"Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban": The Adaptation Dilemma of Commercial Films

I've always considered "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" (2004) the finest written of J.K. Rowling's original works. The film adaptation also has highlights, boasting a distinctive artistic style and atmosphere. However, its box office performance and critical reception lagged behind those of its predecessors. Many attribute this to the extensive cuts and changes made to the original plot. I believe the opposite: the film's issue wasn't that it was too bold with changes, but instead that it was too conservative. It lost the impact of crucial scenes by trying to distribute attention across many plot points evenly. This isn't the first time the "Harry Potter" series has faced adaptation issues, and it is also a common problem in other adaptations.

Before diving into the adaptation details, let's start with the original work.

Three Key Plotlines

Why is the original novel so outstanding? Because it succinctly presents a complex and philosophical story through three interwoven plotlines:

Harry Potter's Growth: Confronting Dementors. The first narrative arc in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" revolves around Harry Potter's growth, particularly his confrontation with Dementors. Dementors are a metaphor for psychological trauma, capable of sucking away joy, inducing fear, and making it seem impossible to be happy again. Ultimately, they can strip a person of their soul, leaving them unable to integrate into society. In the first two books, Harry had grown relatively smoothly, but now he must face the deep-seated trauma of losing his parents. This trauma makes him particularly vulnerable to Dementors, affecting his ability to function normally.

ハリー・ポッターとアズカバンの囚人

The counter to Dementors is the Patronus Charm, symbolizing the optimistic belief in happiness as a defense against trauma. However, happiness alone is not enough to combat trauma. When Harry first tries to use the Patronus Charm, inspired by his first time flying on a broomstick, Remus Lupin criticizes it as not a strong enough happy memory. True happiness is not merely positive psychological arousal, like fun or enjoyment, but rather the deep affection and emotional connection shared with others, built on solid relationships. Harry's Patronus becomes significantly more potent after gaining a family member in Sirius Black. This naturally leads to the next narrative arc: friendship.

The Theme of Friendship: Light and Dark Threads. The theme of friendship encompasses the second and third narrative arcs, divided into light and dark threads.

The light thread is the rift and reconciliation between Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. The two friends fall out over a pet. Still, eventually, misunderstandings are cleared up, and their friendship becomes even more vital. This incident is not only the first significant turmoil in Ron and Hermione's relationship in the series but also mirrors the dark thread of Sirius Black and Remus Lupin's reunion.

25 Hidden Things About Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban Only  Potterheads Know

Similarly, due to misunderstandings, Remus Lupin had a falling out with Sirius Black. However, their misunderstanding lasted thirteen years, and the resolution of this conflict brought the dark thread to light. The key objects linking these two friendship threads are pets: Ron and Hermione's conflict starts with the pet rat and ends with the execution of Rubeus Hagrid's pet Buckbeak. Remus Lupin and Sirius Black's conflict also revolves around the rat, Wormtail, and is resolved with the help of Hagrid's pet—ultimately leading to Buckbeak flying away with Sirius Black.

If each narrative arc is viewed as a "task," then completing these tasks yields rewards. The reward for overcoming the trauma task is Harry mastering the Patronus Charm and gaining the skills and confidence to fight Dementors. The reward for resolving Ron and Hermione's friendship conflict is Hermione's secret being revealed—the power of the Time-Turner. The reward for the Remus Lupin-Sirius Black friendship arc is the revelation of the truth—Harry learns the true identity of his parents' betrayer and experiences familial love for the first time.

ハリー・ポッターとアズカバンの囚人

The final resolution is a convergence of the three narrative arcs: the Time-Turner from Ron and Hermione's thread, the Patronus Charm from the trauma thread, and the familial love from the Sirius Black thread. These elements combine to complete the ultimate task—defeating a swarm of Dementors and rescuing Sirius Black. The entire plot is intricately woven, with each component interlocking perfectly, creating a closed, classical structure. This is a hallmark of J.K. Rowling's writing. With her solid background in British and American literature, she skillfully blends classical drama with mystery, suspense, and children's literature, making the Harry Potter series stand out among its competitors and achieve unparalleled success.

However, compared to books, films have limited runtime. In adapting the story, the film strategy was to significantly trim the Dementor storyline, almost entirely remove the Ron and Hermione subplot, and mostly retain the Sirius Black storyline. Additionally, it cut various non-essential scenes. While this is a reasonable approach, the film's overall impact feels weaker because it fails at a crucial scene—the confrontation in the Shrieking Shack.

The Incomplete Climax

In the grand finale of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban," Harry Potter rescues Sirius Black. Still, the most pivotal scene leading up to this conclusion is the confrontation between Sirius Black, Wormtail, and Remus Lupin. If this were a detective story, this would be the moment when the detective unravels the mystery, exposes the true culprit, and explains the entire deduction process. This scene is so crucial that the whole movie builds up to it, delivering a significant twist: the character painted as the villain throughout the film, Sirius Black, is a good guy, while the true villain turns out to be Ron Weasley's pet rat.

As a seasoned screenwriter, J.K. Rowling ensures that each book's conclusion features a twist: in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" (2001), the seemingly evil Severus Snape turns out to be good, while the harmless-looking Quirinus Quirrell is the villain, in "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets" (2002), Tom Marvolo Riddle, who had been guiding the protagonist, is revealed as the antagonist; in "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" (2005), the seemingly benevolent mentor "Alastor Moody" is a Death Eater in disguise; in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" (2009), Severus Snape reverses roles to become a villain, only to switch back to a hero in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" (2010). However, the twist in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" is more complex than any others. Unlike villains who voluntarily or involuntarily reveal their true identities, Wormtail denies his crimes, turning the revelation of truth into a courtroom-style battle of wits and a lengthy piece of detective fiction.

38 Facts about the movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - Facts.net

During this process, Sirius Black is the prime suspect, appearing highly suspicious. Wormtail, seemingly weak and helpless, is accused as the true culprit, reminiscent of Professor Quirrell in "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone." Remus Lupin takes on the detective role, already knowing the perpetrator and needing only to reveal his reasoning to the bewildered Harry Potter and the readers.

Like all classic detective reveals, Wormtail hurls accusations desperately to deflect blame. Remus Lupin mediates while Sirius Black counters, dismantling each of Wormtail's attacks. Sirius Black is shown to be falsely accused due to the secret switch of the Fidelius Charm's keeper and his survival in "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" due to his Animagus abilities. Remus Lupin's true identity as a werewolf, instead of discrediting him, underscores the depth of his friendships. As the narrative progresses, when Wormtail weeps about Voldemort's power, Sirius Black's laughter in response and Remus Lupin's calm exposition highlight the theme: one must never betray friends, even at the cost of one's life. This moment flips the narrative, casting Sirius Black as a hero.

However, this scene is crucial for its plot revelations and character development. Sirius Black and Remus Lupin's characters are richly fleshed out within a single dialogue chapter. Sirius is portrayed as hot-headed and direct, while Remus is calm and composed. Yet, both share a deep loyalty to friends and a courageous defiance of tyranny. This dialogue-driven scene elevates the entire work.

The movie adaptation, however, mishandles this crucial scene by simplifying it into a quick, straightforward confrontation. Following the twist structure of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" and "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," the film reduces a carefully layered detective narrative into a fast-paced crime identification and reunion between godfather and godson. While effective in previous films where villains reveal themselves, this quick pacing falls flat here, where the villain is unmasked through argument and deduction. The result is a jarring narrative that feels emotionally unconvincing—Harry Potter accepts the man he believed killed his parents as his godfather in mere minutes, making subsequent plot developments seem unrealistic. This scene, which should have been a cathartic emotional release, is executed hastily, greatly diminishing Sirius Black's presence and reducing the film's overall quality.

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Some might argue this was due to time constraints, but that's untrue. The film is filled with scenes that could have been trimmed or cut entirely—lengthy sequences like the Knight Bus tour, Buckbeak's scenic flight, the awkward fight with the Whomping Willow, and Hermione punching Draco Malfoy, all of which add little to the main plot. With Gary Oldman, an actor of exceptional caliber, in the Shrieking Shack scene, extending this dialogue by ten to fifteen minutes would have profoundly enhanced its impact. Why didn't the producers do this? Likely because the artistic quality of the film was not their primary concern.

Shackles of the Dancer

The audience for Harry Potter films falls into two distinct categories: general viewers and dedicated fans. The general viewers may not care much about the nuanced portrayal of Sirius Black or the seamless flow of the plot. More action sequences and eye-catching special effects may be more appealing to them than lengthy dialogue scenes. After all, without captivating visuals, even a Hamlet adaptation might not hold their interest. On the other hand, fans of the series are deeply invested in the fidelity to the original material. They care less about the plot and more about whether their favorite scenes make it to the screen. For instance, Hermione Granger punching Draco Malfoy might be a minor event in the overall narrative. Still, it's a moment fans cherish, and leaving it out would be disappointing.

The crux of adapting a prevalent work is balancing the general public's preferences with the need to stay true to the original content. Fans often lament that "too much was cut" or "the adaptation wasn't faithful enough." In reality, novels and screenplays are fundamentally different mediums. Rather than simply copying the original material, adapting it thoughtfully is a more responsible approach. This is where I believe "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban" falters. It's not that the adaptation strays too far, but instead that it's too conservative, retaining too many superfluous structures and spreading attention too thinly across various scenes, thereby diluting the impact of critical moments.

For example, the subplot involving Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger's conflict could have been omitted entirely, reducing it to a thread about Hermione's possession of the Time-Turner. Critics might argue, "Can children understand this? Do they watch Harry Potter for lengthy dialogues between adults?" This mindset results in a teen thriller rather than a film that captures and builds upon the original work's essence.

ハリー・ポッターとアズカバンの囚人

From a commercial standpoint, playing it safe is more profitable. Such an IP is a guaranteed moneymaker, so why take risks? This perpetual struggle between commercial success and artistic integrity is why commercial filmmaking is often described as dancing in shackles. This results in countless half-hearted, unambitious adaptations of beloved works—not because they cut too much, but because they're overly cautious and unwilling to make innovative changes to truly "cinematize" the screenplay. A genuinely excellent adaptation feels like an original film, crafted for the cinema audience, rather than a rushed reproduction of a book or game or a hasty re-creation of an IP.

Setting aside the challenges of balancing original material and film adaptation, what I appreciate most in this film is J.K. Rowling's design of the Dementors. These creatures symbolize trauma, capable of draining happiness and soul. Humans can't destroy them, but they can be repelled with the Patronus Charm, which represents the power of joy and emotional connections. This metaphor is not only clever but also resonates with scientific beauty. Studies in social psychology, particularly in terror management theory, have found that close relationships can buffer the anxiety caused by mortality awareness, reducing defensive reactions to death-related information. Just as the Patronus wards off Dementors, humans use familial love, romantic love, and faith to combat death and fear. This analogy is vivid and beautiful, making it one of the finest creative elements in the Harry Potter series and a standout feature of "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban."

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