venomous serpent, was able to strike the first fatal blow against Voldemort by destroying the locket Horcrux with Gryffindor's sword.

          In terms of Christian symbolism, this chapter gives us two sacramental images, baptism (Ron, like John the Baptist, draws Harry up from the water) and reconciliation (Ron is truly sorry for abandoning Harry and is forgiven by him).

If you liked this post, you can read more about this topic in The Lord of the Hallows: Christian Symbolism and Themes in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter, which is available from www.outskirtspress.com/thelordofthehallows.

The "Secrets of Harry Potter" podcast's Christmas episode will be recorded on Wednesday morning, and I'll be a guest on the show. Please watch this blog for updates about this new episode. Meanwhile, here's SHP's review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One: http://secrets.sqpn.com/2010/11/26/shp-62-deathly-hallows-part-i-movie-review/ Enjoy!

Please comment on this post. I'd love to hear your thoughts about Christmas in all seven of the Harry Potter novels.

Looking for the King, Harry Potter, and the Spear of Destiny

This is a really nice book trailer for David C. Downing's Looking for the King: An Inklings Novel. I saw it recently over at the Hog's Head and decided to post it here as well.

The fictional portrayals of Charles Williams, C. S. Lewis, and J. R. R. Tolkien in this novel are very convincing. This book was also an enjoyable read because of the questions about faith it answers and the Christian moral virtues it depicts. If you are interested in learning more about it, read my review of Looking for the King, which you can find here: http://phoenixweasley.wordpress.com/2010/10/11/my-review-of-looking-for-the-king-an-inklings-novel/ I also mentioned David C. Downing at http://phoenixweasley.wordpress.com/2010/11/10/looking-for-the-king/ After that you may wish to join the patrons of the Hog's Head in their discussion of the novel over here:  http://thehogshead.org/looking-for-the-king-an-inklings-novel-5898/#comment

David C. Downing has spoken briefly about his novel and the Spear of Destiny in this interview.

You might also want to read what I have written about Harry Potter, the Grail Hallows, and the Spear of Destiny, which can be found at this link: http://phoenixweasley.wordpress.com/2010/09/26/the-deeper-meaning-of-the-quest-for-the-deathly-hallows/ I'd really appreciate it if you would read and comment on that particular blog post.

You can also read more about Harry Potter and the Arthurian legends in my book, The Lord of the Hallows: Christian Symbolism and Themes in J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter,  which is available from www.outskirtspress.com/thelordofthehallows. It would make a great Christmas gift for that Harry Potter fan who has almost everything.

Deathly Hallows Rupert & Emma Photos and DH2 Poster

The Ron/Hermione and Rupert/Emma fans who follow this blog will appreciate today's post. Here are some behind-the-scenes photos from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One that I found on tumblr today. Enjoy!

Emma looks like she is wearing her Bellatrix costume in this photo from the set of DH2. Rupert and Emma have wet hair and clothes, probably because they were filming the scene in which the Trio leaps off of the dragon's back and into a lake.

Here's a teaser poster for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two that I saw for the first time today also. Enjoy!



New Ministry of Magic Wrock Video and Album

The wrock band Ministry of Magic has a new album out entitled "Magic is Might."  The band also has a new Deathly Hallows-inspired video, which you can watch here:

Lyrics:

Song: Don't Leave

Artist: Ministry of Magic

Written by: Ryan Seiler and Jason Munday

Produced by: Jason Munday

LYRICS:

VERSE 1 (Jason)

I think it's time that you take off that locket

Cause I can't even look in your eyes

We all agreed that this wouldn't be easy

And now we're going nowhere in time

PRECHORUS (Luke)

Don't make me choose between you and what we're fighting for

We all will lose if we give up and our efforts fall short

CHORUS (Ryan-melody, Jason-harmony)

And I know it's been

Such a long time

Since we've just been friends

And not soldiers on

The front line of a war

That we were born into

But we've got to do this together

Don't leave me now

VERSE 2 (Luke)

We know now even the greatest of heroes

Have their moments of compromise

But in the end, we choose (hold on choose) how we live,

And I need you right here by my side

PRECHORUS (Jason)

Don't me choose between you and what we're fighting for

We all will lose if we give up and our efforts fall short

CHORUS

BRIDGE (Aaron)

You know you're only one I need

Can't do this without you

Can't you see

You know you're only one

Don't Leave

CHORUS

The song "Don't Leave" is from the brand new Ministry of Magic album "Magic is Might," which is available at these links:

iTunes: http://bit.ly/MoM4iTunes

Hard copies: http://bit.ly/MiMhardcopy

I've had the opportunity to see the Ministry of Magic perform at various Harry Potter fan conventions, and I can honestly say that they are one of the best wizard rock bands around. Dear Santa, I please get me this new album for Christmas.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 Footage

This video has most of the footage from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part Two that has been released so far. It's a fan-made video that makes me wonder what we will see when the real trailers for DH2 are released.

July 15 seems so far away.

Deathly Hallows Deleted Scenes: Hermione dances with Viktor Krum and more!

Here's some behind-the-scenes footage of a deleted scene from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One, in which Hermione dances with Viktor Krum at Bill and Fleur's wedding. I was glad this scene was cut because it isn't in the book. Hermione is supposed to dance with Ron at the wedding, not Viktor.

This video nicely sums up the deleted scenes from Deathly Hallows Part One which we may eventually get to see on the DVD. I liked the use of the film's music with this fan-made video as well.

What deleted scenes do you want to see the most on the DVD? Comments are welcome.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One on Blu-Ray and Cinemania Scans

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One will be released on Blu-Ray in April 2011. Here's Oclumencia's preview of the DVD cover:

I'm really looking forward to the extras and deleted scenes on this disc. I think that someday we will get to see the Ultimate Edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part One with the 10-15 minutes of deleted scene footage restored to the film.

The Leaky Cauldron had these scans from the November 2010 issue of Cinemania, featuring some excellent photos of the young Harry Potter cast members. These are really great photos of James and Oliver Phelps, Matthew Lewis, Bonnie Wright, Evanna Lynch, Tom Felton, Rupert Grint, Emma Watson, and Daniel Radcliffe.