A powerful dark wizard, Gellert Grindelwald, intends to create
a new world order which will see wizards rule over non-wizards. Grindelwald gains
followers through his persuasive speeches, but he believes that for his plan to
succeed, the great wizard Albus Dumbledore must be eliminated. Grindlewald
cannot fight Dumbledore, but he believes that he knows a wizard who can. The
forces of evil and the forces of good both pursue a disturbed teenage orphan,
believing that his pre-adoption history is key to their victory.
** SPOILERS AHEAD THE REST OF THE WAY **
The Adoption
Connection
Credence Barebone was violently abused by his adoptive
mother, and now is free from her control. He has a magical parasite which can
cause great destruction, and because of this he is feared by many, and desired
by power-hungry wizards who hope to exploit him. Credence has a strong desire
to know who he is. An evil mind reader advises Grindlewald to speak gently to
Credence, and Grindlewald exploits his knowledge that Credence is desperate for
a sense of family. It’s explained that Credence was abused by the woman who
raised him, and now seeks the woman who bore him.
Credence travels to find his birth mother; he does find the
woman whose name is on his adoption papers, but she affirms that she is only a
servant of Credence’s parents. She embraces him; however, shortly after
Credence meets her, she is murdered by one of Grindlewald’s followers.
Credence aches to know his history. Facing death, he asks
someone, “Tell me my story before you end it.”
Strong Points
Newt Scamander is affirmed, “You do not seek power or
popularity; you ask if a thing is right, and do it no matter the cost.”
One character affirms that Credence’s identity is more than
just his history – his history is not the only thing that defines who he is.
Challenges
An infant is murdered off-screen.
One character confesses that, when she was a young girl
during a ship voyage, she became frustrated by her infant brother’s constant
screaming. Hoping for a brief break, she switched her brother with another
infant, intending to reverse the switch in a little while. However, while the
babies were switched, the ship sunk, and the girl’s mother rescued the baby she
incorrectly believed to be her own. Years later, this character blames herself
for her infant brother’s death; this also complicates Credence’s questions
regarding his own identity – Credence was the baby who was taken in the switch,
and the girl who took him knows nothing about his previous identity.
The film has a very dark tone with several frightening
scenes.
Characters refer to Credence’s pre-adoption identity as “who
he really is.” One character corrects this, telling Credence that there is a
difference between “who he was born” and “who he is.”
A character has sworn a vow to avenge his father by killing
the child of the man who seduced his mother away from his father.
A young woman is told – and believes – that her father never
loved her.
Recommendations
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald is entertaining,
but it also seems darker than most of the other films in the Harry Potter world.
Adoption is profoundly woven into the story, but in a way that seems likely to
be troubling, confusing, or upsetting for most young viewers touched by
adoption.
This one seems best left to adults and older teens who are mature enough
to process the film’s adoption elements without embracing them as fact.
Questions for
Discussion
What do you believe determines Credence’s identity?
Grindelwald says that Credence is desperate for family, and
this leaves him vulnerable to
Grindelwald; what would help Credence stay safe?
Which characters seem like the safest people that Credence
could trust?
Other Ideas
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