Why Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban Is the Best Film of the Franchise
“But you know happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light.”
Date watched: September 12, 2020 (rewatch)
Date released: 2004
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Writers: J.K. Rowling (original story) and Steve Kloves (screenplay)
Memorable cast: Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley), Gary Oldman (Sirius Black), and Michael Gambon (Professor Albus Dumbledore)
Awards (this film was nominated for two Academy Awards: Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score and Best Achievement in Visual Effects)
Even though I believe Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is the best story of the franchise, I understand that that is a subjective stance. But, looking at this movie in a technical sense, it is clear to see that this is objectively the best film of The Harry Potter series.
I grew up on these movies. I went to the premiere of The Deathly Hallows pt. 2 dressed up with a robe and tie. So, it’s nice to see that all these years later the movies, especially this one, still hold up. This was my favorite back then, and I couldn’t place what made me love it so much until I rewatched it today. So while I think the story is really good by itself, I’ll try to analyze this film from an objective standpoint. While mentioning the idea of its story, I’ll just touch on some topics this film tries to explore that I think are worth mentioning. Some being the philosophical stance of time travel, incarceration, the value of one’s life, fear, and the idea of trying to locate true happiness in one’s life. I’m afraid if I dig deeper into these subjects I’ll spoil the story, which I am trying to avoid.
Back to the objectives, let’s look at the story arc. If one were to put this story on a timeline, it would be very confusing. Yet, this movie accomplishes to be engaging and lets the story unfold as the characters progress without confusion. Even knowing the multiple plot twists, I still was surprised at aspects and happy to be able to see the little details that allow what’s uncovered to be possible. It’s the kind of story that works well to be seen at least twice. It also is shot in a way that allows for suspense, which I’ll address in full later.
The score to me is the next most notable part of this film worth mentioning. The music in this stands alone in comparison to the rest of the franchise. While I’m not a person who knows a lot about music theory, I’ll try to explain what makes this so great in my own words. I think that a bad score makes an audience notice how it doesn’t fit, a good score blends to the story and feels natural, while a great score is memorable. This is that memorable. Not only does the score help to elevate scenes, especially of suspense, I remember it so clearly. It creates an ambiance that encompasses the film as a whole, which is something I can’t say for a lot of movies.
The acting. Up until this point, these kids were trying their best. And I give them credit for that, but it was not great by any means. Somehow from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets to this, all of the actors stepped up their game. I noticed this, especially for Emma Watson’s acting. I think she’s a phenomenal actress, but this is the first time Hermione felt like a real person to me. Now, to Watson’s credit, this could be due to a multitude of factors such as writing, direction, or editing. Either way, these characters felt so much more three-dimensional in this film, which I give large credit to the acting since I think they just improved as the years went on.
Now, the direction. There are so many beautiful shots in this movie that if I just went through them all this review would be a little too long for anyone’s liking. But noticeably, the shots help to build suspense which is something I’ve been teasing throughout this review. I’ll highlight one scene that’s early on (as to not contain spoilers). On the train when the trio is going to Hogwarts, it makes a sudden stop to everyone’s surprise. The train gets cold: the windows ice up, the lighting cools, and everyone’s breath is visible. Ron looks out the window and says there’s something moving out there and the scene cuts to a long shot of the train with suspenseful music in the background with seemingly nothing moving outside the train, as the camera comes closer back to the trio. Unless you’ve seen the movie before (or read the books), you truly don’t know what is out there. The shots also help support those little details I pointed out earlier that act as little teasers when you look back. The film doesn’t try to shove these in one’s face so that the twists are obvious, but rather includes them in plain sight. It might pan out to reveal someone who you didn’t notice before, or a particular character adjusting a necklace that is important later. It also includes a cool longer continuous shot in the Leaky Cauldron that clocks in around 2 minutes that is really pleasing to the eye. Aside from those parts of direction, the lighting aids in the ambiance created for this film. At times it feels happy or warm (such as at the candy store in Hogsmead), or it might feel really cold and numb (I’ll mention the train scene again), or it just seems crisp like a nice snowy holiday (in front of the shrieking shack).
In short, I just really love this movie, and the little technical things really aid to that conclusion aside from what the story already brings.
Rating: 8/10
*This movie is on my All Time Favorites list*
September 13, 2020