A strength of any fantasy series is its ability to remain a topic of conversation long after it has run its course. For better or worse, the Harry Potter franchise is one of those series. While there has been problematic press regarding its author, the series itself has maintained a steady stream of popularity. The books were magnificent, and the films were still masterfully crafted and well-acted, while not as great but unique. The Universal Studios theme parks added another level of interaction and immersion in the colorful wizarding world. Quite frankly, living in this smartly crafted universe of magic is attractive and fun.
The fifth entry into the series, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, was adapted to the screen and released in 2007. Upon its initial release, the film received the usual praise for the high production value and level of performance that have become commonplace among the company of crew and actors involved in the series. However, it received a few critiques for losing steam juxtaposed with being trapped in its tropes. The Order of the Phoenix had become a darker and deeper entry than credited when released 15 years ago. The Harry Potter series suffers from its success in this regard.
While it is easy to see outside influences that have inspired its story and arcs, there are many beats, settings, and character motivations that exist in a vacuum. There isn’t a bad one among the eight films encompassing Harry’s journey. It would be naïve to say they’re flawless because they certainly aren’t. But the series accomplished a rare feat by being visually delicious and solidly entertaining from start to finish. Looking back at what is essentially the central pivot point in the series, I maintain that The Order of the Phoenix is one of the most important entries in the film canon.
Let’s get some things out of the way first. There will be no comparisons from novel to film here. While there were a lot of departures (as usual) in adapting the film, the spirit of this particular book is very much present here. Harry is now entering his fifth year in Hogwarts. The film opens, and Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) is back home with his aunt, uncle, and cousin Dudley on Privet Drive and roasting in the dog days of summer. He is in shock and anguish as the end of the previous year brought about some terrible revelations. Voldermort (Ralph Fiennes) had returned to mortal form. The man responsible for the death of Harry’s parents and the death of so many others became more than just a nightmare but a reality. Harry suffers headaches daily, navigating an unusual connection to the Dark Lord. The death of Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson), the young boy murdered in the graveyard at the end of The Goblet of Fire, haunts Harry. While Cedric wouldn’t be the only murder victim in this series, the ripple effect of death’s proximity to Harry would continue to echo in The Order of the Phoenix.
After dementors attack Harry and Dudley in the open, Harry uses his Patronus charm for protection. He is then subsequently charged as a criminal for doing so and is promptly expelled from Hogwarts. Harry’s trial introduces us to arguably the worst villain the series has to offer — Dolores Umbridge (Imelda Staunton). Umbridge is a bureaucrat of the lowest kind, supporting the Ministry of Magic’s position that Voldemort has not returned.
The film’s plot has all of the trimmings of a Harry Potter film. There are a lot of familiarities to be had here. But The Order of the Phoenix strikes differently from the first four films because we see the ascension of Harry and his mates growing from innocent school children to the next generation of heroes. Mostly because Harry, Ron (Rupert Grint), Hermione (Emma Watson), and a smattering of others see the writing on the walls. A war is coming. Headmaster Albus Dumbledore (Michael Gambon) has distanced himself from Harry. The Ministry of Magic decries any mention of Voldemort’s return. Umbridge has inserted herself as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, using torture, corruption, and other unethical means to gain power over Hogwarts’ curriculum and student body. She sucks.
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The Order of the Phoenix was a supergroup of witches and wizards from a generation prior who fought Voldemort and his gang of Death Eaters. The team included Harry’s late parents and his godfather, Sirius Black (Gary Oldman). But there is renewed hope as Harry begins teaching other students in the Room of Requirement the defensive spells necessary for wizarding battle. I especially loved introducing the new character Luna Lovegood (Evanna Lynch). She has a disarming spirit despite being an oddball amongst her peers. We get treated to many fun scenes of the students training and learning how to defend themselves. This cadre models themselves after the Order of the Phoenix, calling themselves Dumbledore’s Army. These training montages pay off later in the film’s climax in a satisfactory way.
I could easily spend another 6-8 paragraphs on the cast alone. Seeing how the Harry Potter series gainfully employed the veritable who’s who among British performers, I would never run out of characters to discuss. This cast is enormous. Really enormous. Alan Rickman, Jason Issacs, Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Natalia Tena, David Thewlis, Maggie Smith, and many more show up here. Everyone shines and is better than we deserve no matter how small their role, part, or screentime. Director David Yates and screenwriter Michael Goldenberg had a chore in balancing out the swath of characters to fit the story’s needs. But I would say the result speaks for itself. The film never feels too cluttered or stuffy.
But the story here isn’t about the background players, the beautiful sets in Scotland and London, or the bureaucratic decrees Umbridge instills as Headmistress that turn Hogwarts into a living hell. (Sadly, the story also cut Quidditch out entirely.) The theme in The Order of the Phoenix is about kinship, maturation, and (as much as I want to avoid this cliche) destiny. It is about Harry finding his path and taking the responsibility to fulfill a quest he doesn’t fully comprehend. At the end of The Goblet of Fire, the big bad Voldermort is back on the scene. How Harry can even concentrate on school now is beyond me. The MacGuffin in this film is the elusive prophecy — stored in a small crystal ball. The film’s final battle, which brings major players from the camps of good and evil together, gives us a taste of what’s to come later in the series. As mentioned earlier, death is a significant tentpole theme of Harry Potter, and it is here to stay.
There is a brief glimmer of hope as Dumbledore’s Army teams up with the Order members to fight off Death Eaters in the Ministry’s Department of Mysteries catacombs. These two generations of heroes are willing to do what is right by working together. There is Sirius Black fighting alongside Harry. Harry beams at Black, his only genuine connection to his parents and hopes of a proper family. Suddenly, Bellatrix Lestrange (Helena Bonham Carter) zaps Black with a curse that has become all-too-familiar to Harry. The Killing Curse. “Avada Kedavra!” and Sirius is no more. In a mere instant, Harry has been robbed once again of love and happiness. Harry screams in pain, the soundtrack drops out entirely, and we see pure anguish, exhaustion, and sadness on his face. Powerful. Incredible. Devastating. Daniel Radcliffe’s performance of Harry ebbs and flows, mirroring Harry’s growth. But in the later films, and especially in this one, Radcliffe is in the pocket. Harry is asked to do a lot, and with each subsequent entry, it is impressive he can keep his composure.
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The Order of the Phoenix is rebellion incarnate. It is so much fun to rewatch because the developed relationships between the three leads are at their strongest. There is a lot of heart and fire here. The motivation and actions of our heroes give this film an extra layer of muscle and magic. The prophecy everyone desired to decipher finally did something fresh for the series: it raised the stakes. For reasons not revealed until later in the series, the prophecy intrinsically connects Harry and Voldemort. But this film finally starts dropping off tastier breadcrumbs. There is a memorable, albeit horrible, villain with Umbridge, who is the full embodiment of bigotry and evil. Potter and Snape become closer unexpectedly when Snape teaches Potter about Occlumency; this closes some gaps regarding Snape’s behavior towards Harry, providing much-needed context for the tenuous relationship Snape had with Harry’s parents.
When a series has many films in its set, there is a high probability of what I call “pivot films” or “bridge films” to exist; movies that don’t do much more than re-orient the direction of the story from the previous film to the film that will be coming out next. These aren’t necessarily bad things but can make for a lazy film or a lackluster experience at the moment. It is good fortune that this film doesn’t have that problem.
The critical spirit and intent of Harry’s journey are here, and it is still a charming film to look at with incredible cinematography. But instead of the plot pulling Harry through itself like in previous entries, he is now taking ownership. His growth and confidence are sharp. The Order of the Phoenix shines smartly for this purpose. Until this film, each entry had been magical, illuminating, catchy, and beautiful (especially Prisoner of Azkaban). But there is a maturity here with Phoenix taking Harry Potter, and the audience, to new wondrous heights.
