Order Of The Phoenix: Mise En Scene

 

Harry Potter: Order Of The Phoenix

Mise En Scene Analysis

    The Harry Potter series (based on the novel) is a 7 part extensive story involving the tremendous tales of 3 young teenagers, or in this case two wizards and a witch. We follow Harry Potter, a household name and the main character of this successful franchise, through his several encounters of trials and tribulations. By his side remains his two loyal best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger. Harry James Potter, known in Hogwarts as "the boy who lived"; struck by one of Lord Voldemort's unforgivable curses, as an infant Harry was able to defy this death curse and lived by a miracle unknown to him. However, throughout this particular film, The Order of the Phoenix, Harry collides with many varying opponents and challenges in his hunt to convince his peers of Voldemort's return. This film introduces a great shift in authority at Hogwarts creating panic in many of the students who attend. In response to this The Golden Trio, Harry, Hermione, and Ron group together to form a secret society called Dumbledore's Army in order to prepare themselves and their fellow classmates of not only Voldemort and his death eaters but also to defy the oblivious acts of the counsel. While the movie displays Harry's attempts to protect his school from infiltrations of evil, the use of mise en scene aids this developing plot. The lighting, costumes, setting, and staging all assisted in this film's monumental triumph. Mise en scene influenced the smooth flow of how the story was told, the great success of the film, showcased the genre of the film, and contributed to why I favor this movie. 

Lighting:

    The very beginning of the film resembles the ambience that's to be expected, emphasizing a somber and gloomy Warner Brothers tag. A fade in is shown revealing Harry seated on a swing set, not particularly enjoying his time there. Dudley, Harry Potter's cousin, begins a conversation with him full of insults and accusations, firing up Harry's temperature. Throughout this scene the lighting gradually shifts from a mid afternoon day with a light breeze to a dreary atmosphere and incoming storm. This sudden darkening of light indicates a transition toward a daunting spiral of events, which will become a signal of foreshadowing to the audience as the viewers observe the many disheartening moments Harry has to overcome. In this film, the plot is introduced immediately as the heated scene between Harry and Dudley takes a serious turn when Harry is caught performing magic in front of a muggle, a non-wizard/witch, in order to save his cousin from the harm of a dementor, magical monsters who suck the soul of an individual. This heroic attempt only landed Harry in trouble with the head counsel. The film from then on maintains this dark and dim lighting, implicating the isolation Harry feels because no one believes him that Voldemort is at large once again, as well as the evil among Hogwarts. 

 

    Another profound example of this film's use of lighting is the events in preparation for the epic battle scene and the aftermath of the highlighted casualties caused by this fight. A handful of faithful students of Dumbledore's Army, crafted by Harry Potter, follow Mr Potter into an intense interaction with the Death eaters, minions of Voldemort. This piercing collision prompts an unraveling of exciting and nail-biting feelings which could have only be conceived through the help of the production's lighting technique and its effectiveness in portraying the magnitude of the following scenes. The group of youths find themselves in the Hall of Prophecy, a room with interconnecting hallways consumed in darkness, the only illumination is seen from the balls of prophecy placed on the shelfs of the halls. The spherical crystals glisten with light, highlighting its significance in the plot of the film. Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, most well known Death Eaters, seek to gain possession of a specific crystal ball containing a prophecy they desperately want. Since this scene is held in such a dark hallway with only these crystals acting as lights, signals that both sides find them to be important. Later on in the midst of the battle, Harry fights to defend his friends from harm of the Death Eaters while his godfather, Sirius Black, is summoned an unforgivable curse which inevitably sends him to his death. Sirius is then consumed by a bright white light whisking him away from the chaotic battle below. This light may symbolize Sirius finally being able to be at peace from the hectic feuds of evil and good. 

Costume:

    As well as lighting, costumes play a major role in effectively portraying the storyline, genre, and success of a film. The Harry Potter franchise especially executes this very well. Adapted from the popular JK Rowling books, this genre of fantasy incorporates detailed costumes serving a true purpose of showcasing each character's personality whether it be extremely noticeable or small detailed elements all prove to be delicately choices of the costume designer. The first person to come to my mind whose clothing pieces offer huge insight to her personality is Dolores Umbridge. Umbridge's annoyingly bright, piercing pink tweed clothing contrast greatly with Hogwarts' dark and sharp ambience. As soon as her character was featured for the first time in this movie, the audience will notice right a way that she doesn't belong at Hogwarts and her presence is maybe more villainous than Voldemort himself. Taking the position of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Umbridge seeks to prevent all actual acts of magical practices the students are used to performing while also actively trying to diminish Harry Potter's argument that Voldemort is still at large. It is ironic that Umbridge favors pink, a color of care and love, when she refuses to shed even the slightest inclination of any of these attributes. This may also reflect the film's effort to display that evil can hide in many forms.

Setting:

    The majority of this film takes place in Hogwarts, a magical school provided to students who seek to expand their knowledge of magic as young witches and wizards. Hogwarts is the epitome of a fantasy genre; incorporating detailed elements to further emphasize that Hogwarts is from another world of magic and power, a place where a single thought is at the command of a wand. The production designers of all Harry Potter films have clearly put immense time and effort into representing a world of magic and mystery that people would feel drawn too. Since this is a fantasy genre some of these elements displayed on screen might have had to be arranged from a digital source, photoshop and video editing. A key part of Hogwarts in its architectural design is the essential feature of floating candles in the cafeteria/main hall. The four long tables in this main hall represent the different houses: Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor. Although, the tables and houses are separate there is a sense of unity among them as they gather to collaborate and practice spells in preparation for the dark forces upon their school. 

Staging: 

    Staging represents an actor's position on screen and the movement of the camera in relation to the emotional connection evoked from the audience. With time as an important aspect, the placement of characters on screen is key to how the scene will be delivered if done appropriately. One of the most significant scenes that display staging is the exact moment Harry Potter realizes his godfather, Sirius Black, has just been cast the death spell. Harry enters the frame and the camera cuts to his reaction, the audience instantly feels heartbroken for the teenager who has been through so much already. This example of staging is meant to reflect a feeling of sympathy and heartbreak as this is Harry's last family member who has died. The sound for this scene is muted leaving the audience to rely purely on Harry's body language that clearly show his disbelief and agony.