Relationship Between Shots: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

In this clip of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, we see various techniques used to establish both the time and place that Harry is in and what kind of person Hagrid, the large man, seems to be.

The very first shot we get is a p.o.v shot from Harry of the birthday cake he is drawing in the sand. We can already hear the sound of thunder in the background, and that in addition to the sand on the floor gives the setting a bit of a gloomy and dilapidated feeling. The lighting is dark, which is explained in another p.o.v shot when Harry looks at Dudley’s watch and sees it become midnight. The frequent usage of these p.o.v shots also clearly establishes Harry as the main character.

When Hagrid starts trying to break through the door, almost every slam is accompanied by a cut in the editing, going between Harry and Dudley as they scramble back, then the aunt and uncle coming downstairs, and finally the deadbolt as the door is forcibly broken down. It gives the scene a sense of urgency reminiscent of a horror movie, as does the extreme lighting given to Hagrid’s figure in the door which makes only his silhouette visible. The continuous sound of thunder and the increasingly dramatic blaring of the brass instruments adds to the atmosphere of a horror movie.

Because of this, while still not completely obvious, the cuts become more and more noticeable as the tension rises. They start to add a slight feeling of disorientation, and everything comes to a head as the door finally falls to reveal this giant of a man. After that, everything, from the sound to the editing, calms down significantly as it turns out that Hagrid is actually a pretty nice person.