Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Cast: Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Maggie Smith, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Tom Felton, Julie Walters, Matthew Lewis, George Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Pam Ferris, Timothy Spall, Emma Thompson
Harry Potter's (Daniel Radcliffe) third year at Hogwarts starts off badly, when he learns that deranged murderer, Sirius Black, (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban Prison, and is bent on murdering Harry. Harry’s year gets even more challenging when vile creatures, called Dementors, are appointed to guard the school grounds, and inexplicably, these malevolent beings have the most crippling effect on Harry's psyche. Little does Harry know, that by the end of this year, the shadows of his past will be illuminated, and he will finally know the truth of that fateful night Voldemort destroyed his parents.
Fear is a powerful theme in this film, and nowhere is this theme illuminated more, than in the character of Harry Potter, and the journey Harry must embark on to overcome his fears of the Dementors.
When Harry and his friends are returning to Hogwarts school for their third year of magical education, they encounter a Dementor on the Hogwarts Express. When the creature enters their train compartment, it becomes very cold and dark, and Harry hears a woman screaming his name. In this moment of absolute fear, Harry succumbs to the Dementors attack and faints. Harry reacts in a similar state when the Dementors attack him during the Quidditch game. When he is flying through the storm, trying to catch the Snitch, Harry sees a cloud in the shape of the Grim and soon after, he is attacked, once more, by the Dementors and falls from his broomstick.
When Harry tells Professor Lupin, the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher what he’s experiencing when the Dementors attack him, Lupin tells Harry that the Dementors are drawn to Harry more strongly because he has experienced true suffering in his life, having witnessed Voldemort murdering his parents and having spent a decade being tormented and abused by his relatives. Lupin reassures Harry that he is not weak because he has such a strong reaction to the Dementors…instead Lupin reassures Harry that being afraid of the Dementors is, in truth, Harry being afraid of fear, itself…which is incredibly wise. He goes on to tell Harry that he can use the Patronus Charm, to fight this fear of Dementors…but to produce a Patronus powerful enough to shield himself from their influence, Harry must think of a very powerful, very happy memory.
I have done a little research on why Harry hears screaming when the Dementors attack him and I learned that Dementors torture people by forcing them to imagine their very worst fears...and obviously, for Harry, this fear was watching his mother be murdered in front of him, by Voldemort. I think in the end, Harry is forced to relive this memory again...this time, watching Sirius (who has just become both a living link to Harry’s parents and his new Godfather) and Hermione (who has become one of Harry's best friends since he first came to Hogwarts) being killed/tortured by the Dementors. It is Harry's love for Sirius and Hermione, as well as his parents, which helps him to overcome his fear and produce his Stag Patronus at the end, to protect them.
Harry’s fear is also illuminated by the mysterious, black dog that he encounters while leaving the Dursley’s house. When Harry sees this dog again in his teacup during Divination, Professor Trelawney tells him that this is the Grim, and seeing this spectral dog is said to be an omen of death. Harry sees the Grim once again, this time in the clouds while he is playing Quidditch, and the Dementors attack him again, causing him to fall from his broom. However, as Dumbledore so wisely tells Harry “Happiness can be found even in the darkest times…when one only remembers to turn on a light.” The first time the students go into Hogsmeade, Harry stays behind and has a chat with Professor Lupin. Lupin tells Harry that he is much like his parents…his mother was exceedingly kind and saw the beauty in others, even when they couldn’t recognize that beauty in themselves. Harry has his mother's eyes…but Harry has his father's courage, as well...and both his kindness and his courage are illustrated in the end, by the fact that Harry accepts Sirius as his Godfather, and he shows compassion to Peter Pettigrew after he learns the truth; that it was Pettigrew, not Sirius, who betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort, and was the reason that Harry’s parents were killed. Harry chose not to kill Pettigrew in this moment, because he didn't want his Dad's best friends becoming killers. When Harry bravely conjures his final Patronus to protect himself, Hermione, and Sirius from the Dementors, his true Patronus was his father's stag…a sign that his father was still there, in Harry’s heart, watching over his son. In this moment, Harry “sees the light,” so to speak, as he finds his true family.
“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” is an enchanting and emotionally riveting film that weaves together a stellar cast, a well-told story, and stunning visual artistry to bring J.K. Rowling’s vision to life onscreen. This film is only the third chapter in a series that is highly recommended to anyone who loves Harry Potter.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Cast: Daniel Radcliff, Emma Watson, Rupert Grint, Maggie Smith, Gary Oldman, David Thewlis, Michael Gambon, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Tom Felton, Julie Walters, Matthew Lewis, George Phelps, Oliver Phelps, Pam Ferris, Timothy Spall, Emma Thompson
Harry Potter's (Daniel Radcliffe) third year at Hogwarts starts off badly, when he learns that deranged murderer, Sirius Black, (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban Prison, and is bent on murdering Harry. Harry’s year gets even more challenging when vile creatures, called Dementors, are appointed to guard the school grounds, and inexplicably, these malevolent beings have the most crippling effect on Harry's psyche. Little does Harry know, that by the end of this year, the shadows of his past will be illuminated, and he will finally know the truth of that fateful night Voldemort destroyed his parents.
Fear is a powerful theme in this film, and nowhere is this theme illuminated more, than in the character of Harry Potter, and the journey Harry must embark on to overcome his fears of the Dementors.
When Harry and his friends are returning to Hogwarts school for their third year of magical education, they encounter a Dementor on the Hogwarts Express. When the creature enters their train compartment, it becomes very cold and dark, and Harry hears a woman screaming his name. In this moment of absolute fear, Harry succumbs to the Dementors attack and faints. Harry reacts in a similar state when the Dementors attack him during the Quidditch game. When he is flying through the storm, trying to catch the Snitch, Harry sees a cloud in the shape of the Grim and soon after, he is attacked, once more, by the Dementors and falls from his broomstick.
When Harry tells Professor Lupin, the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher what he’s experiencing when the Dementors attack him, Lupin tells Harry that the Dementors are drawn to Harry more strongly because he has experienced true suffering in his life, having witnessed Voldemort murdering his parents and having spent a decade being tormented and abused by his relatives. Lupin reassures Harry that he is not weak because he has such a strong reaction to the Dementors…instead Lupin reassures Harry that being afraid of the Dementors is, in truth, Harry being afraid of fear, itself…which is incredibly wise. He goes on to tell Harry that he can use the Patronus Charm, to fight this fear of Dementors…but to produce a Patronus powerful enough to shield himself from their influence, Harry must think of a very powerful, very happy memory.
I have done a little research on why Harry hears screaming when the Dementors attack him and I learned that Dementors torture people by forcing them to imagine their very worst fears...and obviously, for Harry, this fear was watching his mother be murdered in front of him, by Voldemort. I think in the end, Harry is forced to relive this memory again...this time, watching Sirius (who has just become both a living link to Harry’s parents and his new Godfather) and Hermione (who has become one of Harry's best friends since he first came to Hogwarts) being killed/tortured by the Dementors. It is Harry's love for Sirius and Hermione, as well as his parents, which helps him to overcome his fear and produce his Stag Patronus at the end, to protect them.
Harry’s fear is also illuminated by the mysterious, black dog that he encounters while leaving the Dursley’s house. When Harry sees this dog again in his teacup during Divination, Professor Trelawney tells him that this is the Grim, and seeing this spectral dog is said to be an omen of death. Harry sees the Grim once again, this time in the clouds while he is playing Quidditch, and the Dementors attack him again, causing him to fall from his broom. However, as Dumbledore so wisely tells Harry “Happiness can be found even in the darkest times…when one only remembers to turn on a light.” The first time the students go into Hogsmeade, Harry stays behind and has a chat with Professor Lupin. Lupin tells Harry that he is much like his parents…his mother was exceedingly kind and saw the beauty in others, even when they couldn’t recognize that beauty in themselves. Harry has his mother's eyes…but Harry has his father's courage, as well...and both his kindness and his courage are illustrated in the end, by the fact that Harry accepts Sirius as his Godfather, and he shows compassion to Peter Pettigrew after he learns the truth; that it was Pettigrew, not Sirius, who betrayed Harry's parents to Voldemort, and was the reason that Harry’s parents were killed. Harry chose not to kill Pettigrew in this moment, because he didn't want his Dad's best friends becoming killers. When Harry bravely conjures his final Patronus to protect himself, Hermione, and Sirius from the Dementors, his true Patronus was his father's stag…a sign that his father was still there, in Harry’s heart, watching over his son. In this moment, Harry “sees the light,” so to speak, as he finds his true family.
“Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban” is an enchanting and emotionally riveting film that weaves together a stellar cast, a well-told story, and stunning visual artistry to bring J.K. Rowling’s vision to life onscreen. This film is only the third chapter in a series that is highly recommended to anyone who loves Harry Potter.
© 2022 Keriane Kellogg. All rights reserved.