SPOILER DISCUSSION

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1.I’d like to believe Molly heard Harry asking for directions to the platform and consequently started loudly talking about it to help lead him to the proper location. It would fit in with her character as expounded on in future installments.

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2.The film does a great job of aligning the audience , along with Hermione and Ron, with Harry’s point-of-view. After he learns about his scar, we know that it’s connected to evil. This connection is then exploited during the Sorting Ceremony. Harry feels his head hurt when he looks up Snape (Alan Rickman) and Quirrell (Ian Hart). He’s already seen Quirrell at the Leaky Cauldron, so he easily attributes the pain to Snape; it helps that Snape stares back at him in a less than positive fashion. However, the real reason Harry’s scar hurts is because he’s quite literally staring at Voldemort who is present on the back of Quirrell’s head. By the end of the film we can surmise that Voldemort probably possessed Quirrell after the latter failed to get the philosopher’s stone from Gringotts which is why Harry felt no pain earlier. But the trap has been laid for both us and the characters.

This bias clouds the way we interpret future events. In particular, the Quidditch game features Quirrell hexing Harry. When Hermione uses her binoculars to stare at where the hex could be coming from, she sees both Quirrell and Snape. However, she makes the choice to zoom in on Snape and question his actions. She misrecognizes his counter-spell as the curse itself because she already thinks, due to Harry, that Snape is someone who can’t be trusted.

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3.That being said, a nitpick I have regarding the conclusion of this investigation happens at the 112 minute mark when Harry, Ron, and Hermione discuss how obvious it is that Snape is planning on stealing the stone. The shot opens on our main trio in the foreground as Snape approaches in the background. But instead of holding the shot and emphasizing the tension of Snape entering the frame of the Gryffindor’s, Columbus cuts to mediums of the characters and saps the moment of its power.

4.While I normally don’t like to nit-pick power schemas too much, the fact that the film demonstrates that “Alohomora”, the spell for unlocking locks, is not a panacea for all locks makes the Gryffindor trio’s break-in to the third floor even more inconceivable. Given the severity of the stone, it seems astounding to think that the initial door to the obstacle course would have no barriers for entry.

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5.Even when the CGI is decent, as evidenced by Fluffy above, its integration with real-world elements, like the actors, is lacking and ruins otherwise fantastic shots. The above shot of Fluffy peering over the main trio is a beautiful frame within a frame, but the obvious discrepancy between CG and non CG elements makes it distracting.

On the other hand, the practical effects work is seamless. In particular, the Devil’s Snare set looks like something out Ridley Scott’s Alien franchise. Wish there was more of this.

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6.There’s a Faustian tale lying at the heart of The Sorcerer’s Stone. The mirror of Erised which represents its viewers deepest desires leaves no room for deceit. When Harry looks upon the mirror and sees his parents, its clear that he desires nothing more than a chance at the normal life he was denied. It’s no wonder he becomes obsessed with it.

When Voldemort offers to bring Harry’s parents back for the stone, the image of Harry’s earlier reflection in the mirror of Erised is perverted and decorated with a hell-fire. His desire calls forth to him as Voldemort stands in for Mephisto. But unlike Faust, Harry perseveres. The only reason he got the stone was because he was more focused on stopping evil and the mirror sensed the same. His decision to not hand over the same is a repetition of his newfound desire. He’s able to cast aside his personal dreams for the greater good not once but twice. His reward is a photobook depicting his parents and him, a rendering of his desire in new form. He might not be able to make new memories with them, but he can still experience new memories via an interaction with an unknown pat.