Another Me Trailer Analysis/Theories

Another Me Trailer Theory Analysis

 

Barthes Enigma code:

The enigma in the trailer, is the mysterious figure always following the main character. The father of the girl says ‘She’s here, she’s always been here, in the shadows’ and as the audience we want to know who she is.

Todorov’s theory of narrative:

The equilibrium at the beginning of the trailer is the main girl going about her everyday life in her town with her friends. It is also being told in the form of snapshots. The moment of disequilibrium is when the girl takes a photograph of herself, and sees a figure who looks very similar to her in the background. The period of disequilibrium is the girl slowly going mad (cutting off her hair in a mad frenzy) because she feels like someone is following her. We then start to see shots of the figure behind the girl constantly, and the very last shot is of the figure right in front of the girl.

Levi Strauss Binary opposites:

The most striking contrast within this trailer, is between the girl and the figure. The figure is almost like a evil reflection of the girl, so they both almost represent light/dark (visually because of the figures dark eyes) and good/evil (the way they act)

Propp’s eight character types:

In this trailer, there isn’t any main character types. But from the visuals I can tell that the main girl would be the hero, her love interest would be the helper and the figure would be the villain.

Horns Trailer Analysis

Compare and contrast 28 days later with Shaun of the dead, commenting on the Structuralist theory

Structuralism theory in film emphasises the fact that certain genres follow certain codes and conventions. 28 Days Later is a post-apocalyptic horror film, whereas Shaun of the Dead is a comedic horror film, this already establishes that the tone of the two films will be very different.

The portrayal of the zombies in each film is quite different. 28 Days Later (28DL) challenges the idea of the typical zombie, when Shaun Of the dead (SOTD) plays on the idea and makes fun of it. Zombies are usually shown to be mindless, rotten and slow. However in 28DL takes what usually makes a zombie scary and compares what takes away from the fear they cause the audience. So they remove the slow pace in which they walk at and make them run and also jerk. This breaks the convention of zombies not being able to catch up with their pray due to their slow speed, and this in turn scares the audience because there is now no hindrance for the zombies as they can kill any character they wish.

However, SOTD sticks with the classic codes and conventions tied with zombies and plays around with them, For example; the main characters are able to get past most of the zombies and attack them as they wish. In addition, the society that the characters live in is initially portrayed as dull and lifeless, so when the zombie infection spreads, Shaun does not realise the sudden change. This also makes fun of British culture and people. In contrast, 28DL follows the normal paradigm of a zombie film being set in a post-apocalyptic society (in this case, London) and the events have taken place over a few months, even though we only see it through Jim’s eyes, who has only recently woke up from a coma.

The weapons used in both films are very different. 28DL has conventional weaponry, such as guns and bombs, however the zombies themselves are even used as weapons towards the end, which challenges the paradigm. Zombies are usually shown as the threat, and they are to be killed at all costs. But throughout the film, we see Jim feeling sympathy for them and trying to understand their way of thinking, and he also uses them to his advantage as a weapon against the army, as I mentioned previously. SOTD uses normal house hold items and objects e.g. baseball bats, shovels and snooker cues and one quote completely contrasts with the paradigm of dangerous weapons which is ‘Get any blunt objects’. The use of the house hold objects also tries to make the film more relatable to the ordinary viewer.

Zombie films usually include characters who have a sense of urgency and purpose. In 28DL, the character Selena, has a very strong urge to kill and survive, one scene where this is extremely apparent is when her friend Mark is supposedly bitten, but she doesn’t take a chance and decides to hack him to death just to be sure. This could be contrasted with the character of Jim, who at the beginning was very kind and almost like a pacifist, but as the film goes on, he kills an infected little boy and stabs the eyes of a soldier. In SOTD, the characters seem to have no sense of urgency and try to brush off the situation. Two characters who display this is Ed and Barbara. Ed throughout the film doesn’t really focus on the matter at hand and is either texting, or wanting to drive the car of his dreams and act like he is in an action film. Barbara is a typical British mother who wants to fix everything with a cup of tea or some sandwiches. This could also be a reflection on our current society and how the majority of us are quite ignorant to the truth.

The hideaways for the characters were very different also. In SOTD, a pub was used because Ed wanted a place with exits he was familiar with, and a ‘place to smoke’. Whereas, in 28DL, the settings are very run down, and the streets are abandoned, which is very typical for a zombie film. In addition, locations are used which are familiar to British audiences e.g. black wall tunnel, oxford circus, tube stations etc.

Overall, 28DL mainly stuck to the structuralist style of zombie films, whereas Shaun of the dead challenged them and strayed away from them.

Carrie (2013) Horror Film Feminist Analysis

The 2013 retelling of the film Carrie (originally made in 1976) has many underlying feminist themes.

One of the main female characters in this film is Carrie’s mother, Margaret White. She is single mother and a deeply religious woman. She has raised Carrie on her own and hasn’t needed a male to help, even during the birth which was shown at the beginning of the film. However, her dedication to god which is extremely evident throughout the film, in her dialogue and within her home could suggest that her life is still revolving around a man even though she has specifically taught Carrie not to ‘give in’ to a man.

The male gaze is a very big factor when it comes to the young females in this film. The main/popular girls were typically beautiful and conventionally attractive (white, tall, skinny and there was a huge lack of diversity) and typically ‘girly’ e.g. wears an excessive amount of pink. The lingering shots of the female’s legs in the pool and Carrie washing herself almost sexually, I felt were extremely unnecessary and were purposefully there for the male gaze. In contrast, I also feel that the female body was shamed in one specific scene of this film, and was when Carrie experienced her period for the first time. Her period was extremely over exaggerated, due to the fact it was inaccurately represented. The amount of blood used, I feel was there to highlight the fact that most people think that periods are a ‘taboo’ subject. To add to this, the male teacher in the office looked at her skirt with a blood stain on it with shock. This also highlights the fact that men are very uncomfortable and insensitive when it comes to women’s periods.

One character in the film, Tommy Ross, is a typical American jock, who is adored by everyone in the school because he is in a position of power, he is also a compassionate and funny person. However, when it comes to a character like Chris Hargensen, who is also within the popular crowd. She is automatically made to be a horrible and judgemental person, and a typically ‘bitchy’ girl. To me this says that if a woman is in a position of power, she has to be a sadist. Furthermore, the majority of the girls in this film were made to hate each other or ‘other’ her for no specific reason. This is one major theme that runs through a lot of films. The main example of this, is Chris’s burning hate for Carrie. I felt this was extremely confusing, because not once had Carrie been horrible to Chris, yet she seemed to hate her more than anyone on the planet.  The unnecessary hatred and ‘othering’ between females in films, I believe is an exaggerated display of what males think woman are like in real life, since the screenwriters of this film are both male, and they have been chosen to write a film that is based on a female and has a 90% female cast.

All of the females in this film seemed to have a similar goal, going to prom. This was extremely apparent, because teachers would threaten the girls to be ‘well behaved’ or they would be banned from prom. This was also apparent when Carrie was asked to prom by Tommy, because the camera focused in on her face and she looked happier than she had ever done in the film up to this point. This suggests that all females are waiting for a guy to ask them out, this isn’t only incorrect but extremely heteronormative. In addition, the contrast between the males and the female’s feelings towards prom was blatantly shown during the scene of them getting ready for prom. It cut back and forth to each group and it purposefully distanced the two genders. For the males, it was a fun experience and they were messing around trying on different suits. Whereas the female’s had already picked out their dresses weeks before and they took it very seriously. The dress was also a huge part of the prom for the females. The character Sue’s dress foreshadowed a lot of the oncoming events for the film since it was a vibrant shade of red, which connotes danger. This could also suggest that a woman’s body is dangerous, risky and full of mystery, which automatically dehumanises women.

The motherly instinct was prominent throughout the film. Even though Margaret mistreated Carrie throughout her life, she showed small signs of overly protective motherly instinct and love, but in the end it did lead to religion, and the fact that a man (God) was ruling the decisions in her life. The gym teacher was very supportive towards Carrie and she was the only proper mother figure to her while she was at school. Furthermore, ‘the final girl’ Sue ended up being pregnant by the end of the film, which almost gave the film a cyclical ending because the film started with a birth and ended with a pregnancy. 

How does the Halloween trailer adhere to the codes and conventions of the slasher horror sub-genre?

The Halloween film trailer adheres to the codes and conventions of the slasher horror sub-genre for many reasons.

Firstly, the structure of the trailer is separated into big sections, with the title of the film being repeated often. It has also not been edited to a specific song and separated in small sections, like trailers today. This is very typical trope with older films and their trailers. The narration spoken by the articulate old man is another classic trope within slasher horror films and when paired with the slow tracking shot up to the house, it adds suspense for the viewer. In addition, the house in that scene is a very typical American house and the lighting of it also symbolises that the night holds something dangerous, due to the fact that the house itself is lit very bright, but the surroundings are almost pitch black.

The suspenseful music within the trailer is a prime example of structure in a slasher horror film. This is because it makes the audience expect a climax when the music ends, and most often, a jump scare usually occurs. Also when the man (Michael Myers) is going after his prey, the shows cut back and forth from the victim to him. This is because the audience can then see how close the victim is to getting attacked by the killer and this also adds suspense along with the music. An example of iconography is the viewpoint of the little boy wearing the mask because the mask is a specific prop that people think of when it comes to slasher horror, so we as the audience automatically assume that the boy wearing the mask, is an older person being the predator/killer in the film. That moment of deception in the trailer, is also a typical theme in slasher horrors. Another prop which is iconic, is the pumpkin that appears throughout the trailer, and this is because the pumpkin denotes Halloween, so people already know when the film takes place.

One on-going theme within slasher horror is the ‘vulnerable lonely female’. There are four examples of this in the trailer. The first one being, the woman driving alone at night in the rain and being attacked by an unknown being. One iconic piece of iconography within this scene, is the man attacking the woman by grabbing her face. This is a very typical method slasher villains use to attack their prey. The second example of the vulnerable female, is the masked figure creeping up behind the woman, and chasing her around the house. Chase scenes are also an occurring theme through many slashers, because they are the scenes which keep the audience on edge. The third example, is the three girls walking together, and dramatically turning around, with close ups on each of their faces. This makes it clear to the audience that these females are the main targets for the predators. The final example, is the girl sitting in a dark room on her own, and the door mysteriously opening on its own. The slow creaking door is a very good example of iconography, as that is used within many different types of horror films. This is because the noise automatically makes you as the audience question, who has opened the door. The big knife that Michael Myers is carrying, is also a classic prop used in slashers, because the unusual size of it makes it immediately recognisable.

Another theme within slasher horrors, which makes them so iconic, is the jump scare. Within the trailer there is the man attacking a woman in the car, and the glass of the window being smashed. The hand smashing through the door, The woman being scared and falling down the stairs, and the young man opening the cupboard and having the man strangle him. The shock factor is the main part of this theme, because the audience doesn’t know when the killer is going to emerge or when they’re going to attack, so it is almost like a waiting game for them, because they know that they will attack at some point.

A slasher horror film is compiled of many iconic props, themes and styles and Halloween adheres too many of them, which makes it very easy to identify that it is a slasher.