ANALYSIS OF THE OPENING SEQUENCE OF - The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

This is the opening scene of The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe a 2005 film adaptation of the famous children’s story, by C S Lewis, set in the magical world of Narnia, directed by Andrew Adamson. The film can be categorised as a children’s fantasy, action and adventure. The opening sequence clearly establishes the setting and time period of the movie: London during the Blitz.

The film starts with a dark, foggy scene, with the faint humming sound of planes in the background. The camera moves through the clouds, before arcing around a flying Luftwaffe bomber. As the fog clears, more planes appear and beams of light draw our attention to them. The camera reverses, to show the audience the pilots inside the cockpit of one of the bombers. We hear the voices of the pilots speaking German, and this helps to establish that these are German planes bombing London during the Blitz. This is extremely important to the story, as it tells the audience the setting and time period of the film. The camera cuts to an aerial view, showing a bomb being dropped onto London, with Tower Bridge visible below. This switch to a close-up provides variety to the shots and involves the audience in the action. Suddenly, we cut to a mid-shot of a boy, in typical 1940s English costume, looking out of a window to the bombing outside. This is much calmer in comparison to theprevious shots. A woman, his mother it is suggested by her angry yet worried actions, comes running to him, with an older boy. Through the use of dialogue, we are told that the boys are called Edmund and Peter. The characters rush to get to their air raid shelter, and the camera jolts and uses whip pan to convey this sense of panic. The camera cuts to a mid-long shot of a girl looking terrified in her bed, then shows an older girl rushing with a torch, grabbing her out of the house. Using a long shot to fit all characters in, we see them running out, across the garden to their shelter. A close up of their feet, in slippers, is a small detail which shows the audience that these characters were not prepared for what is happening and are in a hurry to get out of their house, hinting that they didn’t even have time to get shoes. Just as they are entering the shelter, Edmund runs back towards the house, shouting “Dad!” The camera shows a close up of Peter’s hand slipping off Edmund’s jumper, emphasising that he shouldn’t be going back. The camera continues to jolt and whip pan, following the boys back to their front room. With a loud explosion and the sound of breaking glass, the boys fall to the floor. Through a close-up, we are shown a cracked photo of a man in uniform, in Edmund’s hand. Another aerial shot shows the two boys running to the shelter, with the menacing shadows of the planes sweeping across them. A low angle from below the running characters shows us that the threat of bomber planes is right above them, and this makes the action very dramatic and tense. The scene is almost black and white to increase this sense of tension, and to give a negative atmosphere. The camera quickly cuts to a lighter scene inside the shelter, suggesting a safer environment. The scene ends abruptly with Peter slamming the shelter door shut after shouting at Edmund for almost getting them killed. The two parts of the opening sequence, the planes and the family are strongly linked. The family rushing to their air raid shelter is a consequence of the bombers arriving, and the two sequences could, in fact, be happening simultaneously.

This short action sequence is essential in setting up the rest of the story. It confirms the era and setting of the film, and the character’s names as well as their relationships. We are shown that although Peter cares for his brother Edmund, who misses his dad who has gone away to war, they do not have a good relationship. It is also conveyed that Susan and Lucy, the girls, do have a close relationship, as they are seen hugging each other whilst in the shelter. These four characters are suggested to be the main characters in the rest of the story, as we are told a lot about them in the first few minutes of the film. A lot of information is revealed in the short sequence, and I think it has been shown quite clearly so that the younger target audience can understand what is happening. We are not told, however, what else has been happening in their lives, as this scene is purely to establish the setting, time period and characters in the following story.

The tone of the opening sequence is important to establish the tone of the rest of the film. In this scene, the lighting is dark, as it is night-time. The cool tones suggest a sinister development in the story; and element of risk or danger in the future. The camera framing also has connotations of an adventure-filled future. Firstly, the framing is not very tight, and mostly mid-shots are used. This suggests a laid-back atmosphere, not a tense, panicked one. This suggests that the story will end happily, and that the rest of the story isn’t too serious. The movement of the camera, particularly the use of whip pan and a handheld effect during the bombing scene show that there will be an element of action within the story. The use of an action scene as the opening sequence is also important. It adds emphasis on the action/adventure nature of the forthcoming story. A very important part of this sequence is the music it is set to, which has a very strong drumbeat from the beginning. It is very tense, but the drums also add a military aspect, which reflects the story being set during World War Two.

When I make my short film, the opening will need to tell the audience who the characters, or at least the main ones of my film are and where the story is set. It is also useful to show their relationships with each other, but it is not necessary to give their whole back-stories within the opening sequence.