Introduction
It is almost universally agreed that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is Joanne Rowling’s best story. It introduces more new characters than its predecessors and dramatically changes the tone, making it much darker. That said, there is a big difference between the film version and its source material. However, these discrepancies do not always make some scenes look worse – sometimes they help the audience see certain characters or events in a new way.
The Opening Scene
The book starts with Harry Potter enjoying his birthday party. However, one of the first shots in the movie shows the main character fearlessly practicing a spell. According to the rules of the Harry Potter universe, every student could face expulsion if they used magic outside of Hogwarts (Rowling, 1999). It is unlikely that the hero would have risked his education simply because he needed to read a book in the dark. This scene contradicts the canon and, therefore, worsens the viewer’s impression.
A Prohibited Trip to Hogsmeade
In the story, Harry asks Vernon Dursley to sign permission to visit the village of Hogsmeade. His uncle, of course, signed nothing, and Harry was forced to stay at school (Rowling, 1999). Although Potter then manages to get permission from Sirius Black in the book, there is no such scene in the movie. The lack of explanation of details important to the plot complicates the perception of the film and, therefore, is a disadvantage.
Sirius Black’s Escape
In the book, quite a lot of time is devoted to recounting the story of Harry Potter’s Godfather’s escape. Sirius Black was extremely thin, which helped him to slip through the door of his cell (Rowling, 1999). He was also counting on the fact that the Dementors would not smell him when he would change the way he looked. Sirius was an Animagus, therefore, he was able to transform into an animal, namely a dog. (Rowling, 1999). As a consequence of this change, the scene has been greatly worsened because it created a plot hole.
Missing Backstory for The Marauders
The movie omits many details about the Marauders, including no mention of their map. This document was created by Remus Lupin, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. Little is said about their friendship and the adventures they shared. Nor is it explained how James, Sirius, and Peter learned to be Animagi to be safe around Lupin. All of this important information was omitted from the script of the film. The description of the Marauders’ fate is an important detail, the removal of which ruins the scene.
Cho Chang’s Appearance
Cho Chang appears for the first time in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, but in the movies, she is introduced only in the Goblet of Fire. In the plot of the book, she meets Harry in a Quidditch match. Cho Chang chases Harry to find and catch the golden snitch. If the creators had followed the canon and included the match scene in the movie, the overall impression would have only improved.
Buckbeak’s Flight
Harry Potter’s flight on Buckbeak is displayed in more vivid detail in the film than in the book. Viewers are shown how the hero is flying around Hogwarts Castle. For a moment, he even lets go of Buckbeak and adores his newfound freedom (Cuarón, 2004, 0:36:12). The scene from the movie helped the audience to see the carefree nature of the main character. The creators show his ability to enjoy the little things, and so this change of canon is an advantage.
Crookshanks’s Storyline
In the book, Hermione buys a cat named Crookshanks in the Magical Menagerie. Later, this cat befriends Sirius and realizes that he is not a real dog. This cat will even try in every way to help him catch Scabbers. In the movie, its role is truncated, and its name is barely mentioned. Although this detail is not important for a blockbuster, the change of this fragment seems inexplicable and only ruins the impression of the scene.
Harry Attacking Snape
Only Harry attacks Severus Snape according to the book; Hermione and Ron do not participate in the spell. In the movie, however, all three wizards defeat the professor. Perhaps this was done to make Harry look better in the eyes of the audience. It is not to say that this detail spoils the impression of the scene, on the contrary, this change demonstrates the cohesion of the friends.
Time Travel Rules
In the book, Hermione and Harry strictly follow the rules of time travel. This allows them to carry out their plan to save Snape in peace. In the movie, however, Hermione throws a rock at Harry from another reality and commits many reckless acts along the way. This change can be explained by the fact that the creators wanted the audience to become more concerned about the fate of the characters. In general, it turned out as planned, so this change can be considered an improvement to this scene.
The Hogwarts Choir
The film shows the Hogwarts choir, which did not originally exist in the book. The song is accompanied by the croaking of frogs and is directed by Professor Filius Flitwick. After the singers finish their performance, Albus Dumbledore makes a speech (Cuarón, 2004, 0:24:18). This change allows the audience to get into the atmosphere of Hogwarts, which cannot but be considered one of the advantages of the scene.
References
Cuarón, A. (2004). Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban [Film]. Warner Home Video.
Rowling, J. K. (1999). Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. Arthur A. Levine Books.