Part one of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" did not disappoint the mass hysteria surrounding its release. The movie introduced new mysteries to the plot, explored tensions within relationships, showed the growing maturity of Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson), the heightened severity of Voldemort’s power and the sacrifices inherent in the insurance of his defeat.    

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" opens with a conference chaired by Voldemort (Ralph Vienne) and attended by his loyal bunch of Death Eaters. They

(Jaap Buitendijk/ Warner Bros Pictures)

This scene establishes the tension between Lucius Malfoy (Jason Isaacs) and Voldemort, as Voldemort coerces Lucius into taking his wand. 

We also see the beginnings of Draco’s (Tom Felton) fear and uncertainty about his role in Voldemort’s inner circle, most transparent in his disgust of the professor’s killing.

Much of the movie explored the dynamics of sacrifice inherent in stopping Voldemort. In one of the first few scenes, several members of the Order transform into mirror images of Harry in order to transport him to a safe place. They hope that this will distract and confuse the death eaters enough to protect Harry. 

This, however, not only leads to the death of Mad-Eye Moody but also several injuries. 

Harry’s anxiety and frustration with his loved ones consistently sacrificing their lives for his safety ultimately motivate him to try and go off on his own. 

Ron follows him outside, convincing him that this fight is bigger than just protecting him; he presses that they are all in it for the greater good.

The Weasleys’attempt to salvage some normalcy at Bill (Domhnall Gleeson) and Fleur’s (Clemence Poesy) wedding is ultimately destroyed when Death Eaters attack in search of Harry. 

Harry, Ron and Hermione flee, knowing that it has to be the three of them that solve the mystery of the Horcruxes, which hold pieces of Voldemort’s soul. 

The instances the trio are on their own are certainly the most enchanting and alive. These scenes are full of very bare human moments that show a range of emotion and dramatic appeal. 

They search for the third Horcrux, a locket, which is ultimately hidden somewhere within the Ministry of Magic. 

Ron, Harry and Hermione escape into the forest to figure out how to destroy the locket with the help of the objects Dumbledore left them in his will. 

During this time, it becomes increasingly evident that Ron and Hermione’s relationship is intensifying; the care they have for each other is not just platonic, and their relationship has been growing since the third film. 

They do not know how to start this new chapter in their relationship or reveal their feelings, and moreover, both of them realize that they have larger conflicts at stake and that their needs must come second. 

While Hermione is struggling with her own demons, she must also deal with the tensions between Ron and Harry. While her feelings for Ron are expanding, she also is aware of her responsibility to Harry. 

In "Deathly Hallows," Ron’s character matures significantly, and the humor that characterized his role in the previous movies begins to disintegrate.  Ron’s uncertainty about his second-in-command position within his relationship with Harry is magnified by his delusions that Harry and Hermione have something between them.

This reaches its high point when Voldemort creates paranoid fantasies of Harry and Hermione together. This moment is crucial for Ron, and the scene provides a very human view of his discomfort and hurt. 

Another important addition to the plot was the trio’s knowledge of the Deathly Hallows, which give the film its title. 

The Deathly Hallows consist of the Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Cloak of Invisibility. Interestingly, Harry has the Cloak of Invisibility, but the complexities of how he got the robe are not explored in this first part of the film. 

Throughout the movie, Harry gets vision of Voldemort attempting to find some object. Eventually, Harry realizes that Voldemort was looking for the immensely powerful Elder Wand, undefeatable in battle. 

While many movie franchises lose their original creativity and excitement, Harry Potter just keeps getting better. The movie could have been overtly spectacular with a great emphasis on the clichéd fight between good and evil. 

"Deathly Hallows," however, is done in such a brilliant way that the entire thing is full of life—nothing seems overdone or overly fantastical or elaborate. 

The last two movies have been increasingly darker and more sophisticated, but this only mirrors the heightened severity of the plot and the growing maturity of the three central characters. 

What makes this movie so remarkable is that the audience has seen Harry, Ron and Hermione grow up right in front of its eyes. The audience has seen them transition from eleven year olds with no knowledge of what is to come to courageous adults that must endure the most difficult time in their lives and save the fate of the entire world. 

While the last moment of the film may be anti-climatic and leaves every conflict unresolved, it nonetheless leaves you on the edge of your seat, anticipating the release of the next movie in July.