For this task I will be analysing a film of my choice. I have decided to choose Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. This is a series of fantasy films revolving around Harry and his friends who are all wizards attending Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry.
The main plot is about a dark lord known as Voldemort who plans to become immortal as well as conquering the wizarding world. He also wants to get rid of non-magical people and will kill all of those who try to stop him especially Harry who is the protagonist in the story.
Harry Potter follows a linear structure as the scenes in the film follow a chronological order going from start to finish. It is also an open narrative as it follows him through seven school years at Hogwarts. The target audience for Harry Potter would be audiences from as young as 12 to 40 year olds. The reason I believe this is because it is rated PG and is also classified under the family genre.The fantasy genre is gaining more popularity as time goes on and I feel that for anyone who is 12 and older it is an easy to follow narrative. It also includes plenty of action which people of this age will enjoy seeing. Another reason why it would suit this age group is because there is no use of profanities, gore, sex or nudity.
I feel that anyone below the age of 12 shouldn't watch this because they may not fully understand the narrative and their attention span wouldn't be as long as a more mature viewer. The film has a running time of 150 minutes which is reasonably long. With it being this length, the younger audience may lose interest. Some of the scenes in the film may also frighten them. For example, we see a black hooded character drink the blood of a unicorn and when Professor Quirrell takes off his head piece, we see Voldemort's head on the back of his.
In this blog I will be talking about elements that make up the movie such as the music used, the connotations and denotations. I will also be commenting on the stereotypes used as well as the iconography and apparel used. I will be discussing how the characters are represented throughout the film and will be making comparisons with other movies in the fantasy genre. Finally I will be including my own critical review of what I thought about the film.
I particularly enjoyed the troll scene from the film, i feel that the media producer has professionally combined all of the vital elements that make up an excellent scene. This includes the clever use of music, camera angles, as well as what is in the scene and why.
Here is a clip of the troll entering the girls' toilets and where he begins to attack Hermione.
The denotations of this scene would be that it is set during the night and the media producer has made use of thunder and lightning. The connotation of this might be that because it is set at night and the weather is bad it possibly means that something frightening may occur. It also ties in with the time period of this scene being Halloween.
At the start of this scene, Hermoine can be seen coming out of the bathroom sniffing.This would be the denotation of the scene. This connotes that she may have been crying or upset. If we look at the setting of the scene we learn that it takes place in the girls' bathroom. This is where you would go if you want to be left alone therefore it is likely that this is the case.
The various camera angles that the media producer has used communicates a certain mood that he is trying to create and has many connotations.
The media producer has made great use of camera angles to portray the troll as intimidating and big. The first camera angle used would be a mid-shot showing the shadow of the troll. This is effective as it creates a sense of mystery and adds suspense. The media producer wants us to build up our own mental image of what the troll might look like. This could explain why the setting was at night but it could also be because it works the scene works better at night-time as it creates more of an eerie effect which suits the mood.
Next we see a mid-shot of Hermoine. I feel that this shot has been used to capture the emotion on her face. If the director had used an establishing shot it wouldn't have worked as well.
There is then a point of view shot of Hermoine looking down at the troll's feet, the camera then slowly pans up to the troll's head. This shot is effective as it shows how tall and frightening the troll is and again creates suspense.
It then cuts to a close-up of Hermoine's face. Again this is to show that she is scared and by cutting between her and the troll it adds to the drama of the scene.
We then see a long shot which is effective as it shows both Hermoine and the troll as it begins closing in on her. With this shot it also allows us to see the location giving us perspective on how big the troll is in comparison to her.
After it shows her and the troll we see another close-up of Hermoine.
With this shot we can see the emotion in her eyes.
Next there is a bird's-eye view of her in a cubicle. This is the only shot the media producer could have used in this clip because if they had used any other shot, they would have only shown the cubicle door as it closed, which wouldn't have been very interesting.
We then see a low angle shot of the troll swinging his weapon. By using this shot of the troll it connotes that it has power and again shows the audience how big the troll is.
It then cuts back to the bird's-eye view of her in the cubicle.The media producer then makes use of slow motion as the troll swings for the cubicle. This adds suspense and drama as we can see bits of wood fall to the ground.
There is then a close-up shot showing the wood as it falls onto Hermoine. The close-up has been from outside of the cubicle. This shows detail and is also the only appropriate shot that could have been used.
As Harry and Ron make their way into the girls' bathroom, it cuts to a close-up shot of their facial reactions as they see the troll for the first time.
Next we see a close-up of Hermoine's face as she clears the wood from her view and looks towards Harry and Ron.
It then cuts back to a mid-shot of Harry and Ron. This shot has been used so that both of them can be seen in the shot. It shows what Harry and Ron are looking at. In this shot we can see that Harry is looking at Hermoine while Ron is looking at the troll.
It then goes to a close-up of Hermoine before showing the same low angle shot of the troll.
There is a mid-shot of Harry and Ron throwing pieces of wood at the troll. This then cuts to a low establishing shot which again has been used to show the size of the troll and that throwing wood at it is achieving nothing.
It cuts to a point of view shot from the troll which gives the audience an idea of the size of it and how small Harry and Ron look in comparison. Then there is a close-up shot of the troll's head as a piece of wood hits it, again showing that the wood is ineffective.
Next there is a mid-shot of Hermoine which then changes to a low angle shot of the troll again suggesting that it is superior and dangerous.
The media producer then makes use of a high angle shot as we see Hermoine crawl under the sink. This, however, is not from the perspective of the troll. This makes a change from the mid-shots that are often used.
After the troll strikes the sink we get a close-up of Harry and Ron's reaction to what they have witnessed. We then see a close-up of Hermoine. Her facial expression connotes that she is scared but brave at the same time. There is an establishing shot as Harry approaches the troll in an attempt to save Hermoine. This shot has been taken so we can see the scene in context.
Next there is a birds-eye view of Harry as he is elevated up by the troll's hammer. This shot is effective as it shows how far up Harry is actually going and follows the action.
It cuts to a low angle shot of Harry as he lands on the troll. It is possible that this is from Ron's perspective. We then see a close-up of Hermoine as she watches the events as they unfold.
After this there is a close-up of the troll's face and Harry as he sticks his wand into the nose of the troll. By using this shot we can see how the troll has reacted to this. It quickly changes to Ron and Hermoine, which depicts a disgusted look on their faces.
There is then a close-up of the troll which cuts to a low-angle shot which could be from the perspective of Ron. Next there is a long-shot showing the troll holding Harry as he dangles and Ron who is in the background.
We see a close-up of Harry and Ron who is out focus. As Harry moves, Ron then comes into focus which is clever from the media producer as it suggests that it's up to Ron to save Harry.
There is a mid-shot cut to Ron. With this shot we can see that he is out of ideas and is clueless by his hand gestures. We then see a close-up cutaway to Hermoine who can clearly be seen doing a wand action with her hand.
Next there is a close-up of Ron as he performs a spell. We then see a close-up of a hammer which cuts to a long shot, before seeing a bird's-eye view of the troll looking up at it.
As the hammer falls we see a point of view shot of the troll looking up at it. This changes to a close-up again showing that the troll has been hurt by his weapon. There is then a close-up of Ron before showing a bird's-eye view of the troll and Harry.
Close-up of Harry as he begins to edge away from the troll which is losing balance. This cuts to a point of view shot of Harry's perspective which is a low-angle shot.
There is then a mid-shot of Harry and Ron then Hermoine which again highlights their emotions which is relief on their faces.
As Hermoine approaches Harry and Ron a long shot has been used. This has been used because Hermoine is at the other end of the girls' bathroom, therefore it makes sense to make use of this shot.
As Hermoine gets closer it switches to a close-up of her and then cuts to a close-up of Harry with Ron in the background. Next we see a close-up of the troll as Harry takes his wand out of its nose as well as a close-up of Harry's face and then a mid-shot of Ron's face, once again showing disgust.
As the teachers come into the scene, a long shot has been used so that the doorway can be seen. Once again during the talking scenes there are cuts between each character and mid-shots and close-ups have also been used for these.
We see a close-up of the cut on Snape's leg. There is then a pan up from his leg to show Snape. He notices that Harry is staring at it and there are cuts between the two of them as they maintain eye contact. As usual Snape gives Harry a stern look.
Snape's leg could be seen as a polysemic sign as it could connote that he has tried to guard the stone from being stolen or that he has went after the stone for himself. The media producer has left open to the interpretation of the viewer as to how they may read this sign to decide how he may have obtained that cut on his leg.
The media producer has made great use of music in order to accompany the visuals. With the incorporation of music it helps to set the mood.In this scene there is firstly dialogue. This would be considered a diegetic sound as it is happening on set.The dialogue has likely been dubbed over which means adding new dialogue in a studio setting over the original dialogue, so that the audio is clear or to a professional standard.
When Harry and Ron go looking for Hermoine, the soundtrack used by the media producer is fast paced and upbeat to reflect the fact that they are running along the corridor. When they come to a halt, the music stops.This would be a non-diegetic sound because this soundtrack is added in during the post-production stage of the film.
As the troll gets nearer and nearer to the bathroom, the media producer has cleverly made use of no soundtrack for a few seconds and instead has emphasised the footsteps of the troll. You can also hear the snarling from the troll, which makes it sound intimidating. These are all sound effects and therefore are considered non-diegetic sounds. This is effective as it adds drama and suspense to the scene and sometimes absence of sound is even better.
The background music begins again and, the soundtrack used is very slow paced. This has been used to a good effect as it goes along with the visuals showing the troll is slowly approaching the girls' bathroom.
Again the music comes to a stop when it shows Hermoine leaving the cubicle. We can hear the sound of the door closing. This would once again be diegetic sound as this sound is occurring from a source within the scene. We can also hear her sniffing which tells the audience that she has been crying.
I believe that they have excluded a soundtrack as she isn't aware of what is going on and this underlines the fact that she is unaware of the events taking place.
We can then faintly hear the sound of thunder and lighting. Hearing these types of sounds adds to the atmosphere that is being created by the media producer. This would be a sound effect.
Another soundtrack then begins to play as Hermoine sees the troll. The music ties in with the camera angle in that they make use of a slow pan. The music starts off slowly and doesn't have many beats to it, The pace of the music then speeds up as the camera pans to the top of the troll.
The troll then snarls and a few more beats occur. The soundtrack then stops and the footsteps of the troll can be heard. The media producer has made use of an earthquake type sound to show the power of the troll.
We can then the hear the closing of the cubicle door and as the troll begins to swing his hammer a very upbeat soundtrack commences which is effective as it ties in with the action being shown.
The next thing that can be heard is the breaking of the wood as the hammer hits the cubicle and we hear Hermoine screaming. The hammer hitting the wood would likely be a sound originating from the source therefore it would be diegetic. The screaming has likely been dubbed over to ensure crisp audio.
We can hear the falling of the wood and the doors swinging open. As Harry and Ron enter the soundtrack becomes even louder and more beats occur. This has been done to suggest that the real action is about to start now.
The soundtrack lowers in volume due to the fact that there is dialogue and it would be harder to hear if the soundtrack was loud. As the troll swings for the cubicles again we hear the wood as it breaks into many pieces. We can also hear the wood as it hits off the troll and the troll making noises.This has been emphasised to add to the drama of the scene.
We continue to hear grunting from the troll and as it notices Hermoine the soundtrack gets more energetic and more suspenseful. Next we can hear the smashing of the sink and the soundtrack then changes to a few fast beats as Harry grabs the troll's hammer.
Again we hear the snarling from the troll and the wand as it goes into the nose of the troll. This would be a sound effect and for that reason a non-diegetic sound.There is then fast paced music which comes to a pause as the troll grabs Harry by the legs. Again this is effective with the use of no sound.
As Ron gets out his wand another soundtrack begins. This is quite slow paced which then picks up pace as he goes to wave his wand. After the hammer is taken out of the troll's hand, the music begins to reach a crescendo.
The hammer can be heard as it hits the troll. You can then hear Harry as he drops to the ground. The media producer has deliberately made this quiet because the troll then drops and the sound is very loud which suggests how heavy the troll is in comparison to Harry.
These would all be sound effects.
As the troll loses balance the sound track uses very harsh beats to make the viewers believe that the danger may not be over as the troll could crush Harry who is on the ground. As it falls the music stops for a second before starting again. The soundtrack is quiet and two beats occur every four seconds.
The last sound that can be heard is the footsteps from the teachers which could be a sound originating from the source so therefore this would be diegetic.
Another clip that I enjoyed from the film would be towards the end when they are going after the Philosopher's Stone. This is an action-packed scene which is full of suspense.
Here is one of the clips from this scene.
The first shot used in this scene would be a long shot as Harry, Ron and Hermoine come through a door which leads to their quest. This shot has been used as it shows the location that has been used as well as the three headed dog and Harry and his friends.The denotation of the scene would be that it looks very monotone which connotes that this is a place to be feared.
Next there is a closer up long-shot which quickly cuts to a close-up of them. The mid-shot has been used to show them as they take off the invisible cloak and the close-up has been used to show their expressions and for dialogue purposes.
The first shot used in this scene would be a long shot as Harry, Ron and Hermoine come through a door which leads to their quest. This shot has been used as it shows the location that has been used as well as the three headed dog and Harry and his friends.The denotation of the scene would be that it looks very monotone which connotes that this is a place to be feared.
Then a close-up of the three-headed dog has been used by the media producer to effectively illustrate the features and size of the dog to make it look even more fierce. It then pans over to the harp playing. The media producer has made use of semiotics to suggest someone has been there before them. The reason it has done this is because it makes a change from the standard shots and it is also what the characters are talking about in the movie.
A long-shot has then been used only this time it is from behind Harry and his friends. This has been used so that you can see them approach the dog from a different angle from when they first came in.
It switches to a low-angle mid-shot of Harry, Ron and Hermoine as the dog breaths. By using this angle it connotes how powerful it is because we see it blow them back a little.
Next we see a close-up with a gradual zoom of the paw which has been used because it clearly shows it resting on the doorway that they are looking into.
It then cuts to a mid-shot as Harry begins to talk and it then changes to a long-shot which has been used to show them walking towards the paw.
We then see another close-up of a paw which again empathises the size of the paw which is also confirmed by the fact that it requires three of them to move it. This cuts to a low angle shot which shows part of the dog moving and their facial reactions which connotes that it is difficult to move.
It shows a close-up of the dog's face. This has been used to show that it is agitated as it is being disturbed from its sleep. It cuts to a mid-shot as they stand up and back away from the dog and once again shows it blowing them back by the power of its breath.
Next there is a low-angle shot taken from inside of the trapped door. This shot has been used to build suspense because the audience are waiting to see what is down there. It then cuts to a high-angle which has been used to show them looking down into the doorway which is dark. The fact that it shows the inside of the doorway pitch black connotes that they are entering the unknown and there is every chance that they may not make it back alive.
Next we see a close-up with a gradual zoom of the paw which has been used because it clearly shows it resting on the doorway that they are looking into.
It then cuts to a mid-shot as Harry begins to talk and it then changes to a long-shot which has been used to show them walking towards the paw.
We then see another close-up of a paw which again empathises the size of the paw which is also confirmed by the fact that it requires three of them to move it. This cuts to a low angle shot which shows part of the dog moving and their facial reactions which connotes that it is difficult to move.
It shows a close-up of the dog's face. This has been used to show that it is agitated as it is being disturbed from its sleep. It cuts to a mid-shot as they stand up and back away from the dog and once again shows it blowing them back by the power of its breath.
It then cuts to a long-shot of them. This allows us to see all of the characters on screen at the one time and there is the use of dialogue in this part. It then cuts to a close-up of both Ron and Hermoine. This shot has been used to show the fear on Ron's face and the concentration on Hermoine's
There is then an extreme close-up of the dog's eye as it wakes up. The close-up has been used to clearly show that it has awakened and that its eye-line is looking towards them. It then begins to narrow its eyes which connotes the fact that it has been annoyed and is now angry.
Next there is a close-up of Harry as he continues to talk to the others. This shot has been used so that the audience can then see the shadow of the dog which builds suspense and adds to the drama of the scene.
The media producer has kept the audience on edge simply because he continues to show Harry and doesn't cut to the dog but shows that it is there by making use of shadow.
We then see the low-angle shot looking up from inside the trap door. This shot shows the dogs in the context as well as Harry and his friends. There is a mid-shot of the snot as it runs down Ron's clothes.
There is then an extreme close-up of the dog's eye as it wakes up. The close-up has been used to clearly show that it has awakened and that its eye-line is looking towards them. It then begins to narrow its eyes which connotes the fact that it has been annoyed and is now angry.
Next there is a close-up of Harry as he continues to talk to the others. This shot has been used so that the audience can then see the shadow of the dog which builds suspense and adds to the drama of the scene.
The media producer has kept the audience on edge simply because he continues to show Harry and doesn't cut to the dog but shows that it is there by making use of shadow.
We then see the low-angle shot looking up from inside the trap door. This shot shows the dogs in the context as well as Harry and his friends. There is a mid-shot of the snot as it runs down Ron's clothes.
It cuts to a point of view shot from the three headed dog looking down on Harry, Ron and Hermoine. This connotes the height of the dog in comparison to them.
The camera then shows it from their point of view. This connotes the audience the aggression on the dog's faces and how scary it looks.
A long shot showing the dogs and Harry and Hermoine as they jump down the hole. This changes to a close-up of the dogs as they look down on their prey.This is an effective shot as it shows them going down into the trap door as well as the dog.
Next there is a bird's-eye view of where Harry and Hermoine are now. This allows us to see the entire scenery that surrounds them and therefore is the most suitable shot to use. It also shows how far they have fallen.
It quickly cuts to a long-shot as Ron continues to falls down before changing to a close-up of Ron as he lands on the plants.
There is then a long-shot showing all three characters. This is the only shot that could be used to show all three because they all landed in different places.
It cuts to a close-up shot of plants. This has been used to show the fact that they are alive and moving.
It then shows a mid-shot of Harry who is looking all around him, next it shows a close-up of it wrapping around his legs tightly.
We then see a long-shot showing the plants cover Hermoine. This has been used to show that there are many plants and how much of Hermoine's body it is starting to cover. This then changes to a close-up shot which allows us to see Hermoine's reaction to what she is witnessing. We can tell that she looks scared but seems to be calm.
It then shows a mid-shot of Harry who is looking all around him, next it shows a close-up of it wrapping around his legs tightly.
We then see a long-shot showing the plants cover Hermoine. This has been used to show that there are many plants and how much of Hermoine's body it is starting to cover. This then changes to a close-up shot which allows us to see Hermoine's reaction to what she is witnessing. We can tell that she looks scared but seems to be calm.
It cuts back to a close-up of the plants as they continue to unravel connoting that things are about to get worse.
We then see a long-shot which again illustrates the context.This cuts to a close-up of Ron as he begins talking again. A close-up of Hermoine has then been used to show her sarcastic face and the plants as they pull her down.
Next there is a high angle establishing shot showing both Ron and Harry as they call for Hermoine. This cuts to a close-up of Ron as he begins to communicate with Harry.
Then there is a close-up of Harry as he talks to Hermoine which changes to a high-angle shot looking down to where Hermoine is. This has been used because the media producer doesn't want to show the audience where she is yet.
Next we see a close-up of the plants continuing to surround Ron and Harry. This cuts to Hermoine because she is speaking to them.
We then see a long-shot which again illustrates the context.This cuts to a close-up of Ron as he begins talking again. A close-up of Hermoine has then been used to show her sarcastic face and the plants as they pull her down.
Next there is a high angle establishing shot showing both Ron and Harry as they call for Hermoine. This cuts to a close-up of Ron as he begins to communicate with Harry.
Then there is a close-up of Harry as he talks to Hermoine which changes to a high-angle shot looking down to where Hermoine is. This has been used because the media producer doesn't want to show the audience where she is yet.
After Hermoine has finished talking it switches to a close-up of Harry to show the look on his face as he is taken down by the plants.
Next we see a close-up of Ron as he calls for Harry. We can see the desperation on his face. There is a mid-shot of the new area as Harry falls down to where Hermoine is. It then cuts to a close-up of Hermoine speaking.
The media producer has then made use of a mid-shot of Harry getting up and walking towards Hermoine. A high angle shot looking down towards Harry and Hermoine is then followed by Harry looking up towards the plants where Ron is.
Next we see a close-up of Ron as he calls for Harry. We can see the desperation on his face. There is a mid-shot of the new area as Harry falls down to where Hermoine is. It then cuts to a close-up of Hermoine speaking.
The media producer has then made use of a mid-shot of Harry getting up and walking towards Hermoine. A high angle shot looking down towards Harry and Hermoine is then followed by Harry looking up towards the plants where Ron is.
This then changes to a close-up of both Hermoine and Harry. Again a close-up has been used for dialogue purposes. It then cuts back to a close-up shot of Ron as the plants cover his mouth. Again this shot allows us to see his facial expressions and how worried he looks. 
We then see another close-up shot of Hermoine who is talking to Harry and trying to find a solution so that Ron can be freed. Next there is a high-angle shot as Hermoine and Harry look up towards the plants and Hermoine casts a spell using her wand.
The media producer then makes use of a long-shot which shows the effect that the spell has on the plants.
As Ron falls through, there is a low angle mid-shot of Ron as he hits the ground. Then there is a mid-shot of Harry and Hermoine as they help Ron up.
Next there is a close-up of Ron as he speaks before it changes to a mid-shot of them all as they progress on their quest.
Again the media producer has made great use of music and sound effects in order to build suspense and get across the fact that this dog is dangerous.
The first sound in this scene would be the use of dialogue. This would be a diegetic sound as the characters can hear each other.
When Harry and his friends enter the room they can hear a harp playing calm, relaxing music. As this is a stringed instrument you would expect soft sounds to be heard. The fact that this is playing connotes that someone has been here before them. These sounds are rather misleading as they create the illusion that all will be fine when really that is not the case.
The reason for this sound being added in is because when music is played the three-headed dog sleeps. This would likely be a soundtrack that has been added in during the post-production so for that reason it would be considered a non-diegetic sound.
While the harp plays we can hear the breathing of the dog and the closing of the door behind them. The door closing may be a sound originating from story space so therefore could be diegetic however, the breathing of the dog would be a sound effect so therefore would be a non-diegetic sound.
We then hear the cloak as it is blown off them by the breathing of the dog. As they approach the dog the breathing gets more pronounced. We can then hear the sound of the dog's claws scraping the wood along with the grunts of Harry as they drag the paw away from the trap door. We then hear a small grunt from the dog which confirms that it has been disturbed. This accompanies the visuals and communicates to the audience that the dog's paw is heavy. Again these sounds would be classified as sound effects.
There is then more sound effects including a gust of wind coming from the dog's breath and as Harry opens the trap door there is a squeaking noise from the hinges. There is also a thud as the door fixes into an upright position.
When they are about to jump down the trapdoor, the music stops. We can hear an empathises on the sound effect of the dog opening its eye. This builds suspense because the audience know that the dog will waken up.
When the dog leans over them, a soundtrack begins. This starts off very slow paced with few beats. When they look up and notice the dog the soundtrack gathers pace and contains more beats. This ties in with the loud growling noises from the dog as it begins attacking them. We can then hear the wood of the trap door smashing as well as shouts from Harry and Ron.
When they land on the plants, all music stops for a few seconds before starting into a low volume downbeat track, so that the characters can be heard talking.
Next we hear the sucking sound of the plants which is a sound effect that has been somewhat empathised so that the audience are aware that the plants are alive and moving. The Soundtrack remains low and difficult to hear.
We can hear the thud as Harry hits the ground, as Hermoine gets out her wand we can hear a warping sound effect and the plants moving as Ron hits the ground.
Like in most films, there are several different stereotypes in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. One stereotype would be the fact that there always seems to be that one wizard who is portrayed as tall, old and wise. In Harry Potter this would obviously be Dumbledore suggesting that to have wisdom you must be old.
Another stereotype would be that the troll is tall, dumb and clumsy. As a troll is a fictional character, there is nothing to suggest that they act in this manner however the media producer has made these assumptions. The fact that the villain has a disfigured face and loses out to the hero would be another stereotype used in Harry Potter. Hagrid is very clumsy in the film. The media producer is trying to suggest that tall characters are seen as being clumsy.
The houses seem to carry a particular stereotype with them. This isn't emphasised so much in the movie but there are subtle hints that Gryffindor is a desirable house to be in. Considering the fact that all the great wizards and witches belong to this house, Dumbledore, McGonagall and the Marauders. Slytherin comes across as being the opposite. People who are in this house are stereotyped as being evil. In terms of Hufflepuff, this seems to be the most un-appreciated house and tends to be where the left over students go. Finally Ravenclaw is where all of the nerds go and students who are dedicated to studying on a regular basis.
There is a lot of iconography used in Harry Potter which connects it with the fantasy genre. At the beginning of the film, we see Albus Dumbledore take out a mechanical device enabling him to turn off the street lights with it. After this happens, we can see the shadow of a cat, which then transforms into a woman called Minerva McGonagall. Hagrid then arrives on a flying motorbike to deliver Harry, who is a baby, to his auntie and uncle.
Not long after wee see various other examples of iconography. When they attend the zoo, and are looking at the snake, Dudley gets angry and wants it to move. When they leave Harry begins talking to the snake. When he notices it shaking its head he asks if it can hear him. It continues to shake its head in agreement.
When Dudley sees the snake moving he then walks back towards it, he begins hitting the glass and then suddenly the glass disappears. The snake then begins making its way out of the zoo saying thanks to Harry. When he attempts to get out again it has been re-sealed.
Later back at their house we can see owls delivering mail. After moving, Hagrid arrives at Harry's new house and uses his umbrella in order to grow a pigs tail on Dudley who was eating Harry's cake.
When Harry goes with Hagrid, he uses his umbrella and draws a pattern into the wall. Once he completes the pattern, the walls begin moving and an entrance into Diagon Alley is formed.
After arriving at Diagon Alley, he begins testing out different wands in order to see which one best suits him. When testing out one, all of the wands positioned on the shelves fall out. Harry then gets another one and smashes a a flower vase with it. When he receives a wand that suits him, he and his friends later performs all kinds of magic with it.
Harry is due to board a train on platform 9 3/4. What he didn't know was the fact that this wasn't visible to the muggle eye. It involved walking through a wall between platforms 9 and 10. When he did this he entered a completely new area where only people going to Hogwarts had access to.
When they arrive at Hogwarts, which is a made up fantasy world, there are moving staircases, talking portraits as well as ghosts and a sorting hat that talks arranging them into the different houses. Afterwards food magically appears on the tables. Harry also gets an invisible cloak which when put on means he is invisible. There is also a troll that runs loose in Hogwarts grounds.
He also gets involved in a sport known as Quidditch. This involves the use of brooms that fly.
Out in the woods, Harry and Malfoy meet Voldemort , Harry is rescued by a half horse half man.
Later we see,a mirror which shows Harry what he wants to see, one of the things he sees is his parents who are dead. We also see a three headed dog, keys that fly and chest pieces that move themselves.
The fact that Voldemort give Harry a lightning-shaped scar symbolises that he is unique and remarkable. The scar is an honorable symbol and connotes how he survived a battle against Voldemort and possibly suggests that he is the chosen one to participate in future battles with the Dark Lord. By having the scar it reminds Harry of the past, not solely because of the battle he faced but it also reminds him that his parents loved him and sought to protect him. The scar is also a symbol due to the fact that it shows Harry's emotional sensitivity. Every time hatred is directed towards him his scar hurts him. We see this in the film when Snape first sees him at Hogwarts and when Quirell attempts to grab him.
Quidditch has been around for a long time and is the favourite sport in the wizard world. The game is a symbol of personal development in relation to wizardry. It is a sign that studying magical theory isn't solely what Hogwarts is about and suggests that there is a physical and practical element involved. Of course like a lot of sports you can be a hero on the quidditch field underlining the fact that heroism is not something that is contained within a textbook. Playing this sport helps the appreciation process in terms of what having magical powers is all about. It helps to instil a team spirit philosophy - an ethos of sharing.
The mirror lets those at Hogwarts see their inner-self. It is important how one reflects on their desires.When Harry looks in the Mirror of Erised, he makes reasonable requests, wishing to see his family and obtaining the stone. Others, such as Voldemort, abuse the situation and makes selfish requests. This experience with the mirror symbolises a growing consciousness in terms of his past.
The experience also allows him to consider his position in going forward in life. Like Quidditch, this helps in terms of personal development.
The Philosopher's Stone is what Harry is looking to find. It is a mythical substance that does two things. It transforms base metals into gold and creates an immortality potion known as the Elixir of Life.
The media producer has made use of semiotics through costume choice to suggest something about each character.
At the beginning of the movie we see Harry dressed in very ordinary grey clothing in contrast to his carers. This backs up the fact that he has been neglected and has to provide for himself. Whereas we see Dursley, Vernon and Petunia dressed in more stylish upperclass clothing which would empathise the fact that Vernon is successful and has a lot of money.
When Harry gets to Hogwarts they all wear black robes. I feel that the media producer has used this colour because black is associated with school colours and it may even suggest that they are living in dark times.
Dumbledore wears very rich, warm colours. His garment could symbolise royalty due to the fact that the design is very elegant. By wearing this costume the media producer is telling the audience that he is a highly respected figure and is obviously a good person.
If we look at Snape, he wears black which is a dark colour and could be seen as a polysemic sign that he is either an evil or mournful character.
Professor Quirell's costume is quite dark in the sense that the only two colours would be brown and purple which I see as a warm colour. This costume has been chosen to suggest that he isn't completely innocent but the colours are warm enough to divert their attention to Snape who is wearing all black.
Professor McGonagall wears a black dress with a green shawl and a black hat. Perhaps the black colours represent her stricter side while her green shawl suggests that she is considered a high ranking wizard and the fact that also she isn't evil.
Harry Potter is the main character in the story. At the beginning we can see that he is an orphaned baby. We later see that he has been left with his aunt and uncle who don’t treat him very well. The fact that he is growing up under an environment full of neglect would explain why he comes across as a shy boy who doesn’t understand what he can achieve.
As the story progresses he soon learns that he is in fact famous. With Harry knowing this, he still remains modest and doesn't lose his humility.
Harry is very caring and always looks out for his friends. When he hears that Ron has no money he buys everything in the trolley.
Harry is a very brave strong character as well as determined. He is on a mission to obtain the stone and nothing more. He doesn't have any intentions of using it but is there to stop it from being misused and this confirms his loyalty.
He remains faithful to Gryffindor which is a symbol of his newly developing team spirit. He would rather maintain good friendships with his schoolmates instead of celebrating in individual glory. Similarly, rather than boast of his amazing talent at Quidditch, he rejoices in the communal victory for his house and doesn’t stop for praise even when he breaks Quidditch records.
He is willing to put himself at risk for the sake of a friend suggesting that he is caring, but sometimes in a foolish manner. This is evident when we saw him battle a troll to save Hermione and when he gets himself punished for helping Hagrid with his dragon.
Towards the end of the film when he gets the Philosopher’s Stone and saves everyone from Voldemort he doesn’t become boastful.
The fact that Harry is successful at making true friendships and conquering his early loneliness is almost as inspiring as defeating the evil and powerful Voldemort.
Malfoy is pureblood meaning that his father was a wizard and his mother was a witch. He feels that he is superior to others and that all wizards and witches should come from a pureblood background. He doesn't get along well with Harry and his friends. We see this when he makes fun of Ron due to financial situation and advises Harry to select his friends more carefully. He also steals Neville's Remebrall and says that he will put it on the roof taunting Harry to come and get it.
We then see another close-up shot of Hermoine who is talking to Harry and trying to find a solution so that Ron can be freed. Next there is a high-angle shot as Hermoine and Harry look up towards the plants and Hermoine casts a spell using her wand.
The media producer then makes use of a long-shot which shows the effect that the spell has on the plants.
As Ron falls through, there is a low angle mid-shot of Ron as he hits the ground. Then there is a mid-shot of Harry and Hermoine as they help Ron up.
Next there is a close-up of Ron as he speaks before it changes to a mid-shot of them all as they progress on their quest.
Again the media producer has made great use of music and sound effects in order to build suspense and get across the fact that this dog is dangerous.
The first sound in this scene would be the use of dialogue. This would be a diegetic sound as the characters can hear each other.
When Harry and his friends enter the room they can hear a harp playing calm, relaxing music. As this is a stringed instrument you would expect soft sounds to be heard. The fact that this is playing connotes that someone has been here before them. These sounds are rather misleading as they create the illusion that all will be fine when really that is not the case.
The reason for this sound being added in is because when music is played the three-headed dog sleeps. This would likely be a soundtrack that has been added in during the post-production so for that reason it would be considered a non-diegetic sound.
While the harp plays we can hear the breathing of the dog and the closing of the door behind them. The door closing may be a sound originating from story space so therefore could be diegetic however, the breathing of the dog would be a sound effect so therefore would be a non-diegetic sound.
We then hear the cloak as it is blown off them by the breathing of the dog. As they approach the dog the breathing gets more pronounced. We can then hear the sound of the dog's claws scraping the wood along with the grunts of Harry as they drag the paw away from the trap door. We then hear a small grunt from the dog which confirms that it has been disturbed. This accompanies the visuals and communicates to the audience that the dog's paw is heavy. Again these sounds would be classified as sound effects.
There is then more sound effects including a gust of wind coming from the dog's breath and as Harry opens the trap door there is a squeaking noise from the hinges. There is also a thud as the door fixes into an upright position.
When they are about to jump down the trapdoor, the music stops. We can hear an empathises on the sound effect of the dog opening its eye. This builds suspense because the audience know that the dog will waken up.
When the dog leans over them, a soundtrack begins. This starts off very slow paced with few beats. When they look up and notice the dog the soundtrack gathers pace and contains more beats. This ties in with the loud growling noises from the dog as it begins attacking them. We can then hear the wood of the trap door smashing as well as shouts from Harry and Ron.
When they land on the plants, all music stops for a few seconds before starting into a low volume downbeat track, so that the characters can be heard talking.
Next we hear the sucking sound of the plants which is a sound effect that has been somewhat empathised so that the audience are aware that the plants are alive and moving. The Soundtrack remains low and difficult to hear.
We can hear the thud as Harry hits the ground, as Hermoine gets out her wand we can hear a warping sound effect and the plants moving as Ron hits the ground.
Like in most films, there are several different stereotypes in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. One stereotype would be the fact that there always seems to be that one wizard who is portrayed as tall, old and wise. In Harry Potter this would obviously be Dumbledore suggesting that to have wisdom you must be old. Another stereotype would be that the troll is tall, dumb and clumsy. As a troll is a fictional character, there is nothing to suggest that they act in this manner however the media producer has made these assumptions. The fact that the villain has a disfigured face and loses out to the hero would be another stereotype used in Harry Potter. Hagrid is very clumsy in the film. The media producer is trying to suggest that tall characters are seen as being clumsy.
The houses seem to carry a particular stereotype with them. This isn't emphasised so much in the movie but there are subtle hints that Gryffindor is a desirable house to be in. Considering the fact that all the great wizards and witches belong to this house, Dumbledore, McGonagall and the Marauders. Slytherin comes across as being the opposite. People who are in this house are stereotyped as being evil. In terms of Hufflepuff, this seems to be the most un-appreciated house and tends to be where the left over students go. Finally Ravenclaw is where all of the nerds go and students who are dedicated to studying on a regular basis.
Not long after wee see various other examples of iconography. When they attend the zoo, and are looking at the snake, Dudley gets angry and wants it to move. When they leave Harry begins talking to the snake. When he notices it shaking its head he asks if it can hear him. It continues to shake its head in agreement.
When Dudley sees the snake moving he then walks back towards it, he begins hitting the glass and then suddenly the glass disappears. The snake then begins making its way out of the zoo saying thanks to Harry. When he attempts to get out again it has been re-sealed.
Later back at their house we can see owls delivering mail. After moving, Hagrid arrives at Harry's new house and uses his umbrella in order to grow a pigs tail on Dudley who was eating Harry's cake.When Harry goes with Hagrid, he uses his umbrella and draws a pattern into the wall. Once he completes the pattern, the walls begin moving and an entrance into Diagon Alley is formed.
After arriving at Diagon Alley, he begins testing out different wands in order to see which one best suits him. When testing out one, all of the wands positioned on the shelves fall out. Harry then gets another one and smashes a a flower vase with it. When he receives a wand that suits him, he and his friends later performs all kinds of magic with it.
Harry is due to board a train on platform 9 3/4. What he didn't know was the fact that this wasn't visible to the muggle eye. It involved walking through a wall between platforms 9 and 10. When he did this he entered a completely new area where only people going to Hogwarts had access to.
When they arrive at Hogwarts, which is a made up fantasy world, there are moving staircases, talking portraits as well as ghosts and a sorting hat that talks arranging them into the different houses. Afterwards food magically appears on the tables. Harry also gets an invisible cloak which when put on means he is invisible. There is also a troll that runs loose in Hogwarts grounds.
He also gets involved in a sport known as Quidditch. This involves the use of brooms that fly.
Out in the woods, Harry and Malfoy meet Voldemort , Harry is rescued by a half horse half man.
Later we see,a mirror which shows Harry what he wants to see, one of the things he sees is his parents who are dead. We also see a three headed dog, keys that fly and chest pieces that move themselves.
The mirror lets those at Hogwarts see their inner-self. It is important how one reflects on their desires.When Harry looks in the Mirror of Erised, he makes reasonable requests, wishing to see his family and obtaining the stone. Others, such as Voldemort, abuse the situation and makes selfish requests. This experience with the mirror symbolises a growing consciousness in terms of his past.
The experience also allows him to consider his position in going forward in life. Like Quidditch, this helps in terms of personal development.
The Philosopher's Stone is what Harry is looking to find. It is a mythical substance that does two things. It transforms base metals into gold and creates an immortality potion known as the Elixir of Life.
The media producer has made use of semiotics through costume choice to suggest something about each character.
At the beginning of the movie we see Harry dressed in very ordinary grey clothing in contrast to his carers. This backs up the fact that he has been neglected and has to provide for himself. Whereas we see Dursley, Vernon and Petunia dressed in more stylish upperclass clothing which would empathise the fact that Vernon is successful and has a lot of money.
When Harry gets to Hogwarts they all wear black robes. I feel that the media producer has used this colour because black is associated with school colours and it may even suggest that they are living in dark times.
Dumbledore wears very rich, warm colours. His garment could symbolise royalty due to the fact that the design is very elegant. By wearing this costume the media producer is telling the audience that he is a highly respected figure and is obviously a good person.If we look at Snape, he wears black which is a dark colour and could be seen as a polysemic sign that he is either an evil or mournful character.
Professor Quirell's costume is quite dark in the sense that the only two colours would be brown and purple which I see as a warm colour. This costume has been chosen to suggest that he isn't completely innocent but the colours are warm enough to divert their attention to Snape who is wearing all black.
Professor McGonagall wears a black dress with a green shawl and a black hat. Perhaps the black colours represent her stricter side while her green shawl suggests that she is considered a high ranking wizard and the fact that also she isn't evil.
Finally Hagrid wears a brown coat which suggests that he is a normal character who has an average job of being a groundskeeper at Hogwarts.
Harry Potter is the main character in the story. At the beginning we can see that he is an orphaned baby. We later see that he has been left with his aunt and uncle who don’t treat him very well. The fact that he is growing up under an environment full of neglect would explain why he comes across as a shy boy who doesn’t understand what he can achieve.
As the story progresses he soon learns that he is in fact famous. With Harry knowing this, he still remains modest and doesn't lose his humility.
Harry is very caring and always looks out for his friends. When he hears that Ron has no money he buys everything in the trolley.
Harry is a very brave strong character as well as determined. He is on a mission to obtain the stone and nothing more. He doesn't have any intentions of using it but is there to stop it from being misused and this confirms his loyalty.
He remains faithful to Gryffindor which is a symbol of his newly developing team spirit. He would rather maintain good friendships with his schoolmates instead of celebrating in individual glory. Similarly, rather than boast of his amazing talent at Quidditch, he rejoices in the communal victory for his house and doesn’t stop for praise even when he breaks Quidditch records.
He is willing to put himself at risk for the sake of a friend suggesting that he is caring, but sometimes in a foolish manner. This is evident when we saw him battle a troll to save Hermione and when he gets himself punished for helping Hagrid with his dragon.
Towards the end of the film when he gets the Philosopher’s Stone and saves everyone from Voldemort he doesn’t become boastful.
The fact that Harry is successful at making true friendships and conquering his early loneliness is almost as inspiring as defeating the evil and powerful Voldemort.
When we first see Hermoine, she comes across as being annoying as well as trying to be perfect. She is also portrayed as a goody-two-shoes who is very dedicated to her studies by frequently reading all of the books for her classes in advance. Hermione has a good knowledge of Hogwarts and follows all of the school rules.
When she first speaks to Harry on the train, she attempts to impress him with how much she knows about magic. However Harry is only interested in forming new friendships.
Later on we continue to see her hard working side when she gets 112 per cent in her final exam. Perhaps she is trying to cover up her feelings of inferiority due to the fact that she comes from a Muggle family and is only adjusting to the wizarding world.
We begin to see Hermione’s character develop into a more likeable person during the scene where the troll comes into the girls' bathroom. She tells a lie to her teachers regarding the troll, saying that it was her fault and that she went looking for the troll after reading about them she thought she could handle it. During this scene we also see that she is brave as she manages to stay calm and give out instructions to Ron in order to perfect his wand movement. Hermione begins to understand that it is more important to look out for her friends as opposed to always following the rules.
Ron comes from an impoverished wizard family and is a lot like Harry at the beginning of the film. He is very shy and modest. Ron is Harry's first friend and is very helpful and a loyal
friend. We see that Ron is also intelligent as he later plays chess which is a game based on strategy and skill. We later see that he is brave especially towards the end of the film when he sacrifices himself while playing chest which illustrates how considerate and kind he is. Even though Ron is a pure blood which means he comes from an entire wizard family, He represents the fact that the key to success is based on individual talent and has nothing to do with your family.
Rubeus Hagrid is a giant who is the groundskeeper at Hogwarts. Hagrid isn't very smart as he tells Harry and his friends things that he shouldn't including Nicholas Flamel who was the
creator of the stone and how to put Fluffy, the three headed dog to sleep. We see that he is very caring towards Harry because at the start when we can see tears in his eyes as he is forced to leave Harry. He also helped him escape from the Dursleys and help him out with his shopping list at Diagon Alley by buying him an owl. He is an animal lover as later in the story he buys a dragon egg later in the move despite the fact that it could get him into trouble. Hagrid symbolises the importance of being good in a world where many are not.
Albus Dumbledore is very kind and has a lot of wisdom. Though he is a famous wizard, Dumbledore is modest and gentle. While other teachers, such as Professor McGonagall, focus on sticking to the rules, Dumbledore respects them as evident by his warnings against going into the Forbidden Forest, but does not go overboard on their importance. He is a very relaxed character in the sense that when the troll is in Hogwarts he tells everyone to be quiet and not to panic as well as giving clear instructions to ensure the students remain safe. He appears to have an almost superhuman level of knowledge and is approachable for advice. It appears that he may have set up the whole quest for the Philosopher's Stone so that Harry could prove he is worthy. He is very much like a grandfather figure in Harry's life as he looks out for Harry by warning him not to get obsessed by the mirror and then he is kind to him by not punishing him when he is out wandering the corridors at night instead of in his dormentary.
Voldemort is an evil wizard who murdered Harry’s parents, Voldemort gave Harry a lightning-shaped scar. In the Philosopher's stone, Voldemort is linked with Professor
Quirrell. His goal was to gain the elixir of life from the stone. Voldemort used Quirell, who he met in a dark wood, to infiltrate the school. He was hidden behind a turban on Quirell's head. This indicates how vulnerable he was at this time. In order to maintain his strength he drank the blood of unicorns, again this was an act of weakness and an indication of inpurity and desperation. Unicorn is pure, to kill one is impure. Unicorn blood, once drunk, requires the drinker to live a cursed life. It is a testament of the mind of Voldemort that he could not get the stone from the mirror, as he wanted it purely for himself. This shows his weakness compared to Harry, who wanted it, but not for himself. In the movie when his host Quirrel dies, Voldemort is presented as a ghoul like creature. This empathises his evil nature.
When she first speaks to Harry on the train, she attempts to impress him with how much she knows about magic. However Harry is only interested in forming new friendships.
Later on we continue to see her hard working side when she gets 112 per cent in her final exam. Perhaps she is trying to cover up her feelings of inferiority due to the fact that she comes from a Muggle family and is only adjusting to the wizarding world.
We begin to see Hermione’s character develop into a more likeable person during the scene where the troll comes into the girls' bathroom. She tells a lie to her teachers regarding the troll, saying that it was her fault and that she went looking for the troll after reading about them she thought she could handle it. During this scene we also see that she is brave as she manages to stay calm and give out instructions to Ron in order to perfect his wand movement. Hermione begins to understand that it is more important to look out for her friends as opposed to always following the rules.
Ron comes from an impoverished wizard family and is a lot like Harry at the beginning of the film. He is very shy and modest. Ron is Harry's first friend and is very helpful and a loyal
Rubeus Hagrid is a giant who is the groundskeeper at Hogwarts. Hagrid isn't very smart as he tells Harry and his friends things that he shouldn't including Nicholas Flamel who was the
Albus Dumbledore is very kind and has a lot of wisdom. Though he is a famous wizard, Dumbledore is modest and gentle. While other teachers, such as Professor McGonagall, focus on sticking to the rules, Dumbledore respects them as evident by his warnings against going into the Forbidden Forest, but does not go overboard on their importance. He is a very relaxed character in the sense that when the troll is in Hogwarts he tells everyone to be quiet and not to panic as well as giving clear instructions to ensure the students remain safe. He appears to have an almost superhuman level of knowledge and is approachable for advice. It appears that he may have set up the whole quest for the Philosopher's Stone so that Harry could prove he is worthy. He is very much like a grandfather figure in Harry's life as he looks out for Harry by warning him not to get obsessed by the mirror and then he is kind to him by not punishing him when he is out wandering the corridors at night instead of in his dormentary.
Voldemort is an evil wizard who murdered Harry’s parents, Voldemort gave Harry a lightning-shaped scar. In the Philosopher's stone, Voldemort is linked with Professor
Malfoy is pureblood meaning that his father was a wizard and his mother was a witch. He feels that he is superior to others and that all wizards and witches should come from a pureblood background. He doesn't get along well with Harry and his friends. We see this when he makes fun of Ron due to financial situation and advises Harry to select his friends more carefully. He also steals Neville's Remebrall and says that he will put it on the roof taunting Harry to come and get it.
Neville is a shy classmate of Harry’s who is friendly and loyal, but like Ron, he doesn't have Harry’s charisma. Like Hermione, he is initially too obedient, and when the time comes for Harry, Ron and Hermione to go after the Philosopher's Stone, he worries that Gryffindor will
receive punishment for them sneaking out and so threatens to fight them.It seems that he wants to be accepted and as it turns out it was a courageous thing to do and later paid off at the Leaving Feast. Dumbledore awards Neville ten House points for having the courage to stand up to his friends. This is the first time Neville has won any points for anything, and it is even more special due to the fact that he wins the House Cup for Gryffindor.
McGonagall is the head of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts and a high-ranking woman in the wizard world. She is fair but strict and serious when it comes to punishments. We this in the film when she questions Harry and Ron for being late for class. She then makes a sarcastic remark saying that she should transform one of them into a stopwatch so they could be on time. Later she deducts five points off Hermione after she told McGonagall that she went looking for the troll, but then gives them five points each for taking on the troll but again doesn't praise them too much
for what they done. Her loyalty to the letter of the law is impressive. She follows everything by the book but the manner in which she expresses herself is without feeling. However, when she notices that Harry is on his broomstick when he shouldn't be she doesn't take any action and instead notifies the Gryffindor captain of quidditch of his ability. We constantly feel that she could never become a kind, wise figure like Dumbledore. In some occasions throughout the film we see her being portrayed as a cat which may symbolise that she enjoys a more relaxed side at times.
Snape is the professor of Potions at Hogwarts and head of Slytherin. In his first appearance, he seems to dislike Harry. We see hints of this when he picks on him for not paying attention in his class. When entering the class he comes across as short and strict. Harry and his friends suspect that Snape is evil, during quidditch we see Hermione set his clothing on fire. I feel that this is very clever from the media producer as he clearly has villain characteristics and seems harsh. When he stares at Harry and his friends he comes
across as stern, It seems that he is almost spying on Harry, this is evident when he notices that they are indoors on a bright day and claims that they are up to something. The music changes making use of harsher tones when we see Snape in the some of scenes. Again this is subtle hints that he may be a villain. When he goes through another door and doesn't follow the other teachers when he hears news of the troll it makes us more suspicious that he is up to something. The media producer has made great use of semiotics to portray Snape as a villain in the story. We later discover that Snape was actually on Harry's side. Quirrell later admits in the film that during qudditch it was in fact Snape who tried to save Harry by doing counter spells. When the troll was let loose it was Snape who went to check to ensure that the stone hadn't been stolen.
Professor Quirrel is the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts and comes across as rather harmless. Quirrell appears very nervy, this is evident by his stutter. He also happens to be a coward due to the fact that he faints when telling everyone about a troll that is loose in the school. We later discover that Quirrell isn't the timid character that we thought he was and is in fact a cold-blooded conniver. The media producer approached this in a clever manner as they led us to believe that Snape was the evil one and because of Quirrell's good acting and roles withing the film, it made him out to be so innocent which allowed for a good twist at the end.
Vernon is Harry’s uncle, Dursley symbolises the Muggle world against wizards and is very narrow minded when it comes to magical people. He doesn't understand the magical world but it could be said that he is jealous because he isn't a wizard. He is very nasty and demanding towards Harry as we see when he wants his breakfast and when he burns his
letters from Hogwarts. When he notices more letters coming through he places a plank of wood over the mailbox. The media producer has presented him in such away to come across as an evil character, if we look at his appearance first, we see that he has a bushy mustache which is often used in film's to portray someone under a bad light. His teeth are also crook-it and they are stained which again is a sign that he isn't an admirable character. Looking at his facial reactions and hand gestures, we can see that he has a very cross look and no emotion in his face and we see him pointing keys at Harry in a threatening manner which suggest that he has no respect for Harry.
Petunia is Mr. Dursley’s wife and is a very caring mother to her spoiled son, Dudley, and has no intention of caring for Harry. However some could argue that she has a caring side due to the fact that she took Harry in and give him a home. She is snobbish and very
concerned with what the neighbours opinion of her family might be. She is somewhat humanised when we find out that she was always jealous of the magical gifts of her sister, Lily, who is Harry's mother. Perhaps her hatred toward Harry comes from an earlier resentment of her sister.
Dudley is Harry’s cousin, we can soon tell that he is annoying and loud as well as being very brutish, we see this when he demands the snake to move.We learn that he is spoilt, this is evident because after opening all of his birthday presents he says to his father is that
all and then complains because he got more last year. At the start we see that he is a bully to Harry by stamping on the stairs and pushing him back into the cupboard. Dudley controls parental love in order to get what he wants. His bad attitude may be because of the fact that he is jealous of Harry.
There are a few different ways in which an audience can respond to a media text. Audience reaction to any film is going to be varied. The messages that a director wishes to convey may be clear in his own mind, but how they are perceived by others will fall into a number of categories. The first category is known as preferred. This is when the audience completely agree with the director’s message, oppositional is when they disagree with the message that is being put forward. Finally there is a negotiated response; this is when people agree with some aspects of the film.
I would imagine the majority of audiences who watch Harry Potter would have a preferred reading. I feel it would be this reading because there isn't much they can disagree with in the sense that they will probably want Harry, who is the hero to defeat Voldemort who is evil. Many of the audience would relate to Harry and want him to succeed due to his circumstances.
Comparing this film to other films in the same genre I can see that in terms of the iconography used, it ties in with the fantasy genre. If we look at The Lord of the Rings, the person who wears the ring can become invisible and Gandalf can perform magic by using his staff.
Another similarity would be that in both Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, they are looking for something or have something that is powerful and must be kept away from villains who will go after it. In terms of stereotypes they make use of an old and wise wizard known as Gandalf which again is creating the same stereotype as in Harry Potter. Like Dumbledore, he treats Frodo like his son and guides him on his way to Mordor. Once again, if we look at Star Wars which is another movie series within the fantasy genre we see that Yoda, who is an extremely old character is very good at battling and trained Luke Skywalker so he could fight against the evil Galactic Empire. These are all admirable characters. In star Wars the villain is known as Darth Vader, his identity is unknown as he wears black and covers his face with a mask.These colours are associated with evil. In The Lord of the Rings Saruman also has evil characteristics as we see that he has a bushy beard, a hooked nose, wrinkled skin and thick eyebrows as well as his frown. Another stereotype in all three of these films would be that the villain always comes out the worst.
A few differences between the films would be that in The Lord of the Rings, Saurman was actually good at the beginning who soon after came corrupt, whereas Voldemort always had evil intentions. But Like Snape, Saurman had a villain type look to him. Other differences would be the props used,in Star Wars they use lightsabers and staffs in the case of The Lord of the Rings. The time period in which these movies are set is also different, The Lord of the Rings is set well in the past whereas Star Wars is obviously set in the future while Harry Potter is dealing with the present.
I feel that these two films are more tailored towards a maturer audience and what makes Harry Potter more unique is the fact that it suits more of a younger audience.
My personal opinion of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is that it is an excellent film suitable for many age groups particularly a young audience due to the magic incorporated into the film. This would amaze and engage their target audience. I also think that is full of suspense and has plenty of action. I feel that the special effects used throughout the film particularly for quidditch was to a very good standard considering the fact that the movie was released back in 2001 and they would have to make use of the resources that they had.
What was perhaps a disappointment is that they left out some parts that were in the book. However I understand that it would have been a very lengthy movie had they included all of the content from the book. With this movie, viewers can get a visual illustration of the book which is beneficial if they don't tend to read. I feel that the first instalement is a very strong start to the Harry Potter film series and i feel that anyone who watched this couldn't help but watch other movies in the series.
McGonagall is the head of Gryffindor House at Hogwarts and a high-ranking woman in the wizard world. She is fair but strict and serious when it comes to punishments. We this in the film when she questions Harry and Ron for being late for class. She then makes a sarcastic remark saying that she should transform one of them into a stopwatch so they could be on time. Later she deducts five points off Hermione after she told McGonagall that she went looking for the troll, but then gives them five points each for taking on the troll but again doesn't praise them too much
Snape is the professor of Potions at Hogwarts and head of Slytherin. In his first appearance, he seems to dislike Harry. We see hints of this when he picks on him for not paying attention in his class. When entering the class he comes across as short and strict. Harry and his friends suspect that Snape is evil, during quidditch we see Hermione set his clothing on fire. I feel that this is very clever from the media producer as he clearly has villain characteristics and seems harsh. When he stares at Harry and his friends he comes
Professor Quirrel is the Defense against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts and comes across as rather harmless. Quirrell appears very nervy, this is evident by his stutter. He also happens to be a coward due to the fact that he faints when telling everyone about a troll that is loose in the school. We later discover that Quirrell isn't the timid character that we thought he was and is in fact a cold-blooded conniver. The media producer approached this in a clever manner as they led us to believe that Snape was the evil one and because of Quirrell's good acting and roles withing the film, it made him out to be so innocent which allowed for a good twist at the end.
Vernon is Harry’s uncle, Dursley symbolises the Muggle world against wizards and is very narrow minded when it comes to magical people. He doesn't understand the magical world but it could be said that he is jealous because he isn't a wizard. He is very nasty and demanding towards Harry as we see when he wants his breakfast and when he burns his
Petunia is Mr. Dursley’s wife and is a very caring mother to her spoiled son, Dudley, and has no intention of caring for Harry. However some could argue that she has a caring side due to the fact that she took Harry in and give him a home. She is snobbish and very
Dudley is Harry’s cousin, we can soon tell that he is annoying and loud as well as being very brutish, we see this when he demands the snake to move.We learn that he is spoilt, this is evident because after opening all of his birthday presents he says to his father is that
There are a few different ways in which an audience can respond to a media text. Audience reaction to any film is going to be varied. The messages that a director wishes to convey may be clear in his own mind, but how they are perceived by others will fall into a number of categories. The first category is known as preferred. This is when the audience completely agree with the director’s message, oppositional is when they disagree with the message that is being put forward. Finally there is a negotiated response; this is when people agree with some aspects of the film.
I would imagine the majority of audiences who watch Harry Potter would have a preferred reading. I feel it would be this reading because there isn't much they can disagree with in the sense that they will probably want Harry, who is the hero to defeat Voldemort who is evil. Many of the audience would relate to Harry and want him to succeed due to his circumstances.
Comparing this film to other films in the same genre I can see that in terms of the iconography used, it ties in with the fantasy genre. If we look at The Lord of the Rings, the person who wears the ring can become invisible and Gandalf can perform magic by using his staff.
Another similarity would be that in both Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings, they are looking for something or have something that is powerful and must be kept away from villains who will go after it. In terms of stereotypes they make use of an old and wise wizard known as Gandalf which again is creating the same stereotype as in Harry Potter. Like Dumbledore, he treats Frodo like his son and guides him on his way to Mordor. Once again, if we look at Star Wars which is another movie series within the fantasy genre we see that Yoda, who is an extremely old character is very good at battling and trained Luke Skywalker so he could fight against the evil Galactic Empire. These are all admirable characters. In star Wars the villain is known as Darth Vader, his identity is unknown as he wears black and covers his face with a mask.These colours are associated with evil. In The Lord of the Rings Saruman also has evil characteristics as we see that he has a bushy beard, a hooked nose, wrinkled skin and thick eyebrows as well as his frown. Another stereotype in all three of these films would be that the villain always comes out the worst.
A few differences between the films would be that in The Lord of the Rings, Saurman was actually good at the beginning who soon after came corrupt, whereas Voldemort always had evil intentions. But Like Snape, Saurman had a villain type look to him. Other differences would be the props used,in Star Wars they use lightsabers and staffs in the case of The Lord of the Rings. The time period in which these movies are set is also different, The Lord of the Rings is set well in the past whereas Star Wars is obviously set in the future while Harry Potter is dealing with the present.
I feel that these two films are more tailored towards a maturer audience and what makes Harry Potter more unique is the fact that it suits more of a younger audience.
My personal opinion of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is that it is an excellent film suitable for many age groups particularly a young audience due to the magic incorporated into the film. This would amaze and engage their target audience. I also think that is full of suspense and has plenty of action. I feel that the special effects used throughout the film particularly for quidditch was to a very good standard considering the fact that the movie was released back in 2001 and they would have to make use of the resources that they had.
What was perhaps a disappointment is that they left out some parts that were in the book. However I understand that it would have been a very lengthy movie had they included all of the content from the book. With this movie, viewers can get a visual illustration of the book which is beneficial if they don't tend to read. I feel that the first instalement is a very strong start to the Harry Potter film series and i feel that anyone who watched this couldn't help but watch other movies in the series.
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