Textual Analysis of Misery Trailer

Textual Analysis of Misery Trailer

I have chosen to analyse the movie trailer for Misery because it links in with the other trailer I analysed, Wolf creek and the trailer I’m making myself because they’re all about “kidnapping” or capturing someone but with different styles.

What happens in the Misery trailer is that it starts of with some establishing shots of snowing settings with a crashed car, showing the trapped man inside with an over the top narration describing his condition. Fades to black and reveals the director who is Rob Reiner, the narration is still describing his condition and how the saviour is going to help. A few shots of the woman helping the trapped man with different shots- close up of the crowbar breaking into the toppled car, mid-shot of the injured man in a severe state with the door opening behind him and a long shot of the woman carrying the man. Another fade to black, telling who the audience where the film came from- A Stephen King novel

A long shot of the woman (Annie Wilkes) is caring for the injured man (Paul Sheldon) and a close up/ POV shot of Annie talking to Paul and the narration links with her speech to Paul. Cuts to a conversation of Paul’s agent talking to a sheriff, presumed in the town where Paul is missing, talking about his disappearance. Cuts to a close up of a book (Misery Child), revealing what Paul does- a writer and a continuation of the sheriff conversation talking about the book. Annie is holding the book and walks over to Paul and cuts back to the agent telling the sheriff when Paul went missing. A couple of shots of the conversation between Paul and Annie which makes Annie appeal kind and gentle, caring for Paul- helping him shave, provided a comfy bed and building his self esteem. Annie also reveals her love for his novel’s and more so the character in the novel, Misery Chestang. Cuts to a POV shot through some binoculars flying over the crashed car with a narration of a new authority, claiming Paul is dead.

Cuts back to the house of where Paul is resting with a dark POV of Annie become angry and full of rage because Paul has killed Misery Chestang in his last novel. This part of the trailer is the turning point of the film, suggests that Paul is in danger, backed up with shots of the sheriff and community becoming aware of Pauls disappearance. The narration of Annie telling Paul he is never leaving with shots of a broken telephone and Paul’s facial expression because he becomes aware of his danger.

A lot of quick paced shots of different characters and mise-en-scene tying the story together, the sheriff is on the case, Paul is trying to escape and Annie has become more crazy and drugged him. More fast paced shots of Paul trying to escape, showing his pain because of the condition he is in- shots of his plans of escaping failing because Annie has sabotaged the house- broke the handle, phone etc

The last conversation between the suggests the worst, Annie has encountered Paul and know he has tried to escape, Now she plans to keep him here forever, Paul tried one last time to reason with Annie but she doesn’t listen and prevents his dismissal by breaking his ankles with a sledgehammer.

The use of Mise-en-scene in this trailer is used very well. Paul doesn’t really have a costume because he’s lying in bed most of the trailer but when he’s in his wheel chair he is wearing new clothes and not the ones he crashed the car in, suggesting Annie knew about his arrival and planned his welcome. Annie’s costume changes, like most costumes do for “Normal” clothing. She dresses in big jumpers and jackets- links with the setting of this film which is a snowy mountain scene. Pauls agent is dressed in a suit, black blazer and trousers with a light pink shirt, shows her profession and stereotypes with business class people. This is the same with the sheriff; he is a stereotypical American Sheriff, dressed in a chequered shirt, leather over coat and a cowboy hat, even his moustache is stereotypically Sheriff like.

The cinematography used in this trailer works well also, they have used a lot of camera shots, the use of an establishing shot of the setting- snowy mountainous town, high angle shot of the POV through the binoculars in the helicopter. The trailer doesn’t use zooms in the sense of the actual footage but does zoom on the cut a ways slowly revealing the name of this film through out the trailer. The trailer uses a lot of close ups of the different characters, more so Annie to show her change in personality when she becomes crazy- this shows the audience that Annie is a complex character- you don’t know how she is going to act towards Paul. Close ups used on Paul show mainly his change in pain, starts with him being cared for but then close ups of his anguish.

The editing use in this trailer is mostly cuts because it’s quite a fast trailer, especially towards the end; however some dissolves are used when it transitions between the POV through the binoculars into an establishing shot of the house. Also fade to blacks are used when revealing the writer and director.    

Sound is used very well in the trailer, has both diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. Diegetic sounds are used for the characters talking, sounds made by objects in the trailer e.g. telephone. Non-diegetic sound is used for the narration over the top; however this is also Diegetic because the narration links in with Annie talking to Paul. Also music over the top is used to build the suspension towards the end of the trailer.

What I have learnt from analysing this piece of text is that along side the importance of lighting and colour, correct Mise-en-scene is that the use of cinematography makes a trailer complete. Even though trailers are usually parts of the finished film and the cinematography is purposely done for the film and not entirely for the trailer, having the correct camera shots helps the finishing product, for example in the trailer for Misery there is a lot of Close-ups of the character faces- shows the characters change in character e.g. Annie starts of kind (friendly facial expressions) but becomes crazed (scary facial expressions). This is going to help my final production because it shown me how to cut and design my advert to appeal as a thriller genre.

Textual Analysis of Wolf Creek Trailer

Textual Analysis of Wolf Creek trailer

I have chosen to analysis this trailer because the film itself is about abduction of innocence, however I haven’t seen this film myself but from watching the trailer I can understand what the film is about. I also have chosen this trailer because the genre is similar, Wolf creek is a horror/ thriller and for my trailer I’m making is a suspense thriller.

 In the wolf creek trailer it starts with the group at a house party, messing around in the pool getting drunk. It cuts to the distributor’s intro (Dimension Films) and then cuts to a shot through a ripped tent with the group’s car driving past on the road. Then the camera is shot through a handheld camera, held by the male character, talking directly to it. A few shots of the female characters laughing in the car and then the title sequences begin. First title sequence doesn’t give any information about what this trailer is going to be about because it’s discussing a journey of a lifetime.

A lot of shots of the scenery of “Wolf Creek” and the characters facial expressions ones they have arrived. The second title sequence may add a sense of tension because it mentions they’re in the middle of nowhere.

A shot of the sun setting and here is where the problems occur. Their car has broken and some shots of their new facial expressions of sadness and despair. Then cuts to the third title sequence which may twist the audience expectations. It states “The last thing they expected”- this could suggest they’re being rescued or something terrible is about to unravel. A vehicle is heading towards them and a lot of quick cuts of the characters facial expressions with another title sequences over-laid the clip.

Another title sequences tells the audience that this film is based on true events- which will alter the audiences prospective of the film.

The introduction of the new character, an older man dressed in a chequered top and a cowboy styled hat. The new character takes them back to his house, offers them a drink and they sit around a campfire. They start talking and introducing each other which is when the trailer becomes dark when the new character states “if I have to tell you what I do, I’d have to kill you”. A cut to the members faces which have dropped from happy to worried.

Music kicks it and a lot of quick paced shots of the members trying to escape, it keeps cutting from the different character being chased and potentially killed by this older character, a lot of scenery shots which have changed from the sunny, environmental “Wolf Creek” to the dark and metal inhabitant house of a crazed killer.

I believe this trailer has been made this way to lure the audience in, it starts normal without any hints about what this movie is going to be about, might come across as a nature film because they’re going camping. Then the introduction of the new character changes the trailer completely to a dark and twisted event of murders and abduction. To me this is a very good and interesting way to reveal the genre because it starts with the new character stating if he tells the backpackers what he does, he would have to kill them then it suddenly shows numerous shots of the backpackers being victims. To me this makes a very good trailer because it doesn’t reveal a lot about what’s happening, apart from the obvious but doesn’t show who or how is being victimised.

Considering the use of Mise-en-scene, the backpackers are dressed in “normal” clothing-hooded jackets, jeans etc. because they’re backpackers I would of expected these characters to be dressed in “hiking” clothes but I think the use of rural clothes is a good choice because it adds to the sense that these characters are going to end up having something bad happen to them because they have come unprepared for camping etc. the stranger who is introduced is dressed more appropriate for the setting of the film- it’s set in a wasteland of sand and nothing. The character is dressed in a chequered shirt, jeans and a cowboy hat which would be expected, however dressing the character like this takes away the mysteriousness of the character, leading the audience away from thinking this character is “evil”- which he is.

            When the action scene of the trailer is happening, when the audience know who the killer is and the backpackers are being attacked the setting changes dramatically. It goes from a dark, leafy backdrop of a forest and campfire into even darker, grungy and metal scenery. This might suggest that the majority of the film is going to be like this and sets the theme and genre of this movie- if you was unable to anticipate this from the action happening.

I really like the lighting used in the trailer. It starts with un-natural lighting- indoor lights when they’re partying. Distributor intro breaks the scene and it changes to the characters driving through a sun lit canyon- natural light which doesn’t at all match the outcome of this film- which is dark and gruesome, however it implicates that these characters are expecting a good time and some laughs, and aren’t expecting to break down. The sunsets and darkness approaches and changed weather too, the darkness symbolises the change is style of this film. Darkness is intruded by the headlights of the stranger’s car. The use of the headlights is to startle the characters and make the audience unaware of what’s happening, and then it cuts to the characters and the stranger around a camp fire- the use of manmade light surrounded by the darkness. The use of these different lighting techniques disorient the viewers anticipation of this trailer- which links which the characters thoughts of this stranger, where they are etc.

What I have learnt from analysing this piece of text is that the colour and lighting used in a trailer determines the genre of the trailer- dark is horror/thriller- light is family etc. this is very useful to know to when I make my trailer I have key aspects correct and help my final production much more appealing and believable as a thriller trailer.

I have also learnt that mise-en-scene is important too, like light and colour- having the correct Mise-en-scene in my trailer will also help the audience know what genre my trailer is about e.g. my trailer is going to be a thriller so Mise-en-scene aspects I would include are correct props, costumes and setting etc.

One more thing is that thriller/horror trailers cuts very quick through-out, to match the action of the film so this is another key aspect I must cover in my trailer.