Film Trailer Research: Harry Brown

Objective:
To identify the codes and conventions commonly used in teaser trailers which promote films within the genres of thriller and action.

Case Study:
Harry Brown (2009) Directed by Daniel Barber



Again this trailer has a male lead character and focuses the action and events directly around him, with lots of close ups of his face. Like with the other 2 films that I have looked at the importance of a large holly wood name seems vital in making the movie a success and immediately attracting attention and an audience as many people would be more reluctant to watch a film with unknown names as the leads. In this case the lead character is Michael Caine who has been in many other action and tough cutting edge films creating a genre association and giving indications to the themes that are running through 'Harry Brown'.

The lighting withing the sequence is minimal and the shots appear very dark. This is to mirror the setting of the inner city run down estate areas of East London which have a some what sinister feel to them. The use of spotlighting, fire and orange street lamps are used for effectiveness. The spotlighting is used when suspects are being interviewed as the lighting is harsh and bright and con notates the idea of interrogation. The use of the orange glow street lamps and the fire gives the audience the relatable aspect to be able to identify the location as the orange glow is associated with bustling cities that never sleep. The orange lights are also very depressing and bleak as many run down areas have the old lamps which glow very orange as opposed to the new replacement LED lights that glow white. The use of dark shots is also to reflect the darker sides to Harry Browns character as he takes things into his own hands, becoming a vigilante to bring justice to those who murdered his friend.

The use of accents creates a sense of local London identity to the characters and creates common stereotypes of youths being criminal, violent and anti social that is commonly fed through the media of our society. Micheal Caine is renowned for his East London accent which is rough and raw and gives the character a sense of 'Don't mess with me' about him due to his broad accent. The youths to show the generation gap between Harry Brown and them are speaking in the rap influence London accent that is becoming more prominent within our society amongst the gang cultures and youths of inner cities where a new form of language itself is being used and adapted to create a sense of identity. This contrast between the two ways of speaking of two sets of people from the same place shows a culture and generation conflict which is the spark for the conflicts and action that goes on to take place.

The use of props such as knifes, guns and numerous gunshots gives the sequence action and thrill enthralling the reader and highlighting some of the action scenes within the film. These props are also commonly associated with city gang and street crime committed by youths as the gun and knife problems appear to be getting worse and worse within the media as more and more youths are dying from gang wars. Brown states "to them out there its just entertainment" showing that the youths dont understand the consequences of there actions and see guns, knifes and gangs as game, much like the games they play on their game consoles where killing is seen as a sport.

This film is used as a social realist tool to bring to light the real problems faced by those trapped in the poverty ridden estates of London where opportunities are scarce. The film is meant to show the harsh struggles of life faced by the community of these London estates simply to survive in such a dog eat dog environment where young people turn to knife and gang crime as a way of feeling safe and giving them self a title and a sense of importance which they have never had before. The harsh reality of it is, is that most of these young boys have no choice in turning to crime, as they would be dead if they didn't conform to the stereotypes created and reinforced by the media of our society.

The police investigator offers a contrast to these characters, making them appear even more different to the norm as she is different from them in many way. Firstly most of the characters from the East London estate are male where as the police investigator is female. She also uses received pronunciation indicating that she is well educated and from a fairly well off background. The dress codes are also very important as she is well dressed in a black suit which con notates the idea of power and authority as well as wealth. This gives an indication that the police investigator is above the male characters on the social position ladder and therefore hold different views about society creating a class of ideas. The large contrast between her and Harry Brown also represents her lack of understanding of the area and prejudices against the more run down areas due to her lack of knowledge about how harsh life really is in these areas which is also shown through the fact that Lenard had stated in the first few seconds of the sequence that he had already told the police about what the youths had been doing, indicating that nothing had been done even so.

This makes it more acceptable for the audience when Harry Brown takes matters into his own hands as we as an audience can relate to the fact that the help that he should have been given has been withheld due to a lack of understanding due to class and social background difference between characters. This is also shown through the beat patrol officer who, much like Brown, has a broad East London accent who states "in my opinion Harry Brown is doing us a favour" as he can relate to the feelings and actions that Brown is doing due to his own experiences of these youths and the violence that they exert on the area as he is also from a similar class background to them, unlike the police investigator who is identified clearly as an outsider.