Analysis of the opening of 'The Lovely Bones' By Laura Bebber

~ "The Lovely Bones is the story of a teenage girl who, after being raped and murdered, watches from her personal Heaven as her family and friends struggle to move on with their lives while she comes to terms with her own death."

The first clip displays the production company in a clear and direct format. The black and white colouring reinforces simplicity and a precise, straight to the point introductory to the film

This is a mid shot of a snow globe in which is featured throughout the entire opening. The penguin is trapped within a glass dome reinforcing a sense of isolation and completely foreshadowing many later events within the film. The solemn music in the background instantly sets the tone and creates an emotional atmosphere. This draws the viewer in furthermore and allows them to connect with the situation. The fade from black also provides a smooth transition from one clip to the next and reinforces the sense of passion and misery.

The third clip shows the central protagonist as a child innocently playing with toys. This shot allows the viewer to empathise with the character and view aspects of her life from when she was younger. The music continues to develop emotion and captivate the audience’s affection towards the character.

This clip displays a typical home environment in which provides a very realistic atmosphere. A voice over of the main character reflecting her life as a child then begins. Her voice is soft and innocent developing further empathy and sorrow towards her. 

This is a close up shot showing the child staring into the snow globe. The intensity in her eyes show how passionate she is about this object and that she puts a lot of thought into it.

This close up shot of the penguin allows us to view the snow globe from the child’s perspective. The story in which the character is portraying in the voice over captivates the true purpose of this. “I remember the penguin who lived inside the globe. He was all alone in there and I worried for him.”

This clip shows the child’s father attempting to comfort her: “Don’t worry kiddo, he has a nice life…he’s trapped in a perfect world.” The child begins to express emotion in which inevitably makes the audience feel for her. The words are very clever as they are a representation of what happens later in the film. The main character herself, becomes “trapped inside a perfect world” in which is a clear parallel from the beginning.

                                                                                

The typography of the title in which appears in this shot is plain yet meaningful. I feel that this was a clever choice as white represents the absence of colour. Colour can instantly reinforce many emotions and without it, the mind is left to think for itself. Usually, white can be seen to connote purity, peace and innocence in which is extremely effective upon the audience. The overall simplicity of the font symbolises the innocent imagination of the child.