On today 20 years in the past, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and techniques hit theaters in the US. After the unimaginable success of The Sorcerer’s Stone, followers couldn’t wait to see the following adventures of the unlucky 12-year-old titular wizard and his finest pals, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Chris Columbus’ second (and final) foray into the Wizarding World wasn’t pretty much as good as the primary one, but it surely launched many recurring themes that may be later expanded within the subsequent films. In entrance of all of them, the problems that led to Lord Voldemort’s return.
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At the beginning, The Chamber of Secrets and techniques confirmed the wizarding world had an enormous racism drawback. Many wizards appeared to hate individuals from non-magical households and different magical creatures thought of inferior. Hermione spent a lot of the story being bullied by Draco Malfoy for her origins. “Mudblood” was the derogatory expression used to confer with the Muggle-born Hermione. Nonetheless, Draco was simply the newest one in an extended historical past of racism handed from mum or dad to youngster because the days of Salazar Slytherin, one among Hogwarts’ founders. Slytherin’s resolution to purify the college of unworthy individuals was feeding them to his basilisk, an enormous snake that would kill her prey together with her gaze (in case you questioned, Slytherin’s basilisk was feminine). That racism was on the base of Voldemort’s first ascent and subsequent return to energy.
Muggle-born wizards weren’t the one victims of racism, which additionally affected magical creatures like Dobby. In truth, it turned out that the entire wizarding world was sustained due to unpaid staff who have been handled just about like slaves (maybe a metaphor for British colonialism?). Followers received to know Dobby, the Malfoys’ home elf, as he tried to save lots of Harry’s life by stopping him from returning to Hogwarts. The tragedy was that Dobby needed to punish himself each time he disobeyed a direct order from his masters. Followers, rightfully, dislike the Malfoys for a lot of the story attributable to their habits. Nonetheless, it should be observed that Sirius Black had the identical unhealthy relationship along with his home elf, Kreacher.
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The story additionally confirmed how manipulative and seductive Tom Riddle may very well be as soon as he focused a sufferer. Poor Ginny Weasley felt what being possessed by Voldemort felt like on her pores and skin. The Chamber of Secrets and techniques additionally launched Riddle’s diary, one of many seven magical objects (a.okay.a. Horcruxes) You-Know-Who poured his soul into his quest for immortality. Finally, Harry killed Slytherin’s basilisk earlier than saving Ginny and, later, the wizarding world by defeating Voldemort himself. Nonetheless, one can marvel how modified was the magical neighborhood on the atavic problems with racism.
Regardless that Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and techniques had a extra mature tone, followers didn’t just like the film as a lot because the others. By way of field workplace efficiency, the sophomore installment is the second to final of the Harry Potter films, forward solely of The Prisoner of Azkaban. The story additionally felt too lengthy, 161 minutes — the longest film within the collection. Nonetheless, its narrative contributions and establishing Voldemort’s return make it an essential chapter price revisiting infrequently.
