The Creepy Blonde Chick

Having not read any of the books, I don’t consider myself a Harry Potter fan. I do enjoy, however, the film adaptation of the saga. They belong to a category of mainstream film spawned by Hollywood, typically with high production value, romanticized heroes, and never pausing for a second to let anyone absorb the subtext. They are easy films to watch, and perhaps my guilty pleasures. When presented with the choice between Order of the Phoenix and Babel, I thought I’ll save Babel for a different day.

The Order of the Phoenix gets right to the point. Wasting no time on introductions, (and with four movies, Harry needs none) the inciting incident occurs literally within thirty seconds of the opening title sequence. (To put it in perspective, the inciting incident in The Godfather occurred after 45 minutes) This movie felt a little different. I wasn’t drawn to the movie by the story, or the spectacular effects, but rather, by this… creepy blonde chick.

I believe her name is Luna. Luna Lovegood. She has a soft, but somehow, piercing voice and a pale luminescent aura. She remains calm in the face of a spectacle, but marvels at the details of mundane life. She shares her crackpot philosophies with Harry, who, for some reason, confides in her, I suppose due in partial to a connection they share – they have both seen death. She also has a twisted sense of fashion, and always talking about “narguls”. She’s just a little… different.

By the end of second act, I was convinced that Luna is, in some way, a spirit, creation of Harry’s unconscious mind, or personification of death. What else can explain her behaviour? After re-watching some of the scenes, and stalking her profile on Wikipedia, however, it was apparent that those ideas were never intended to be. It’s a little disappointing. How boring is that? The most fascinating character is just a witch? Isn’t there already enough of those in the series?

Without completely destroying Rowling’s vision, you can easily cut out her dialogue with anyone but Harry. (I promise you it’ll turn out to be less than three minutes and won’t rob the story of anything important.) In my opinion, let the audience derive their own interpretation of this character. Luna would not just be another follower in Dumbledore’s army; she can become another element of the mystical world that still challenges our perception after four years.

Maybe saying this makes me a Woody Allen fan boy, as he “talks about death beyond the point of narcissism”, but I am fascinated with the idea that Luna could be an angel of death. Now, the angel of death, have always been, ever since Bergman, portrayed as a tall man in a dark cloak. It is a very intimidating and menacing figure, but in many ways, death is a very natural process of life. It is as innocent and gentle as a young girl. Luna is always roaming the woods of Hogwarts, never too far away from Harry. It would also make some interesting statements about Harry, that when he felt isolated from all those around him, if it was with death itself that he feels the strongest connection.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s an interesting movie. It’s an excellent franchise. Luna is awesome. I just like my version better.