Further research into psychological thriller trailers using theory

Further research into psychological thriller trailers using theory
To grasp an in depth analysis and understanding of the psychological thriller genre, I will be looking at a wide selection of existing psychological thriller trailers and teaser trailers. I will be using the film theories I have investigated and studied to analyse these trailers to see if these codes have been used. I will mostly be focusing on Roland Barthes Action/Proairetic , Hermeneutic , Enigma , Semantic , Symbolic , Cultural codes, as well as the narrative theories of Todorov and Propp.
Not only will these help with my development of my own psychological thriller trailer, but I may also find inspiration and ideas from the selection.

The list of trailers I will analysis and examine are:
Black Swan (2010 dir. Darren Aronofsky)
Donnie Darko (2001 dir. Richard Kelly )
The Machinist (2004 dir. Brad Anderson)
Memento (2000 dir. Christopher Nolan)
Shutter Island (2010 dir. Martin Scorsese)

Black Swan (2010)

(Barthes) Barthes ‘Symbolic’ code is used in this trailer from the very beginning because of the symbol of ballet dancing in a black room. The black room connotes darkness, horror and the unknown while the white ballet dress contrasts this to symbolise purity, elegance and grace. The beginning of the trailer uses the ‘Action/Proairetic’ code because normal, everyday actions and events take place such as ballet school, preparing for a show and training. Because of the soundtrack in the background of violins in eerie tones, the tension begins to arise during this code. The scene where the main character’s reflection turns on her, therefore not reflecting her appearance, is part of the ‘Hermeneutic’ code because this event is not explained and audiences are unsure of what is going on. It also keeps the audience guessing to what will happen next, especially as the screen fades to black and the music stops .Overall the ‘Engima’ code is very important in this trailer because the audience will be asking lots of questions after seeing the trailer because nothing that they have seen makes a lot of sense

(Todorov )There is a very small sequence at the beginning middle part of the trailer to show Nina’s equilibrium as part of Todorov’s theory. The disruption comes from her being chosen as the new ‘swan queen’ as weird events and other disturbances start occurring in her life. Nina recognises this in the clips shown of her noticing the scratches on her back and sensing that the other female character has an input with her psychological disturbances.

(Propp) With the focus on Nina, is it clear that she is the centralised character of the film and in Propp’s character types; she’d be simply defined as the Hero. However, the villain of the film is not clear in the trailer because of it being a psychological thriller and the other character types are unclear. There are a few hints to the villain being something deeper than a straightforward character, hence Nina’s obscure reflection and panicked voiceovers.

Inspiration: I am really fascinated by the small clip involving a mirror, when Nina is stood in front of it, but facing the other direction while her reflection moves and does not match with her normal posture and appearance. This iconic scene really plays on the mind because reflections are meant to reproduce the exact same image that looks into it, so Nina’s reflection does not match her appearance it could mean there is something deeper inside of her causing her to be psychologically disturbed.

Donnie Darko

(Barthes) ‘Hermeneutic Code’ is used a lot throughout this trailer, because the text is not fully explained in enough detail for audiences to understand it. Even when the trailer finishes, the audience is still unsure what has happened and will need to see the film in full in hope that all will be revealed in the end of the film. There are elements of the ‘Enigma’ code being used, because audiences will be asking questions concerning the characters, because so far they do not know who the hero, villain and other character types (Propp) of the film are. The voiceover over the black visuals of an unknown voice will also cause audiences to wonder who the person is, so the ‘Hermeneutic code’ plays a very important role in this trailer.

(Todorov )The equilibrium of this trailer is seen as the town’s peace and the main character, Donnie’s, normal life. However the disruption is soon in focus within the trailer once Donnie’s mind starts playing up and weird scenes are scene. There are little hints to other people recognising the disturbances, for example the scene with Donnie’s parents and therapist talking about a ‘bunny, but the rest of the recognition is Donnie knowing he has ‘emotional problems’. Todorov’s narrative theory is not very apparent in this trailer, however this is not a criticism because the lack of narrative theory reflects the genre of a psychological thriller.

(Propp) The main character for Donnie Darko is clearly made out to be Donnie, so therefore, in Propp’s theory, he is the Hero. There are a few scenes hinting to a romantic relationship between the Hero and a female who also appears to be lost, so in Propp’s theory she is seen as the Princess. Two little clips are shown of teachers and therapists, which are hinted at being either of the Donor, Helper or Dispatcher. Similarly to Black Swan, is it not very clear whom the villain of Donnie Darko is, but with small pieces of footage revealing a huge bunny and an evil looking Donnie, the villain is not simply a normal human character.

Inspiration: This film features another mirror scene like Black Swan, but this time the character is looking into it and the camera (audience) are on the other side. I like this idea because mirrors are known to be exact, but even if a little of their reflection does not match up with the first appearance, it can cause people to worry. I also like the voice heard over a black screen, because audiences cannot see who is talking so it is up to them to discover who the voice belongs to. Without the visuals, the voice can be quite daunting and creepy, which is all part of the psychological thriller genre.


The Machinist

(Barthes) The action/Proairetic Code is used at the beginning of the trailer because the man is seen doing his usual job and living his day to day life. These questions do not particularly raise questions; however they are soon involved in his psychological struggle and weird events. Barthes ‘Hermeneutic’ code in the form of the ‘Enigma’ code is also used, because the plot of the film is not fully explained and audiences are left asking questions about the weird events occurring in the trailer.

(Todorov ) In terms of Todorov’s narrative theory, there is a hint that there is an equilibrium at the beginning of the film in the trailer, because the character is seen living his normal, everyday life however it is not clear if he is happy or healthy. The disruption occurs once weird events start triggering off the main characters psychological difficulties and he recognises these problems because he attempts to make himself better and sets off to find out.

(Propp) The main character of the trailer is obviously the Hero for Propp’s narrative theory. Even though the villain is not clear, there are hints at villainous characters through cutaways or small flashbacks to other characters. The Machinist’s Hero is seen talking to various people who could possibly be the Dispatcher, Donor or Helper.

Inspiration: I like how the film repeats lines of dialogue but between two different characters, because this repetition plays on the mind because there must be a meaning to it for it to be emphasised. Characters are heard over different visuals, creating lots of tension as well as fast cuts and an increase in music tempo in the last third of the trailer. Another part of the trailer I found effective was the use of titles over a black screen, asking questions for the audience to ponder. I think the use of subtitles, which could be worked in as the tagline for the film, are very effective as questions because audiences try to find out the answer by watching the film. Even if the tagline isn’t a question, audiences still read the words which mean that they have to find an understanding behind them or it will stay with them once the trailer has finished.

Memento

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ploSYVE0uao
(Barthes) In reference to Barthes media theory, the trailer for Memento focuses on featuring the ‘Hermeneutic’ and ‘Enigma’ code because the film does not flow in chronological order. Clips of the film are shown from all different orders and the actual events shown do not make sense because they are not put into context. The character’s intention of seeking revenge on his wife’s killer is made clear through being repeated a few times for emphasis, but the rest of the trailer raises questions for audiences because everything seen is a mystery.

(Todorov )Todorov’s equilibrium is not seen in the trailer and the other stages of his narrative theory are not all seen. It could be argued that the disruption has been his wife’s murder and the man’s recognition of this is seeking revenge. Another disruption could be seen as the man having amnesia, therefore not being able to remember people, conversations or events. Though the stages are hinted at, not much is seen.

(Propp) The main character is seen as Propp’s Hero and the Villain is hinted throughout the film but not shown. There could be two Princess character types considered in the trailer for Memento, because the Heo’s wife who has been killed is obviously at the downfall of the villain, however she can’t be saved as she has already died. The other Princess could be the other female seen in the trailer, but her intentions are not clear and it is unsure if she is good yet. The other character types are not fully explored in this trailer because not all of the characters can be trusted as they are not fully explained.

Inspiration: Like some of the previous trailers, I like the use of the voiceover over a black screen, because it creates tension by not being able to see people and audiences are unsure who is exactly talking. Like the trailer for The Machinist, a few lines of dialogue are repeated through the trailer, emphasising the importance of that piece of dialogue to the film.

Shutter Island

(Barthes) Barthes ‘Hermeneutic’ and ‘Enigma’ code are used in the trailer because audiences are confused by the mystery of the film and are unsure what the main plot is. It causes them to ask lots of questions surrounding the film, but the only way they can discover the answers to the mystery of the film is to go and see it.

(Todorov )The disruption of the text in this case is the disappearance of a woman and the two detectives recognise this and set out to discover the secret behind it and therefore restore or create a new equilibrium. A few other disruptions are seen as the characters are faced with challenges to try and discover the truth behind the disappearances on the island.

(Propp) As for Propp’s character theory, the main character appears to be the Hero as he is the central character of the film and the one who is trying to achieve the new equilibrium the most. His detective partner is the Helper because they are assisting him on his journey for the new equilibrium and discovery. A Donor of the film is seen giving help as well as a Dispatcher and other character types being hinted at. The Villain is slightly hinted at, but because the narrative of the actual film doesn’t make a lot of sense so characters aren’t quite as they appear. This is a part of the psychological thriller genre.

Inspiration: I really like the use of sound in this trailer, as it speeds up once the tension increases at the end of the trailer and is minimal to provide extra tension in scenes where audiences focus on the visuals. In small montages of flashbacks, sound is used in the form of effects like screams and eerie tones. I also like the look of a small scene after the title of the film has been showed, this extra clip features a voiceover and visuals from another scene, which together show the feel that the film gives off, tense and suspenseful.


A lot of these trailers use voiceovers to introduce the main plot, but most of the teasers feature little or no dialogue.