Casino Royale Trailer Analysis

To understand and show evidence of feminist and Marxist representation within a thriller film trailer of your choice ?

The film I choose to analyse was Casino Royale, from the world wide famous James Bond series. In the film Bond is enrolled in a high stakes poker game which revolves solely around a man called Le Chiffre, a banker to the world’s terrorists. If Le Chiffre loses the game the terrorist organisations money will not be returned and he will be hunted. It is up to Bond to ensure he loses the game with the help from Vesper Lynd, the funder for Bonds poker game and Mathis who guides him through the game, however, if Bond loses the game there is no guarantee that he and vesper will remain safe.

In Casino Royale the female characters vary in terms of representation some are portrayed as being powerful and in control, whereas others are objectified and highlights the lack of feminist views in the trailer.

The powerful dominant female is mainly shown by M, the leader of MI6, who is in control of the countries safety. This is a subverted view of women within a thriller film due to her being a powerful woman compared to the stereotypical helpless female victim. She is a positive portrayal for feminism as she has reached the top in her respected career; this could signify that she could have been positively treated in the past, in that she was more superior to a man within that role at the time.

The other significant woman in the film is Vesper Lynd. She is the representative of the money funding bond through his time at the poker game. She is represented as being powerful, similar to M, however, this is not consistent throughout the film, and her character still contains some stereotypical female traits expected in a thriller film. This includes her being used as the icon for James Bond. This is done by the objectification of her beauty which enhances the stereotypical view of females in a thriller film.

Her powerful deamenour from the outset of the trailer decreases gradually throughout as she becomes more and more involved in Bonds dangerous and mysterious life. This goes against feminism as she is not represented as being as powerful as bond, highlighting the submissive feminine lack of equality.

 Feminism is highlighted even more by the way bond is represented. At the start of the trailer bond is shot in black and white, this shows the coldness of his emotions and contrasts with the females later on who express their emotion through crying or asking Bond questions for example Vesper asks bond “It doesn’t bother you killing all those people.” This represents females as having a more sensitive and sympathetic side to their nature. Bonds actions, once again, add to the feminism within the film by saying “get the girl out” this infers to the audience that women rely on men to feel safe and that without them they would be unsafe and unprotected especially in a violent setting like Bonds life. This quote emphasises the typical thriller storyline of the men being the hero and the women being represented as the helpless victim.

On the other hand women are represented as being the key to a man’s heart in the film when Mathis says “Has our girl melted your heart yet” this infers that women are the only thing that can break down a man’s emotional defence wall. Initially, this may infer a positive feminist attitude though it implies that females are used to satisfy males.

In Casino Royale, Marxism is not an obvious theme in the trailer however it is an always underlying factor. It is heavily featured throughout the trailer and forms the basis of the plot.

It is represented in the trailer mostly by the actions and objectives of the main antagonist Le Chiffre. In his case Marxism is all about his struggle to overcome the aggressive and violent terrorist leader after him. However, this struggle all revolves around one huge catalyst, a poker game. This represents his struggle as being based on luck. However, Le Chiffre loses the poker game and faces the wrath of the terrorists, the Marxism viewpoint has now been subverted, instead of the terrorists struggling to make and impact, it is now Le Chiffre struggling to stay alive.

Contrastingly, Bond faces his own form of Marxism through his struggle against Le Chiffre. Though his struggle is not for his own life but for the other millions affected by Le Chiffre’s actions. Bonds struggle is the task of supressing the aims of the world’s most dangerous people due to horrific actions. There is also a deeper more relatable representation of Marxism which is more relevant to real life. This is done by the representation of the rebels and there revolt against their government in order to try and achieve a higher status in society.

To conclude, Marxism and Feminism are two massive themes featured throughout the trailer. This is done in a variety of ways, for example the portrayal of the different females in the film highlights both sides of feminism on one side there is a strong, powerful and in control woman. On the other hand, there is a seemingly powerful woman up front however deep down she is the opposing female in that she is emotionally weak unlike Bond and relies on his protection. Marxism is a huge factor in the trailer this is displayed by the struggle for Le Chiffre to overcome the rebels but also the rebels have their own form of Marxism as they try to rise up against their government. However, the most important Marxist view is that of Bond himself, and his struggle to supress the world’s criminals.

IPhone 4 - This Changes Everything Again! Advert - Analysis

• The ideology is that the iPhone and apple revolutionised the mobile phone and no one else has done it since, so they thought they would just do it again.
• The IPhone is objectified in this image as a product of exceptional beauty yet it is also technically amazing as well.
• Everyone knows what the phone is and what it is capable of so no description is required.
• This advert is simplistic yet effective, the black background contrasts with the brightness of the retina display as if it is a new light in the darkness.

Sorry Harry Lynx Advert - Analysis

 

• Oppositional view – is that people disagree with it because it is disrespecting the United Kingdom’s Monarchy.
• The dominant view is that most people will just believe Harry is having a good time and making the most of his life.
• The crown is an iconographic item which symbolises the British Monarchy, it is at a tilted angle which suggests informality.
• The Lynx effect ideology implies that men only need this spray to attract women so it can take a feminist and comedic view.

Feminism and Marxism- Explained

Feminism

Feminism is a collection of a number of different ideologies aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, social and economic rights for women. It does not only fight for equal rights but also equal opportunities in education and work. If you put it simply a feminist is a supporter for equal rights for women. Feminism has always been a known issue, in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the main campaign was the movement of the British Suffragettes and suffragists. This was known as one of the largest success stories of the era for the feminist movement. Feminism is still fought for today but it is not as large an issue due to women being granted the right to vote and to take part in parliamentary elections. Even though it is no longer a big problem it is still supported by many women all over the world. Although Feminism has died down as the big economic and political problems have been resolved for example the right to vote there are still some smaller campaigns taking place to fight against people that still believe certain jobs/tasks should be completed by men.

Marxism

Marxism which is also known as Scientific Socialism is the name given to the body of theories collated by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. These provide a completed theoretical base for the struggle against the working class to attain higher form in society.

Marxism provides the firm foundation for the movement of the Labour Party to this day. Since the time of Marx and Engels no more scientific or truthful theories have more greatly explained the movement of society and the role of the working class within that movement. Karl Marx was famous for his work which was often difficult to understand due to him being much further past the scientific mind of his time. Marx was a very outspoken child who commonly went against the wishes of his parents and the accepted studies of that era, this is due to his study of philosophy, when law was the expected route of education.

Gone - Trailer Analysis

• The male detective is represented as being more powerful which highlights the lack of equality between males and females.
• The female character is displayed as lonely and lost.
• The female protagonist looks for her sister who believes has been abducted this shows a positive female image.
• The female character is displayed as lonely and lost.
• The female protagonist looks for her sister who believes has been abducted this shows a positive female image.
• The male cops didn’t believe her sister has been taken this shows her struggle to be taken seriously this shows the hierarchy within society. It cause a revolution of her against the cops.
• Trailer reinforces some stereotypes however it does sometime subvert the stereotypical views.

Diehard 4.0 - Trailer Analysis

• John Mclean is shown to be the one in control against the criminals and has a cocky and arrogant attitude.
• The female daughter in the film is shown to be male dependent in order to feel safe.
• The Marxism in the film is represented by the protagonists struggle to overcome the antagonist.
• There is stereotypical male arrogance.
• “I’ll take it from here” this represents John Mclean as being powerful and believed to be in control. 

Limitless - Trailer Analysis

• Eddie the protagonist of the film doesn’t conform to the stereotype of a male within the thriller genre as he is struggling with his life however, this is subverted at the end of the film.
• There is a positive feminist view as they display men as having to struggle to rise up instead of women.
• Eddie as a writer is shown to have a hard life and he cheats using drugs to gain authority.
• There is a power demission between the female and male characters, the males are shown to be superior to females.
• The women in the film are shown to be shallow, this is done by Eddie gaining more and more money and power and the women seem to become more attracted to him because of it.
• Women are represented as being sexual objects.

Cabin In The Woods - Trailer Analysis

• The males are shown to be in charge which conforms to stereotype however they can be seen as weak-minded like the women in the trailer.
• In the film the stereotype that women rely on men to help them and keep them safe is clear throughout.
• There is a strong lack of gender equality.
• The Marxist viewpoint in the trailer is that the group of people stuck in the cabin are trying to revolt against the people controlling them.
• The mystery is created by the strange location (A cabin in the woods).
• The black fades infer that death is coming.
• The male at the start of the film that guides them to the cabin is shown to be of a lower class due to his clothing and his informal and clumsy expression of speech.

Skyfall - Trailer Analysis

• The female agent possesses a gun and supposedly shoots bond this is the opposite to the typical helpless female victim.
• M also has power this shows that females have power in some places within the film.
• The coffins show war and distress and conveys Marxist struggle against the people they are fighting against.
• Resurrection – This symbolises the Marxist struggle of bond and he believes it is his duty to make the world safe, so bond takes it into his own hands. Bond is almost shown to be similar to Jesus as he resurrects similar to Jesus.
• The crescendo in the music helps to build pace and tension.
• The Bond girls power is related to her struggle to reach a higher place in society and there is also feminist views in there as she has been objectified by the director due to her beauty. 

Girl Model - Trailer Analysis

•         The film represents the women as being exploited at a young age (models)
•     However the female agent in the female is in control even as a women she is still exploiting other women. However, the main male agent looks like he is a leader/runner and is the person in control.
•     The large establishing shot at the beginning is slightly distorted to make you question reality as we look in the mirror.
•     The models and the way they are treated is wrong as it the exploitation of women with young girls standing scantily clad in a room whilst being looked at by older domineering males.
•     The sepia tone of the film makes the film seem dark and the negative side of the film is exaggerated.
•     The models are represented as being vulnerable, weak and naive.
•     The older male and female agent is represented as objects as the young models are looked at like objects rather than human beings. 

Taken 2 - Trailer Analysis

•       Men are seen to be powerful and in control especially in groups.
•       Women are perceived to be weaker and need assistance from men.
•       This film is also about the uprising of people against more powerful people. 
•       Men shown as powerful through the use of guns and violence, this contrasts with the view of women    being weak by being easily overruled/controlled by the gang within the film.
•       Liam Neeson shown to be a good leader and father figure so women are represented as being reliant on men.
•       Neeson says “what I do best” in other words he is implying that saving women is what he does best.
•       Women are shown to be uncontrolled and stressful in certain situations, this is shown by the mother being worried about getting out of the car.
•       Marxism is relatable throughout the trailer with the uprising of Liam Neeson against the powerful violent gang similar to the working class revolution.
•       Gender Equality is not present in the text as all of the male are represented as being powerful and in control. Males are hero’s the females as victims.

Even Angels Will Fall Lynx Advert - Analysis

• Man with top off to show his masculinity to make women and men think about themselves.
• Angels classes women as top rank and unobtainable without the use of Lynx.

This is England Trailer - Analysis

This is England –Trailer Analysis     

• Kid felt powerless
• Gang leader was most powerful man in the area
• Kid joins the gang and goes from having no power to a lot of power due to the influence of his peers.
• Reinforces stereotypes due to their clothing, alcohol, thuggish and knifes.
• Prison mentality which means you have no power unless you are in a gang. 
• Ownership, this is done by the gang marking their territory with graffiti and their violent attitude.
•  The leader of the gang opposes Marxism as he strives for overall power without equality, but he also opposes it by using a violent method to do this instead of political. 

The Happening Trailer Analysis

Comment on the Mise-en-scene, Camera shots, Editing, Movement, Sound, Composition and Angles

The Happening is thriller/horror film written, directed and co-produced by M. Night Shyamalan. It follows a man, his wife, his best friends and his friends daughter as they try to escape from a terrifying natural disaster. The plot revolves around a strange neurotoxin that cause anyone exposed to it to commit suicide.

The trailer of the Happening is a shortened version of the entire film providing snippets of what is within the film. Sound features heavily in the trailer and slots in with the conventions of the thriller genre by doing so. Non-diegetic sound is more common as this connotes mystery and creates tension for the audience. The use of non-diegetic sound occurs in many different ways throughout the trailer. A bell and a siren are used in the trailer, this can both be non-diegetic and diegetic, these sounds connote danger and panic and make the audience fell tense and on edge in anticipation of the actors ominous endeavour. Furthermore, the non-diegetic sound continues to add mystery and tension to the trailer. This is done when a virtual heart beat is added to the background of the scene, this makes the audience question themselves about life and death.

The camerawork in the film also adds to the conventions of a thriller film. For example an establishing shot is used early on to show the train in a non-existent rural location to make it feel empty and make the characters seem as if they are helpless from their ominous fate.

A two shot is also used during this scene of the two main actors sitting on the train which suddenly stops. This shot allows for the actors alarmed facial expressions to be displayed which creates mystery and tension and entice the audience to continue watching. A key well used camera/editing technique within the film is the show and not tell technique. This involves showing the viewer’s snippets of what entails in the film but not everything so they are attracted to continue watching to find out what will conclude.

The camerawork does not always involving visual pictures, during the trailer there are a few instances of just black screens with sound in the background this causes the audience to focus on what the actor is saying in one case, the train has stopped and everyone is in panic at what is going on, the screen goes black and you hear one voice say “what is going on” this cause the audience to think about this matter and come up with their own conclusion. There is also various close ups of the actors to show their facial expressions and give the audience a more in depth sense of what it would be like to actually be there.

The Mise-en-scene also plays an influential role in showing the audience it’s a thriller film. This is done through the use of a television screen with a news broadcast on it, this emphasises the viewpoint of the characters and adds to the narrative of the audience to give them more idea of what is going on and to show the extensiveness of what is happening to the country.  More typical thriller features are included if you look at the characters themselves. There is a female, blonde helpless victim stereotypically seen in a thriller film that the typical male hero tries to help.

Editing also plays a large role in getting the conventions of a thriller trailer across to the audience. The director/producer use a lot of rapid editing to increase the pace of the trailer and get the audience on the edge of their seats. The editing also helps to emphasis the narrative/plot line of the film to the audience; they do this by showing you images of the symptoms people receive to give the audience a more in depth knowledge of what happens within the film. The editor has also included a fantastic montage of negative images and thoughts enhanced by the sound, mise-en-scene and camerawork, to make the audience feel involved in the story and give them a perception of what the characters are feeling.

To conclude, the director uses many different features and techniques to get the conventions of a thriller trailer across to the audience, this includes the use of camerawork to create detailed pictures of the actor’s facial expressions and clever black screens to entice the audience in. It also includes editing which helps to build the pace and tension for the audience and make them eager to find out what will happen. Mise-en-scene is also used to advance the narrative on and give the audience a deeper perception of the plot. The final technique and possibly the most common is the use of sound, it is involved heavily in the trailer and helps build the tension by using both non-diegetic and diegetic sound to make the audience feel involved in the trailer. 

Law Abiding Citizen Poster - Textual Analysis

- There is a contrast between the white, which connotes innocence and purity with the red which connotes corruption and evil.

- The noisy quality background with slashes infers violence and danger within the film.

- There is a lot of shadow which similarly connotes darkness and danger.

- The typography is powerfully grungy which infers violence and danger.

- The Beard on Gerard Butler's roughness and imprisonment.

- Due to the actors being placed on different sides and heights on the poster infers that they could be on different sides of the law.

- The characters staring straight at the audience draws them in and entices them to delve deeper into the plot of the thriller.