Fantasy literature has spawned plenty of iconic villains, and those villains have become even more iconic thanks to the rise of book-to-film adaptations. Who could forget when Sauron sent the forces of Man flying left and right with his massive mace in the opening of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring? Or the Wicked Witch of the West summoning her army of flying monkeys in The Wizard of Oz? One villain managed to have his own iconic scene, which involved coming back from the edge of Death — Lord Voldemort’s resurrection in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire puts Daniel Radcliffe‘s titular boy wizard through a gauntlet of challenges when he’s entered into the Triwizard Tournament under mysterious means. Harry manages to make it to the final leg of the tournament, but when he and Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson) finally get to the trophy, they’re whisked away to a graveyard. What follows is seven of the most disturbing minutes in the Harry Potter film franchise, as Cedric is killed and Harry’s blood is used as part of a spell to bring Voldemort back to life,
Voldemort’s Resurrection in ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ is Packed With Nightmare Fuel
From the very start of the Voldemort resurrection sequence, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire takes a sharp turn into horror territory. Harry is pinned to an angel statue that looks like it stumbled off the set of a Guillermo del Toromovie, thanks to its hooded visage and the massive scythe it’s carrying. Cedric is almost immediately killed, with director Mike Newell choosing to linger on his lifeless gaze. In perhaps one of the most horrifying bits, Voldemort’s servant Wormtail (Timothy Spall) cuts off his own handas part of the spell to bring his master back to life.
The resurrection itself is no less horrifying, as it showcases Voldermort’s body literally reforming. In the books, he’s described as being pale and snakelike, and Goblet of Fire does not hold back about how horrifying that would look. It’s Ralph Fiennes‘s performance as Voldemort, however, that is truly terrifying. Fiennes only speaks in a sibilant hiss, rushing up close into his Death Eaters’ faces so that they’re forced to look at his serpentine visage. Even if this was someone’s first exposure to the Harry Potter films, they’d understand why Voldemort is often referred to as “He Who Must Not Be Named”.
‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ Changes the Trajectory of the Series
Voldemort’s return in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire marked a significant shift in the Harry Potter series. Up until that point, Voldemort had been lurking in the shadows as his attempt to kill Harry as a baby left him near death. He’d possessed one of Harry’s teachers in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, while part of his spirit was behind the events of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Goblet of Fire marks the first time that he’s seen in full, and it utterly alters the stakes in the Wizarding World. Rather than acknowledge Voldemort’s return, the Ministry of Magic attempts to cover it up in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, forcing Harry to teach his friends how to defend themselves.
One line from Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire also teases the main conflict that’ll drive the rest of the series. When boasting to his followers about how he came back from the dead, he claims that he has “gone further than anybody on the path that leads to immortality.” Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Princefinally reveals what Voldemort meant; years ago, he created seven Horcruxes — magical items that contained pieces of his soul. In order to fully kill him, one must destroy all his Horcruxes, which makes the revelation that Harry himself is a Horcrux hit all the harder.
Lord Voldemort’s resurrection scene in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire accomplished two goals. It cemented Voldemort as a truly terrifying figure, and forever altered the course of the Harry Potter saga. To do all that in seven minutes is fairly impressive.
- Release Date
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November 16, 2005
- Runtime
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157 minutes
- Writers
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J.K. Rowling, Steve Kloves
- Producers
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David Barron, David Heyman
