Analysing Film Openings - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Scene Summaries - Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows part 1 First two minutes

As the movie begins, it immediately tries to set up an eerie atmosphere as it plays non-diegetic music. It plays sinister music even though all it is showing on the screen is the production logo, Warner Bros Pictures. It starts off quiet but as we get closer to the logo, the music turns louder with a high pitched screech. During this they have added the traditional theme song for Harry Potter but it does not last long as it is over powered by the deafening screeches.

As the Warner Bros Pictures logo transitions out, the non-diegetic music gets louder and louder and we quickly see a blank screen. There are also faint traces of whispering added to the sinister music. This goes on for a few seconds as they are trying to set the mood and atmosphere, probably to hint the fact that something  serious is about to happen or has already happened. All the music is immediately stopped and silence envelops. We get an extreme close up of a pair of old wrinkly eyes.

The pair of eyes is staring directly at the camera as the character, to which the eyes belongs to, speaks. It then switches to a regular close up of the character’s head. From this shot we can identify that the person speaking is a man. Along with the close up, it is also in a shallow focus. They used this to show that the character speaking has an important status in this film. From the way he speaks, it tells us that he is well-educated and from the tone, we can tell he is powerful and strict. The way he speaks creates an atmosphere of seriousness. As he speaks, non-diegetic sounds are played in the background. Small thuds can be heard every few seconds, giving his speech more authority. Every word that comes out of his mouth echoes throughout the entire room. This suggests that his voice is very powerful and because it echoes, it means that no one else apart from him is speaking. The man is positioned in the centre of the screen, suggesting he is important to the story and could have a further impact in the story.

After the end of his speech, we see a shot of his back and it is in a shallow focus, again highlighting he’s importance. We then hear photographs being taken and bright flashes fill the dark room. From this we can tell he was giving a speech to reporters about the current situation that is happening in the story of Harry Potter. We finally see an establishing shot to show us the setting and the environment this is taking place in. We can now identify the character as someone who works for the Ministry of Magic. To show the setting, they have used an aerial shot. There is little lighting used in this place to show the gloomy atmosphere that is still in the air. Everything in the room looks expensive and high class. All the people in the room are dressed in smart clothes; men wearing suits and females wearing smart skirts.

The next scene introduces us to a POV shot. We see a newspaper article from someone’s perspective. This is a simpler way to remind viewers of what has happened and what is going on in the story. From the speech of the first character that was introduced to us, that speech is a graphic match to the information written on the newspaper article. The man talked about the dark time that has fallen upon the people and the newspaper’s headline reads ‘Dark mark sparks panic‘.

We get an establishing shot to show that we are not in the same place as the start. We see a girl in her bedroom looking at the newspaper that we just saw. Even until now the lighting is still grey and dull. The only source of lighting we see is from the window. But even with this, there is rain hurling at the window which reflects the mood that was previously created. The only sound we hear is the non-diegetic sound of the rain.

As the scenes change the non-diegetic music gets faster and louder. We see a POV shot of a family getting ready to evacuate their home, saying it was not safe to stay where they were anymore. Diegetic sounds are heard in this scene as we hear the cars and the sound of luggage being thrown in the car. This is used to create authenticity and high verisimilitude which causes the audience to feel the whole situation is more believable and more real.We get a close up of a man behind a window. Because of the window, it seems as if he is evil and has a secret to hide.

I would be very interested in watching the whole of this movie as it shows as if a war is about to take place due to all these incidents happening and people evacuating their homes.

Screenshots

 

he first shot we see is an extreme close up of a pair of old eyes. From the look of his eyes and facial expression, it tells us that he is angry. It also suggests that something serious is happening and from the lack of lighting used, it creates an eerie and gloomy atmosphere.

The next shot is a regular close up, only showing the man’s head. This shot is also shot in a shallow focus. All these things tell us that this man plays an important role in the film or has a high status. The man is wearing a suit which reinforces this point.

The first establishing shot is an aerial shot of the man standing alone against an army of reporters. This suggests that he is strong and powerful. The setting is in a hallway and everything in it seems very expensive. Everyone in the room is wearing a suit or something smart. This reveals they’re status and social class.

A POV shot of someone staring at a newspaper. This is a faster way of informing the audience of what is happening or what has already happened.

An establishing shot showing us the scene has changed and shows us a girl in her bedroom. The lighting still has not changed. It remains dark and gloomy keeping that serious atmosphere.

An aerial shot showing a family evacuating their home. Even though they are outside, the lighting is still dull and adds to the grey atmosphere.

This is a close up shot of a boy looking behind a window. The window suggests restriction and gives off a secretive vibe. It also makes us feel sympathy for him as he is looking closely at the family leaving. The boy is shown in a close up may be to suggest he has an important role in the film.

 

The next shot is in a shallow focus and shows of a boy staring in another direction. Since the boy is the focus in here, it suggests he is also an important figure in the film. It is also in a mid shot which reinforces the point that he is indeed important. The setting in the background is a worn down looking hut giving us an insight to his social class.

Titles and credits

There is only one production credit we see during the first two minutes.

Overall

This sequence is interesting because it is a dark opening to a children's film, and it creates an eerie atmosphere very well. I think the use of sound and the lighting are the two things that work best for this. We need our opening to have immediate impact and to set a specific tone, and we can see here how that can be achieved.