Once upon a time of darkness

In the book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, the screenplay certainly follows in Harry Potter’s footsteps, Muggles, Wizard Congresses and all. The twist of course is that the action is set in and around New York before the depression with Newt looking for a very rare beast and being tracked by the powers that be, magical and otherwise. He has with him a shape-shifting suitcase filled with magical creatures that spill over.  Since this is America, he has the American authorities, the Magical Congress of the United States of America, and a discredited member of theirs named Tina hot on his heels.

The title comes from a slim book that came out while the Harry Potter series was still spinning itself out, so there are some set rules to the whole thing, though not very many since Rowling has the freedom to draw out her plots any way she chooses. However, while being translated into film one should be aware of the slight differences between page and screen.  The story is that of an underground operation with two sets of opposing forces — those of dark and light magic — and the unaware nomaj population (non magic, the American version of  Muggles) at loggerheads. Unsurprisingly, a war of sorts is brewing and there is a witch burning community called Second Salem to heighten the hostilities. Multiple story strands exist to be twined together.  

Fantastic Beasts has very few children in its pages and is far darker and more political than the Harry Potter series — even though the darkness was growing in the last few books. Rowling has been all over social media comparing politicians both English and American and their policies to those in her books, so perhaps the overt politicisation of Fantastic Beasts should not come as a surprise. The subtext here is strong — whether it is issues of discrimination, racism or otherwise and Fantastic Beasts cannot exist without that real world frame of reference which was not so strong in the Harry Potter series.  

Scamander sounds like Scaramanga and the thriller, Batman echoes keep proliferating. Especially when it all adds up to that final battle for city domination, a scenario we have met time and again, in one form or the other. Fantastic Beasts is that very popular thing, a prequel, and is full of the kind of whimsy and imagination that we’ve come to expect from JK Rowling. Since this is her first script, the  beginning seems to be rather hurried, but then gradually settles down with quieter moments for nostalgia and reflection. Her imagination somersaults to describing 85 amazing creatures — though some mind you have roots in mythology.

The pages are filled with action, entertainment and wit but on the whole the darker note prevails. Some might say that Fantastic Beasts is designed for today’s troubled times — one could look at the escaped beasts  as creatures in danger of extinction suffering as their more normal cousins do from man animal conflict and habitat loss; while the city full of fugitives on the run and covert operations is a story for today’s insider political world. Not to mention the questions of sexual identity that also seem to present themselves.

Despite being set in the 1920’s, Fantastic Beasts seems entirely to belong to the 21st century, a time when the Harry Potter generation has grown up and the actors we knew are making significant statements of all kinds. There is a franchise lurking in the heart of the script waiting to be unleashed.

Anjana Basu is the author of Rhythms of Darkness