Hanna - Film Opening Analysis

• Begins with wide shot, panning. Bleak, cold, snowy landscape. Diegetic sound of running water and the wind.
• Another wide, landscape shot, this time with the edges blurred. Connontes confusion, even fear or threat. We can now see trees on the horizon and icy water.
• The absence of a soundtrack emphasises how still, empty and rural this place is. Connotes isolation and perhaps loneliness.
• We see animals before a human is even introduced - bringing us back to nature and the importance of the natural world rather than modern human life.
• The next shot pans across a crowd of trees and we see a person hidden within many heavy furs, holding a hunting rifle. The camera pans across a tree trunk, and they have then disappeared. This shows that they are experienced in what they do and are used to this environment -  it draws the audience in with anticipation - where have they gone?
• There are more panning shots, this person (who we later find out is Hanna), is hiding camouflaged amongst the snow and trees. There are eyeline match shots of her watching the animals - tension builds as we know she is going to kill one.
• Close up of her blue eye - this is the first detail we see of her, building intimacy. We now know that she is a child; this is unusual for a protagonist. This draws the audience in as this is contradicting the normal conventions of a thriller.
• In the next second, she has drawn back her arrow - it flies through the air and spears a deer. The quick, elegant movements conveys that she is skilled and therefore dangerous, building excitement but also fear.
• The animal runs with Hanna in pursuit - tracking shots - making the audience feel involved. The sounds of snow crunching and Hanna’s breathing can be heard. The use of purely diegetic sound gives the sense of the pastoral and reality rather than the superficial. This makes the film more gripping as we can easily imagine this happening in real life.
• A handheld POV shot of the trees and sky is seen, giving the audience Hanna’s perspective.
• Close up of the deer’s bloodshot eye after it falls to the ground. Close up as Hanna removes the arrow - the mild gore foreshadows violence and further death.
• The camera is below, from the position of the deer - Hanna stands above, blocking out the sun, looking down - shows her position of dominance and power.
• Close up of Hanna’s face - we now realise that she is a young girl, which will provoke surprise and even shock from the audience. The first narrative is heard; ‘I just missed your heart’.
• She then lifts a gun, points it straight at the camera and shoots without hesitation. This shows that she is so used to killing that she has become immune to the process of it. This leaves the audience wondering - how did she begin doing this? How is she so dextrous?
• The confidence with the gun brings in themes of assassination and murder, gripping the audience as they are now fearful of the protagonist, and almost disturbed that she is a young girl - but this makes them want to watch further even more.