Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets: differences between book and film

A few days ago it aired on Italy 1 Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets for the mediaset marathon, but what are the differences between the book and the film? Let's find out together

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, the second film in the saga conceived by J.K. Rowling, released in 2002 and directed by Chris Columbus, has many similarities to the novel. But there are some differences that fans, of course, will not escape, let's discover them all together. However, I would like to point out that the second film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, is together with the first one of the most faithful to the novel, unfortunately with differences between book and film.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, what are the differences between book and film?

The plot, the events and the characters of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets are all presented evenly. This situation is because the writings are quite short, if we want to compare them to later novels, and to a substantial narrative linearity that characterizes these readings designed and created for a young audience.

The issues covered so quietly will be exacerbated in future adaptations. In this film you can still dream, you can still imagine the boundaries of the fantastic magical world created by Rowling, the most famous English writer in the world and the most famous magician in the world!

The transpositions, however, can never be 100% accurate, the needs of cinema are different than a paperback and here are revealed the differences between film and book in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

Difficult situations to deal with

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is characterized by one thing: Harry will always find himself in uncomfortable situations.

In both the book and the film, we find him immediately engaged in one of the most difficult evenings ever. The Dursleys have dinner guests! Uncle Vernon has to make a big deal, and disasters aren't allowed!

Obviously the problems come right away, even Harry has guests, there's an elf in his room, it's Dobby! Unlike the book, in the film he is much more agitated and unkempt and also pawns him for a long time!

The Rescue and the Weasley's Home

Harry is forced into punishment for ruining his uncle's business, but is fortunately saved by the Weasley brothers with a machine that is much more modern than the one described in the book that has wings. Once you get to the den (here you don't mention the summer spent hunting the gnomes in the garden or playing Quidditch on the hill) you go almost immediately to Diagon Alley.

The Scuffe with Malfoy

In the movie this scene does not exist! The scuffle between Arthur Weasley and Lucius Malfoy was cut, it was a pretty violent confrontation that was stopped only by Hagrid's brute force, while in the film it's a simple bickering.

They arrived in Hogwarts

The journey on the Ford Anglia to get to the castle is perfectly successful in the film, in which the scene of Harry hanging from the door about to fall is added, all this creates a lot of pathos. The arrival at the castle, the punishment of Piton and the lessons are described faithfully. Now is the time to introduce new characters!

Colin Canon and Gilderoy Allock

In both the Harry Potter film and the Chamber of Secrets and the book, two new characters, Gilderoy Allock and Colin Canon, are introduced!

The first is the new teacher of defense against the dark arts, while the second is a cute photographer who belongs to the house of Grifondoro. Colin will be little present in the film, while in the book he is a real stalker of Harry, following him anywhere. Allock, on the other hand, will enter with a test of himself, as it is also reported in the book, and only later with the lesson on the Cornish Diavoletti.

Ghosts and Spiders

If we want to be precise, other protagonists are part of this second chapter and it is them: ghosts and spiders. In the book, in fact, we report the feast of Nick Almost Without Head, with a huge banquet of spoiled food and an entire dedicated chapter, of which unfortunately does not mention us in the film. In the film this whole story has been completely taken away, as we discover the story of Mirtilla Malcontenta and other magical creatures that are the spiders, captained by Aragog, the "monster" of Hagrid.

Argus Gazza

Argus Gazza and his Mrs Purr, first victim of the basilisk, are two other characters who are brought to prominence. Gazza is a magonò, son of porters but without magical powers, who tries to learn from a correspondence course, of which there is no mention in the film. We can only find out by looking at the unreleased scenes that are only found in the DVDs (which you can find HERE on amazon that there is also a version from 3.90 euros).

Quidditch's game

The Quidditch game is one of the most beautiful and hard-fought of the whole saga, they made Harry and Draco fight under the stands, in very fast and sudden shooting. Simply GENIAL. The surrender of the entire fight adds a lot to what is described in the book.

Duellant Club

The clash between Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter is full of strong hues, powerful spells and special effects. In the book they provoke each other only with laughter and uncontrolled dancing. The gloomy atmosphere is not spared even when Harry speaks the snake: in the film he practically scares everyone, while in the book he begins to name words without any sense, of which Ron Weasley himself marvels.

Mirtilla Malcontenta's bathroom

There was also the tiste, the unfortunate, the poor Mirtilla Malcontenta who lives in the girls' bathroom where Harry finds Tom Riddle's diary. This is an important step because this is the first time we have heard of the real name of Harry's number one enemy, Lord Voldemort.

Meeting with Aragog

Aragog is the second monstrous creature to meet Harry and Ron. An acromantula, the king of all spiders, who was once Hagrid's. In the book Harry knows no spells casting spiders, the two boys just run away. In the film, he casts the right spell and he and Ron manage to save themselves by taking refuge in the car to escape From Aragog and his children.

The opening of the Chamber of Secrets

We can understand, thanks to the Chamber of Secrets, both from the book and from the film, what is the structure in the society of magicians. We are told the story of the founders of Hogwarts and part of Voldemort's story.

The Meeting with Tom Riddle

The film adds so much tension that it is not present in the book. The encounter with Tom Riddle, the young Voldemort, in the book ends perhaps too quickly, while in the film he has the right atmosphere and tension. In the book, however, there is one important detail: Harry destroys Tom's diary virtually unknowingly, as if he knows how to eliminate his enemy. In the movie, he seems to know exactly what he has to do!

Harry Frees Dobby

At the end of the film there is the liberation of Dobby where he discovers his real master, Lucius Malfoy, who almost casts a deadly curse on Harry. An invented event, of which there is no reference in the book, which, however, emphasizes, more than other events, the evil nature of man.

These are just some of the differences between the Harry Potter book and film and the Chamber of Secrets. What do you think? Let me know below with a comment and I'll wait for you on my youtube channel where as soon as I can I'll create a special video on the subject!