Trailer Analysis : Hostiles

Hostiles

Came out on the 5^th of Sept 2017

Analyse Audience Appeal

·         No one is visible in the first couple of shots and we only hear a voiceover, builds anticipation

·         Voiceover is low, husky and with a serious tone, you can barely make out what they’re saying which adds mystery and drama

·         Use of little dialogue grabs attention as audience is made to analyse what they’re being shown themselves

·         Talk of God “being blind to what’s been going on” suggest terrible things happening without saying explicitly what

·         Very little plot is given away which leaves plenty of enigmas and makes you want to find out

·         Use of fade in and out of black to separate scenes creates drama and allows smooth transition

·         There is a period of 10 seconds over which quick snapshots of knives, guns, fire, fighting and a hanging body are seen –the use of timing means not much I given away but the audience wants to know how, why and who is doing these things

Genre signifiers

·         First couple of shots are silent and establish setting

·         Saloons, American flag, Wagons and porches – leads us to assume we are in the Wild West

·         Female period dress signifies it’s not a modern film

·         When we first see a character they’re wearing a cowboy hat and later men on horseback, Native Americans and use of western style action shots (reaching into holster)

·         A Native American chief is seen in traditional dress which alludes to the classic “Cowboys and Indians” theme of the genre

Character & Representation

·         We see the first two characters from behind so gives enigma codes

·         Mostly male characters

·         Main character is Christian Bale as he is given the most screen time in the trailer, seconded by Rosamund Pike

·         His character is represented as masculine and slightly moral due to his “belief in god” in a lawless place which adds depth and makes his character interesting

·         Christian Bale wears a blue velvet uniform so could be a military man

·         Rosamund Pike seemingly plays damsel as we see two close ups of her looking terrified

Branding

·         “From the director of Black Mass, Out of the furnace and Crazy heart – if you’ve seen any of these films it adds incentive to see this one

·         Use of 3 credits emphasise this directors success as they’ve made many films

·         Rosamund Pike and Christian Bale are both award winning famous actors so giving them screen time gives fans an incentive to see them – these are also not roles they typically play ·         Coming Soon flashes at end to add expectation