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I've seen it several times though it's difficult for me to watch; there is such a dark patina and such a subtext of heartbreaking tragedy lying before four principals -- Harry, Draco, Snape and Dumbledore. To some extent each has chosen his path, except Harry, and you can almost taste the anguish of each. It's leavened with enough humor, and the burgeoning romantic relationships between Hermoine and Ron, Harry and Ginny were well and convincingly played. The kiss between Harry and Ginny in the Room of Requirement is beautifully done. The films have been steadily darkening, beginning with The Goblet of Fire, and this one certainly feels the darkest. I have the feeling that Yates is no longer making film adaptations of the books; he is making films which derive their stories from the books but are their own thing. He's also been laying the emotional framework for the Deathly Hallows films to follow. The Half-Blood Prince isn't just the latest in a series; it's also the beginning of a trilogy. When all the films are done and released, I think we'll begin to appreciate Yates' direction in HPB and see what he was creating and why, and how he set us up for the films to come. Painful to watch, it is still my favorite.
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