BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN: Trailer Deconstruction

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN- TRAILER DECONSTRUCTION

SOUND

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The non diegetic sound of the sound track which starts on its own at around 0:31 is a plain acoustic guitar piece which sounds so calm and soothing and slow paced, just as this romance is or any romance film in theory. The music conforms to the subtlety of a romance film and because that is the main instrument, it is simple yet effective. The faint “twanging” cow boyish sound the viewer can hear in the background also conforms to its Western plot making it seem more realistic and fit for purpose.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The lines fitted into the trailer give the film away as there is only one major element to the film: the two protagonists being gay. The first lines is “if you’re looking for work I suggest you get in here pronto”, then it goes onto “since we’re going to working together, reckon it’s time we start drinking together”, then “it’s nobody’s business but ours.” The lines taken from the film all go in chronological order and let the viewer know the storyline completely. From this trailer one can find out who the protagonists are to one another, that they get married eventually once they are separated but then are reunited but have to leave each other again. This will make the audience more aware of what the film is about and if they know about the film entirely then they can decide quickly whether they want to watch it or not: people that like romances will mostly watch this trailer and once they see that it has the conventions of a real romance they’ll want to watch it more.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The quotes used such as “I wish I knew how to quit you” and the diegetic sound of the sheer impact of their hug at 1:16 shows real passion and love, which conforms to the stereotype of a typical romance.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Towards the middle of the trailer the music becomes a lot quieter and then picks up, orchestral music, which creates a disequilibrium,  then one of the protagonists says “you know it could be like this, just like this, always” then the other says “if this thing grabs hold of us, we’re dead.”  This diegetic speech reflects the time period they are in of the 1960’s and how people would react to the situation of being a homosexual which will give the audience an insight of the actors’ situation more and how hard it’ll be to overcome the situation: this emotion and tribulation will make the film more interesting for the audience hence more enjoyable.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The diegetic sound of the bear growling at 0:28 signify that this film is very much set in the wild surrounded by dangerous animals. This conforms to the stereotype of a Western style film set out in the open.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The Southern drawl in their accents accentuates the cowboy theme of the film, making the film fit for purpose.

EDITING

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Most of this trailer includes the fade in fade out technique to switch from clip to clip and this fits the genre of romance perfectly as the transitions are subtle and soft and slow paced, just as a romantic movie tends to be; it also conforms to the stereotypes of this typical edit use in teaser trailers. The transitions also make the trailer appear to flow more as though the editing is continuity editing and the clips are in chronological order right up until the credits for the names of the actors and actresses are given at 1:57 so that the audience find it easy to follow.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The credits used in some places are made up of white writing on a plain black background which creates binory opposition and the idea that the love is connoted by the white writing being innocent and pure, but the attitudes towards homosexual couples represented by the black, being negative and oppositional towards their love.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The slow motion used at the end of the trailer emphasises the slow paced nature of the movie and the fireworks at the end could connote the feeling of love that the actors feel towards each other.

MISE EN SCENE

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The main mise en scene shown in this trailer which is the main feature of the film is the cow boy attire worn by the actors and actresses in this film; this reflects the time and location this is was set in conforming to its stereotype of it being a Western film. The attire consists of cow boy hats, big furry jackets or denim jackets and denim bottoms.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The scenery itself plays a big part in the mise en scene because of its simplicity and serenity which makes it conform more to the stereotype of the subtle romance, yet the film is the unconventional love story.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The use of tents and campfires remind us of the rustic nature of the movie which makes it fit for purpose and the country/outback look gives the film a natural feel which could reflect the natural feeling of love the protagonists are trying to portray.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The colours that the protagonists wear are very masculine colours such as beiges and dark blues perhaps to connote their manliness despite their love and affection for each other which could be regarded as womanly because of the intimacy involved. The clothing acts as a sort of visual support to bring about a mental attitude of “being a man” and people who watch this trailer might be surprised that two manly men fall into this situation as such.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->There are many animals in this trailer as there are in the film which again makes the film more realistic to what it is trying to portray and the animals such as the cows, horses, bears and sheep back this idea up and are visual supports of how plain and natural the film is and that it s conforming to its nature theme and Western theme.

CAMERA ANGLES

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Throughout this trailer, there are many close up shots of the actors and actresses and this is to emphasise the emotion they feel so that the audience can see every detail just from their facial expression so they can be more absorbed with the film and almost be in the characters’ shoes. This will entice them to watch this film even more as they will hopefully feel the passion that the actors feel.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->A hand held point of view shot is used at 0:50 and this allows the viewer to be in the protagonist’s shoes watching his lover walk off, which will intensify the moment so not only is the viewer watching the man go, but he is watching him go from his lover’s point of view which makes the moment more heartfelt. This conforms to the stereotype of a romance being emotional and touching.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Long shots and establishing shots are often taken so that the audience can see the scenery fully and to see a full picture of the surroundings. The opening of this trailer, at the main start at 0:14 and this creates an illusion of reality and creating a basis for believability so that the audience can engage with the trailer more.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Medium shots are also used a lot throughout this trailer and I find that this was done mainly to show the relationship between two people e.g. when the two protagonists were with each other face to face in the tent (0:41) , Ennis and his bride getting married (1:06) or even when the two men were out shooting (0:25). This makes the romantic theme more believable for the audience which will persuade the audience to watch it more because they believe what the film has to offer in terms of acting. Also the medium shots are used so it is close enough to see the actors and actresses in almost full view but then we get to see their body language and costume, which are all very important elements of a film with a romantic genre hence it conforms to those stereotypes as these are what the medium shots do.

POSTED BY SHAHNAZ

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN: Scene Deconstruction

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN- SCENE DECONSTRUCTION.

CAMERA ANGLES

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The close up of Ennis’ face when he first sees Jack coming out of his truck shows the explicit joy he feels as he is seeing the love of his life again. Ennis is a reserved character with little emotion on his face throughout the film so to see him express such joy keeps the audience focused on the love these men feel for each other.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The medium close up shot of the two men kissing each other emphasises their passion up close so that the audience can sense their love and feel more intrigued with the film. This shot gives enough detail of their facial expressions away but then also shows their body language with their hands.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The point of view shot followed by the close up shot of Alma seeing her husband kissing another man puts us in her shoes of finding out the man that is father to her children is embracing this other man he clearly loves. The audience should feel forlorn for Alma as this situation was shameful for those times.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->At the end of the scene there is a long shot of Alma on her own in the corridor which could signify how alone and betrayed she feels. The emotion evoked here is sorrow from the audience.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The over the shoulder shot between Alma on her own and the two actors opposite her is probably a visual guise of how she was feeling at that moment in time: weak and lost towards these two men, one being her own husband.

MISE EN SCENE

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->Ennis hits Jack’s cowboy hat off of his head as he goes to kiss him which shows the aggression of a man but at the same time dismissing a typical symbol of a cowboy and allowing his love for him to take over.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->When Alma has just seen Ennis and Jack in the moment, when she comes back inside a wave of darkness is cast upon Alma and the lighting could have been done this way to show how she feels now: secluded and alone.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The one lamp on the table lighting up the whole room could connote the little hope that their marriage has, especially after Alma found out what happened.

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The simple furniture in their house conforms to the stereotype of Western films being quite basic and rustic: the plain couch, a few chequered pillows, a lamp and a dining table in the kitchen. It could also reflect the simplicity of the two protagonist’s love.

SOUND

<!--[if !supportLists]-->·         <!--[endif]-->The profanity used is the most significant in this scene. When Ennis sees Jack, he calls him “Jack fucking Twist” and runs down the stairs taking two steps at a time. This shows the audience how thrilled he is to see him and again with Ennis being quite introvert and quiet the audience see a different side to him and believe he really is in love with Jack. Jack also says “sonofabitch” when he hugs Ennis, again showing the audience how words can’t even describe how he’s feeling so he resorts to just swear words to express his feelings.

BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN: Poster Deconstruction

 

• The background of the film poster is of beautiful scenery including mountains and a clear lake with its reflection in it. This conforms to the stereotypical places in which romance films are set and the reflective image in the lake could reflect the same sex love. The background creates a somewhat calm and serene atmosphere and it goes against the golden rule as the audience have to look out of the triangle which will mean they look at the poster for longer if the scenery has captured their attention.
• The actors chosen for this film are both very good looking, which will be a bonus in intriguing people to watch this film even more, particularly women which appears to be this film’s target audience. Heath Ledger played as the Dark Knight in The Dark Knight and based on his performance, the audience would want to watch this film even more knowing that he has been in this film because they would be reassured with the good acting skills of his.
• Both of the characters are wearing cow boy hats and jean jackets which connote a Western style film; this is quite a rare genre for films nowadays so this could intrigue viewers to want to watch this different styled film. The outfits could also suggest manliness as being a cow boy is considered a very boyish occupation and the blue of the jean jackets enforces their gender of being male even more. The tagline “love is a force of nature” would make the viewer think that the film is based on them and possibly that they are homosexual but even so their gender is enforced.
• As the film was set in the 1960s, homosexuality was considered a sin almost by most people and society hadn’t yet accepted it so I feel that their facial expressions of them looking down and away from each other could suggest and reflect the shame they felt for their sexual orientation, especially in during that era.