Harry Potter and The
Prisoner of Azkaban is a fantasy film that was
released in 2004, and directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Taking into consideration
that all of the Harry Potter films
are fantasies, special effects are indispensable for the films’ success. Consequently,
various uses of ethos, pathos and logos are seen through the numerous special
effects in this film.
The movie begins with a scene in which Harry is at his aunt and
uncle’s house. In this scene, his uncle Vernon’s sister, Marge, has come over
for dinner. She begins to criticize Harry’s parents, which drives him to blow
her up like a balloon, and she ends up floating away from the house. The
special effects used in this scene can be perceived as the utilization of
pathos, ethos and logos. When Harry gets angry, the lights begin to flicker,
which is an obvious use of pathos. The use of logos is evident in this scene
because the special effects used to show Marge blown up like a balloon is
something that can’t happen in real life, letting the audience know that this
will be a fantasy film. The use of ethos
is also apparent by the special effects in this scene because the audience
believes that Harry is the one who is actually using “magic” to make these
things happen, which gives the entire film credibility.
“Film artists interested in F/X materials need to be just as
talented as artists in any other style or genre or technology. It’s what they
do with the technology artistically that counts, not the technology per se.”
(Giannetti, 35) Even though technology plays an essential role in Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban,
its cast is in charge of making the technology used in the film credible. In
the scene where Professor Lupin transforms into a werewolf, the actor had to
act as if he was in pain, while the director managed to implement the special
effects necessary to show how he transformed physically. The physical change of
Professor Lupin when he was exposed to the moon was a clear use of logos and
ethos. It was not only obvious to the audience that he was transforming into a
werewolf, but it was also credible once he had completely transformed into one.
The use of pathos could also be explicated in this scene by the portrayal of
emotions that Professor Lupin had to undergo when transforming into a werewolf.
The audience understood that the transformation not only caused him pain, but
it was not something he could control, which could make the audience feel
empathy towards the character.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU1R6qV_5v4
The use of special effects in films has escalated throughout the
years. Regardless of the multiple benefits that special effects may generate,
it is important for directors to pick the right cast in order to acquire
credibility from their audience. “Casting
a movie is almost an art in itself. It requires an acute sensitivity to a
player’s type, a convention inherited from the live theater. “ (Giannetti, 279) I believe that Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban has
done a great job balancing special effects with good acting, which enabled them
to use these special effects effectively in the film. I did not only find the
special effects enjoyable, but I also found them credible as well. I give the special effects in this film five
slurpies.
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