I became fascinated with the “Harry Potter” series when I was six-years-old, seeing the first of seven installments, “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone," with my uncle at the movie theater. I was terrified due to one of the scenes in the movie. Professor Quirrell, the human host for Lord Voldemort’s face and soul, grazed upon a unicorn in the Forbidden Forest under the moonlight. The scene was, perhaps, graphic for a six-year-old. I walked out of the theater haunted by some of the scary moments in the film, but also completely mesmerized by the magical world I had just entered into.
The world of “Harry Potter” is captivating, and the films have since brought it to life in a wonderful and magical way. While some may argue the films don’t do complete justice to the literary works of J.K. Rowling -- to which I would agree -- they do illuminate these stories with passion and grace. This is due in part to the directors, but the visual and mental appeal of the films and their portrayal of a tale we can only dream of is a product of the actors and actresses within. Specifically, Professor Snape, or the real-life Alan Rickman, brought this story to life in one of the most fiery and complex performances we have seen in film ever before.
The death of Alan Rickman at age 69 last week due to an ongoing battle with cancer has prompted me to reexamine the series of books, films and Rickman’s character, Severus Snape. As any fan of the story knows, Snape may be one of the most complex, mysterious, interesting characters in the whole tale, let alone literature and film in its entirety. Rickman had an incredible task before him when he signed up to play Snape; he had to live and breathe one of the most complicated characters in the book without giving anything away to viewers.
As many thought initially, Snape seemed to be the worst villain we could imagine. He took a particular dislike to Harry and his friends, Ron and Hermione, and it seemed as though he was constantly looking to frame him or get him in trouble for nothing. Rickman was an incredible actor in the way that he kept a strong and steady approach to his dark and brooding demeanor when dealing with students in the film. He never wavered for a moment and I never doubted his sincere hatred for Harry Potter.
Perhaps that is why so many were surprised toward the end of the tale when we learn the truth about Severus Snape. As I had read the books several times, I already knew Snape’s story, but Rickman outdid himself and his character in the film. He showed a side of Snape that none of us had known before. His usual stern, brooding face and furrowed brow turned into anguish and tears when we saw flashbacks of his arrival to Godric’s Hollow as he held the dead Lily Potter in his arms. His angry and deep tone turned into a desperate plea when we again saw a flashback of him begging Dumbledore to protect Lily from Lord Voldemort so many years ago at the beginning of this tale.
The point here is that Alan Rickman surprised us all as he thrust his own touch upon his character and gave some of the most stunning performances I have ever seen from an actor. As much as I had hated him for several books, several films and several years, I sunk in my chair and cried with him when I watched the flashbacks. I was saddened by his anguish over the loss of Lily, the only girl he had ever loved and who had ever shown him kindness and mercy. J.K. Rowling wrote the plot, the directors wrote the script, but only Rickman could give Snape the emotion and pure passion that we see on the screen.
I have nothing but sincere gratitude to Rickman for playing the part of Snape so well over the years that the character became real to me and so many others. This series has become such an important part of literature and entertainment today, and it is so largely due to the man who played the hardest role. Harry Potter, although so loved and well-played by Daniel Radcliffe, was not an entirely difficult person to play. Lord Voldemort, although somewhat terrifying and insane, had fewer layers to him than Severus Snape.
Rickman portrayed just how many layers there are to Snape, perhaps an infinite number. He is stern and brooding yet gentle and loving; he is angry and mysterious, yet soft and thoughtful. The list could go on for days and weeks, but Rickman gave us all of Snape and then some. I’ve seen plenty of movies and television shows when I watch the acting and see right through it. There are times when I don’t buy the character’s demeanor or conversation because it simply does not feel real and authentic. I never felt this way with Rickman. If I asked him to stand right in front of me in his Snape garb and snarl at you in his Snape tone, I would’ve sincerely believed “Harry Potter” was real after all and Snape may send me to Dumbledore’s office at any moment. Few actors have the power to move and captivate an audience with complete authenticity, and Rickman did it in spades.
We as a society are extremely lucky to have had someone of Rickman’s caliber to demonstrate how acting should be. I feel infinitely grateful to have watched Rickman move me from hatred to pity to admiration with his performance, and Snape will always be one of my favorite characters in the world. Always.
