Following my first trailer analysis of The Silence of the Lambs, I have chosen another fine example of a simple, yet very effective trailer. This time I have chosen the low budget French feature "Our Day Will Come"
"Our Day Will Come"
At the very start of the trailer we hear a piano solo acting as a non-diegetic soundtrack. The chords go begin to drop down the scale, suggesting the film may portrayal a downfall of sort. During these chords we see Vincent Cassell's character driving at night. At this point we know nothing of this character but maybe the audience is asking 'why is this character driving at what seems to be the night?'. As the final chord rings through the audience's eardrums the camera cuts to an extreme wide shot of the characters. The need to show this shot, at the very end chord maybe trying to signify that this is where their character's lives will change, and this could very well be where the equilibrium may break.
The first diegetic dialogue is heard through Vincent Cassell's character, it was (at first) heard asynchronously as the cut of the previous shot slowly transits from darkness. This maybe trying to propecise that Cassell's character is dark, that maybe the reason why he was driving in the dark was maybe because that is where he belongs. But the first dialogue (from following the subtitles) is as follows: "My hair bugs you?...I'll let it grow". This is followed by a fade to black, and then a quick fade in on Cassell's character putting two of his fingers inside a woman's mouth with the asynchronous dialogue of him saying "my behavior disturbs you?.. Then I'll intensify them" All of this suggests that Cassell's character has a motive-of-sort to hit back at the world, to rebel almost. He concludes with "and when the shower of your sarcasm finally leave me indifferent and I can finally be who I was meant to be...". This dialogue is followed by a flash-forward where Cassell's character (who is now bold) running and screaming, has a rock in hand with the intention to hit someone with it. This is something that comes out of the blue but it also does make the audience automatically more interested in the film, but it makes them ask themselves 'how does it get to that?'. This sudden out-pour of violence is used to integrate his intentions, with what actually happens. Whilst that shocking clip runs, Cassell's character continues his monologue "then despite that disgust, despite the shame... you'll love me for who I am". His monologue suggests that his character is one who is tried of society's restrictions, tried of those around him and he is character who seeks change. He also is portrayed as someone who knows he will get what he wants "despite the shame...you'll love me for who I am" suggests this. As this shot ends Cassell's character takes another puff of his cigarette, which suggests that from this moment on, everything will change.The final shot also shows Cassell in-front of distorted lights. This maybe trying to show that to Cassell's character all that matters is him, everything else is all but a blur.
To end to first sequence an asynchronous siren commands the sound-waves as Cassell's monologue concludes. This siren marks the end of normality of his character and his plus one. It also propecises the danger they will find themselves in and possibly the degree of insanity they will fall in. The fact that it is a slow transition into a black screen shows their descent into darkness may be a slow, painful and en-grueling one. The extreme long shot of the dark city, shows the place they plan to reek havoc upon, the place they plan to change. The POV shot of them driving down the road of a dark night may also be trying to say the journey they are about to par-take in is a dark one, one which may test them as individuals.
After seeing the actor's credits the siren stops as we see the two characters possibly in their final moments of sanity as they drive along a road in the day. This (possible) last moment of insanity is lost and it jump cuts to Cassell's character head-butting someone as the loud, eerie siren resumes. It then cuts to Cassell's character smirking. This is a sinister reminder that their (or at least his) future is possibly psychotic. This is intriguing for the viewers as they wonder how his character arc got to that.
A longshot of the two men walking down the road (bold) with guns in hand again intrigues the viewer as the (again) wonder how it got to that. It later cuts to one of the men riding a motorcycle inside a supermarket aisle. This extract demonstrates how bizarre their arcs get, it also makes the audience ask 'why what that even happen' making the audience more intrigued and more likely to go and watch the movie. And thus follows a long succession of quick cuts portraying the possible pace of the film and the main characters' decent into madness and darkness. These quick cuts are portrayed whilst being accompanied by a quickening siren. It resembles a quickening heart-beat whilst getting deeper into the action, deeper into their dark world . The quick cuts give extremely small snippets of the mad and extremely bizarre acts the two men par-take in. By not giving too much away, but also providing enough shock value, it makes the audience feel compelled, almost to and watch the film.
The trailer concludes on the shot of the two men (maybe mid-way through their "day" of madness) comforting each-other. This emphasises the "Our" in the title, showing their relationship will remain strong throughout (maybe even till the end of) the film.
Effect
The trailer can undeniably be named as a fast paced, intriguing and well-judged piece of promotion for the film. It outlines the plot without giving away the ending, but it also provides the viewer with reasons as to why they should watch it. They include many of the questions the trailer gives the viewer (like 'how and why does this happen?'). The viewer needs to see these questions answered and the only way how they will be answered is if they go and see the movie.
This is another trailer that has a style and atmosphere which I could attempt to replicate, it is genre which I find appealing and with it's low budget is manageable.
