AMERICAN GANGSTER TRAILER ANALYSIS

Like most trailers, it started with a conventional shot of the location of where the film is based. In this case it seems to be New York an urban area, notoriously known for a lot of gangs and organised crime. This montage then establishes to the audience the main character which is accompanied by the beginning of a voice over. We also see by the mise en scene the chain of command amongst the men. Frank Lucas (Denzel Washington), is seen wearing a suit where as the rest of the people in the long shot are wearing casual clothes portraying his noticeable higher status compared to the rest. There is then a scene which is a mid shot, which shows Frank Lucas at the head of the table. In the crime world that spot is reserved for the person in charge the head of the organisation/gang/mob, only reinforcing the role of head honcho.

We then get a glimpse of the co star who is also staring in the film. But in-between the montage starts to speed up, showing the different all the different conventions of a gangster film, Guns, money and cars these are essential to any gangster film.Whilst this is going on we get to the two groups of people in the film, essentially the “Cops and Robbers” establishing the two different groups motives that are likely to be aims throughout the film. The lighting up to this point has varied but has started from bright to increasingly dark as we get deeper into the actual plot of the film. But really only gets darker when showing scenes that have actual violence in it.

Towards the end they start to put banners, the first one indicates that the film is based on a true story this would be to give the film a unique selling point. There then are a range of ones showing the award winning actors and directors to give the film more notability. Having big name stars in a film attracts a large crowd especially because this film is multiracial it targets a larger demographic of people.The last banner indicates the date of release standard information just so that the audience knows when they are able to watch the film. Another convention shown is the love interest, every gangster film always shows a rather submissive trophy wife and this trailer isn't any different. Although it was only a brief appearance in this trailer it was rather effective since there was diegetic sound of Frank Lucas shouting about trying to kill his wife, this emotive language can really grab the audience attention.

REFLECTION

• There is a lot I could implement into my own trailer, one of which is establishing the level of dominance between the different characters which this film executed through mise en scene, the way the characters were dressed distinguished to the audience the different layers of hierarchy.

• What was also good is that the different types of lighting used helped to set the scene rather well, it also allowed the audience to truly engage and kept it clear what was going on throughout.

• However some things in this trailer I wont be able to pull off in my trailer such as explosions and large quantities of money so there will have to be a way to portray wealth and power in other ways.