Even though it is a much better book than movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is one of my favorite movies that follows the three-act structure that Professor Ramirez-Berg lectured about. In the first act we get the introduction of the characters, especially our main character, Harry Potter, and the distant family he’s living with. However, the plot point at the end of the first act and the beginning of the second act is when Harry learns that he is a wizard. This point in the story line escalates the stakes because Harry is not going to just be living a normal life anymore and will have wizarding problems. There is going to be an implication of a conflict because of the mysterious nature of wizardry. We are going to see much more action in the next act.
In the second act, we see a conflict developing. As Harry and his friends adapt to lives as wizards and witches, they see that there is something suspicious with Professor Snape and Professor Quirrell, they think one of them wants to steal the sorcerer’s stone. We don’t know who wants to steal the stone, but we learn in the next act. The plot point finally comes when Harry and his friends are in the Forbidden Forest and Harry sees a creature feasting on unicorn blood. Harry comes to the realization that he is in serious danger and must protect the sorcerer’s stone. This escalates the stakes by setting up the next scene’s answers to these questions: who is the villain? Will he end up with the sorcerer’s stone? The stage is set for the ultimate showdown between Harry and the villain.
With the final act, we finally have the answers to our questions. As Harry goes to protect the stone, we learn that the villain is the unsuspecting Professor Quirrell. In the climax of the movie, we have the final battle between Harry and the team of Quirrell and Voldemort over the possession of the sorcerer’s stone. Luckily Harry escapes with the sorcerer’s stone in a violent fight. Quirrell dies while Voldemort escapes. The conflict is resolved (only to some extent as there are sequels) and the story starts to wind to an end.
picture from http://www.hp-lexicon.org/images/film/ps/film-ps-dvd-cover.jpg
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