Harry Potter Series is one of the most loved films in the world. A total of 8 films were produced over 10 years. It is based on a fantasy fiction written by a British author JK Rowling; it is a life story of a magician from birth until he becomes an adult. Since the first novel was published in June 1997, 450 million copies have been sold including the last and seventh novel published in July 2007: it became the most-sold book series in history. Despite the criticism that it is generally dark, it has been translated into 67 languages and has a variety of fans throughout the world. The movie also had a big success, just like the book series. From the first film released in 2001 up until Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 of 2011, it became the most profitable movie series.
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The main plot of Harry Potter Series includes how a young magician Harry overcomes an evil magician Lord Voldemort who is looking for immortality. The story of defeating Voldemort,who tries to conquer the world of magicians, aims to rule non-magicians and eliminates everyone who stands in his way, especially Harry Potter, has been loved by countless many. The evil monarch Voldemort splits his souls in many forms and hides them. One of those souls is Harry Potter, irrespective of his will. In order for the conflict between Voldemort and Harry Potter to come to an end, one of them must die. Harry Potter eventually faces the reality that he has to abandon his life in order to defeat the enemy. However, Harry bravely accepts the reality. To finish the desperate war that seems to never end, Harry gives up his life to Lord Voldemort for the sake of everyone he loves. Voldemort does not know a part of his soul lives in Harry and attacks to kill him. However, Harry survives and Voldemort rather destroys his soul living in Harry. During the last fight between Harry and a weakening Voldemort, a part of his remaining soul is eliminated and at the same time, he becomes weaker. In the end, he becomes unable to defeat Harry and meets his death. At the same time the wicked leader who dreams of immortality is defeated and peace comes to the world once more. Although everything has ended, the wand that Voldemort needed for immortality still remains. And, Harry comes to know that the owner of the most powerful invincible wand is himself. However, he does not hesitate to break the wand and throw it away for good in front of his friends. The film ends with a scene that Harry, 19 years later, becomes a father of two kids and sends them off to a magic school at a train station.
This film is a series and every episode has an individual story. The overall theme is prejudice and demolition, and the main theme is death. The film has slightly dark themes and an ordinary structure of a battle between good and evil. By developing a story with fresh material– a magic school and magicians, it provides rich scenes and successfully depicts a theme of death yet not in a heavy tone. Moreover, the film induces people to have sympathy and satisfaction from a unique circumstance and character Harry has – an orphan and a genius magician. It also interestingly and honestly deals with the most fundamental question of life and death.
There is an old saying “the one who tries to die lives, and the one who tries to live dies.” It corresponds to the theme of the film –death– that is depicted through two characters, Harry Potter and Voldemort. Harry Potter risked his life for good but eventually lives whereas the evil leader Voldemort dreamed for immortality with his attachments but his life comes to end. It is not easy for humans to let go of the self as they live for themselves duringtheir life, even though they know that the attachments and desires for the self are meaningless and futile. People seem to forget about the truth that ‘when the false self is eliminated the true self can be found.’ If you cannot let go of the attachments and continue to hold onto the false self, you will eventually disappear forever trapped in these attachments, just like Lord Voldemort. I hope many people come to know this.
In addition, it is often seen that people are blinded by authority and fame, from which they cannot come out. At the end of the film, Harry Potter grasps authority and fame at once by becoming the owner of the most powerful wand in the world. However, Harry lets it go forever without hesitation. Probably,he has already learned from his journey that such authority and fame are meaningless and futile. That’s why he might have been able to easily throw it away.
© 2013 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
The film gives a deep lesson to us who live attached to the self, authority and fame. The more you try to attain them, the less likely you are to attain them. On the other hand, the more you try to let them go, you naturally attain everything. It’s a lesson from the film. It also gives us realization about how futile and meaningless the things we try to attain are and we become imprisoned and trapped in the desire to attain these things. It seems like it is now the time when we need courage and determination to let go of the false self. Furthermore, I hope that mankind recovers the true self and has eternal life through abandonment. Let me conclude with a saying “the one who tries to abandon lives, and the one who tries to attain dies.”
