FOURBROTHER trailer anaysis

FourBrothers trailer analysis.


The beginning of the trailer starts with a montage sequence, with slow and non-diegetic music in the background, whilst a sound bridge method is used to link the moving shots to the next. This creates an even flow between shots, and there is little disruption. Also, in this sequence there is an authoritive narrator, to create a control over the trailer and give it meaning. A quote appears on the screen – “What makes a Brother?” whilst the narrator asks the audience this question. By doing this at the start, shows the audience some of the main themes of the trailer; brotherhood, and also directly involves the audience them selves, by provoking thoughts in their minds and creating enigmas. This is linked to Barthe’s enigma theory, where enigmas are used to engage the audience at the start, to create an effective sequence, this is being used here to engage the passive audience, and catch their attention by provoking thought. These ideas are further reinforced by more text on the screen – “It’s more than the colour of your skin”, and “It’s the people you call family”, which again supports the main theme and ideologies of the movie- family and brother hood.

Also, it is very clever how the trailer is used to introduce the characters shown, and how it creates the sense that the four brothers are all different from each other. For example, when the Four brothers are around the table saying grace, they hold hands from different places at the table, to show unity, as well as diversity and difference. Although the four brothers are different – they are still bound by brotherhood. However, as the audience are being slowly introduced to the characters, and are making identifications and relations with the characters; the equilibrium, as shown in Todorov’s theory, is disrupted when the slow music is over powered by the more sinister music, to reflect the devious atmosphere, and the fear in the mother of the four brothers. The audience is confronted with 2 killers, who seem to have killed their mother, but the audience do not directly witness this. Rather the scene is cut to a long shot out side of the shop where their mother is, and the audience can hear a defying bullet shot, sealing her fate? However, the audience is forced to tackle the enigma, is she really dead? This enigma again engages the audience to think out side the box.

As the trailer progresses, the audiences learns that the mother of the 4 brothers had died. The next scenes is again another piece of text that the narrator reads – “Because some bonds are stronger than blood”, also the fact that that the most significant words are in bold and red colour really emphasises the points and themes that are being made, more importantly the ideologies are more emphasised. Also, when this text appears on the screen, the audience can see a high angle shot of the funeral, and the Blood links with the dismal and lugubrious mood of the funeral.

The pace of the trailer of the trailer seems to speed up, with the fast editing, and fast background music/ or soundtrack suggest that this movie is a thriller and gangster, and also is used to reflect the mood of the montage sequence. Also, in a lot of the sequences, the dialogue is used as more over a voice over, and carries onto the next shot, allowing for the fast paced action to remain on screen with out little interruption, and also the story of the four Brothers is slowly being unravelled.

The characters or rather Four brothers are also represented as being strong, and liberating, and the fact that they are both Black and white races shows that Brotherhood does not depend on colour, race, etc- rather it’s the relationship that matters. It could also send out the ideology that no matter what race or ethnicity any one is, we are all brothers and sisters, and that brotherhood is something that cannot be broken. This trailer also breaks many stereotypes of having white and black brothers, and challenges the view that we are all different; Zeitgeist – this movie represents the spirit of our modern society, and the fact that every one is equal.

Also, most of the action is shown towards the end of the trailer, perhaps this is done to have a greater impact on the audience and also to grab the audiences attention towards the end, as enigmas and questions are raised – this further creates suspense and leaves the audience at a cliff hanger. This idea is supported by the fact that the villain maybe shown towards the end where of the trailer and is used to create suspense as the audience is shown very little of him. This is linked with Propp's theory; the heroes are the Brother showing unity, and the villain who seems to be leading a gang of mercenaries. The villain is shown to e superior and powerful, and the audience see him through a low angle shot, showing that he poses power and dominance. The villain is also shown when the dialogue “Keep knocking on the Devils door long enough…somebody is going to answer you”, and the villain is suggested to be the Devil.

In conclusion, this analysis shows that "FOURBROTHERS" is a post-modern piece of text, or rather movie that strays on the themes of brother hood, through the definitive and dominating narrator, to the text on the screen, the audience shown that this film offers something different to most movies.



sundeep kahlon