Films and Levels – 2. Last Hope

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)

IMHO

I personally hate the saga of Harry Potter. Little boy is forced to suffer under pressure of wild countless humiliations for the sake of “pedagogical expediency.” Really, wizards could find something better, could not they?

The main problem for Harry is how to keep a simple human dignity – first among domestic humiliation, then among a fame in the world of wizards. Finally – under the pressure of large and small forces of evil. Save dignity, no matter what! Indeed, the key issue of British history for each individual Briton.

Harry – and all around him – is highly concerned about how to look good in the eyes of others – but not of all people (muggles do not count), but the only decent (magicians). That is, for everyone – including Harry – level 4 is of great importance.

Newt Scamander is absolutely not concerned how he looks. What he thinks about is the others – animals, humans, wizards, muggles – everyone. Level 8 is the main point.

Level 4 (follow the rules) is not so positive in eyes of authors – sometimes it covers a villainy (Mary Lou by Samantha Morton). This is a radical change of the author’s point of view. I like this new position of J.K.Rowling much more.

Tina’s (Katherine Waterston) striving to comply with the rules (4th level) is facing her deeper motives (levels 6 and 8).

Synopsis

Newt Scamander (Eddie Redmayne) arrives in New York and plans to go to Arizona for his zoo-magical affairs. But some circumstances are delaying him.

These circumstances involve a common man Jacob Kowalski (Dan Fogler), two young attractive witches – sisters Tina and Queenie (Katherine Waterston and Alison Sudol), American Association of magician, and others.

Newt and Tina happily avoide the death penalty and expose the evil wizard Greendewald (Johnny Depp) pretending to be a good magician Percival Graves (Colin Farrell)

Summary

Especially disgusting are fanatics – like a fighter with the magic Mary Lou Barebone, which beats her adopted children.

Positively looking magician Percival Graves is not able to see in the boy Creedence his magical power – and this suppressed magic turns into a black tornado, carrying destruction all around.

This is probably the main idea of the film: people who want to destroy the magic – because they are afraid of everything strange and incomprehensible – they are very dangerous, the worst of all. A desire to suppress the magic in oneself – leads to the tragic destruction not only in one’s soul – but also around.