Film Trailer Analysis #4

Film Trailer Analysis #4

“Changeling”

“Changeling” is a 2008 film created by Clint Eastwood; it’s an American drama that is connected to the “Wineville Chicken Coop” incident that happened in 1928. The story follows the struggle of Christine Collins loss of her little boy. I have chosen to analyse this trailer because I have drawn a huge amount of inspiration from the film and it embodies the aesthetics in which I intend to apply within my own trailer.

Sound

Music

The music starts off as a low orchestral hum that compliments the gloomy atmosphere of the mise-en-scene. Forty seven seconds into the trailer and the pace of the music picks up as violins are introduced into the melody. As it graduates, the sound becomes more distinctive as it grows louder and more dramatic; the music successfully reflects the drama of the narrative. It also triggers emotions of tension and stress as audiences sympathise with the affliction of the main character; violins and drum beats become more apparent and defined adding to the sense of over-whelming suffering established within the story.

Sound Effects

The first thing we hear when viewing this trailer is the clap of thunder at the very beginning. We hear combinations of gushing winds, heavy lightning and rain which sets the miserable, blue tone of the narrative. The harsh weathering accompanied by the dull and lifeless colours of the mise-en-scene in the opening shots informs audiences that this is a cold, dark tale.

Dialogue

Dialogue is carefully selected from the footage and strategically placed in the trailer so that it is informative to audiences, aiding their understanding as to the genre and basic plot.

“My name is Christine Collins”

“On March 10^th, my nine year old son Walter Collins disappeared”

“A five month investigation led to a boy being lead to Los Angeles. The LAPD told me and all of you he was my son.”

“He was not my son.”

“Is this Mrs Christine Collins? I work over at St. Pauls Presbyterian. I’ve made it my mission in life to bring to light all the things the LAPD wish none of us ever knew about. This police department does not tolerate decent and you are in a position to embarrass them and they do not like It.”
“Well I just want my son home.”

“Why are you doing this Mrs. Collins?”
“You have stopped looking for my son!”
“Why should we be looking for someone we’ve already found?!”

“The Meyer wants this to go away.”

“You can’t do this.”

“By signing this you certify that the police department were right in sending you here for observation”
“I’m not signing that”

“ORDERELY”
“NO!”

“What the hell have you done with Christine Collins?”

“I know my son is out there. I can still feel him.”

“Christine Collins case exposes this Police Department to public ridicule”

“If the boy you brought back is not Walter Collins, where the hell is he?”

“I want my son back. I want my son back.”

From simply listening to the dialogue on screen, the audience gather a basic understanding of the plot. It has been made clear that this is a film based on the true events of a woman named Christine Collins whose son went missing; the police carried out an investigation to bring her back a boy that they claim to be her son who wasn’t. The story follows the journey of suffering yet determination of the character Christine Collins.

Mise-en-scene

Lighting & Colour

Throughout the trailer we see common uses of ambient lighting which can either be gentle and complimentary in warming up the scene or it can have a completely opposite effect and appear unflattering, meek and cold. In the beginning we see the character participating in some sort of news conference in which she is publically speaking about the events concerning her son. The weather is wet and dreary, which is of course uncommon for Los Angeles as it’s referred to as the ‘golden state’. The use of lighting reflects the harsh reality of the story and it successfully sets the tone of the blue brutality of the tragic tale.

As I’ve said before, all films that are set in a by-gone era contain sepia tones that resemble that of an old photograph. It creates warmth within the scene, which makes the viewers feel nostalgic as they admire the mise-en-scene of past decades. The scenes that contain this orangey hue are ones that reflect the mood of the character. One shot in the trailer that stood out to me the most, was the one in which the character is watching her son sleep as she stares at him admiringly. Combined with the uses of spot-lighting, the little boy appears angelic which creates a fantasy-like effect, as if the moment is too perfect to be true. The memory of which Christine has of her son embodies an endearing quality, making the scene feel more special.

Another interesting quality of this scene is that hardly any light is reflected on the mother. She sits in the shadows of the screen which is symbolic of her being kept in the darkness as the truth about her son is hidden from her.

Ambient lighting is again used during the scene where Christine awaits the arrival of what she has been led to believe is her son. The lighting creates the effect of a sunny, hopeful and blissful day. During the scenes in which the character speaks of her missing son, the colours become darker, dull and worn-out, reflecting the mothers melancholy.

Costume

Costume is a huge indicator as to the time period of the film. We first acknowledge the character Christine Collins wearing outdoor attire consisting of a long camel coloured coat with a brown fur collar, decorated with a pearl broach. This is accompanied by leather gloves and black hat. Immediately audiences can familiarize this particular dress with the 1920’s era and understand the period of time in which the film is set. 

During the scene that her son is asleep on the sofa with the tartan blanket pulled over his shoulder, he also appears to be wearing striped pyjamas which was common nightwear of young boys and men during the early 1900’s.

The scene at the train station where Christine expects to meet her son, the boy in that particular scene wears a grey tweed workers cap, a blazer and bowtie. These garments are also associated with post WWI fashion. Here Christine wears a pastel yellow hat and a pastel mint, sheer blouse. Her dainty, elegant attire combined with pastel tones shows her character as being soft, fragile but still hopeful amidst all the drama.

We also see the character wearing a dusty orange velvet wrap paired with a crochet hat. Her casual home wear consists of a knitted brown cardigan and floral apron. She has no husband and now no child and so she wears the apron as a way of clinging onto the aspect of her old life as a domesticated mother.

The characters hair is simply worn just above the shoulders in curls; the male characters wear their hair slicked back in the old fashioned comb over.

The make-up of Christine consists of an extremely pale complexion, dark eye make-up and dark red lips. The look embodies that of the 1920’s era but has a darker take on it, making glamorous gloomy.

Body Language & Facial Expressions

In the opening sequence Christine embodies the wide-eyed look of a frightened child as she speaks of the disappearance of her son and the incompetence of the LAPD. Her body language appears meek, shy and defensive. Her slender frame makes her look even more fragile as she stands in a distant and guarded manner. During the scene in which the Police Department tell her they have found her son, when the little boy is exposed her expression is still with uncertainty and apprehension.

Throughout the trailer her language and expressions are constantly morphing into different stages of suffering and pain. When she is amongst conversation with the man from the Presbyterian church, she stands there with her arms wrapped around herself, giving audiences the impression that although her face reads emotions of hope, she is struggling to hold herself together, hide her naivety and prevent herself from a breakdown. 

During the scene is which we see Christine arguing with a man from the police department, she holds her hands to her head signalling the stress and frustration building up inside her. When she is shown peering out of the cell in the mental institution her expressions are desperate, vulnerable, weak; giving us the impression that she is completely drained. We then see a shot of her through a bus window, looking up at the LAPD building, staring at it with a look of determination and strength, which contrasts with the suffering established in other scenes. She is ofcourse in a much healthier state here in comparison to the shots of her in the mental home. I think this shot in particular truly provides this character with a sense of justice. Although she has been through absolute hell, she is a strong woman who is determined to solve this resolution and nothing can stop her. As a final touch, adding to the drama we see Christine throw a plate of dinner at the wall screaming hysterically that she wants her son back.

This mix of strong emotions of the character is displayed not only for entertainment, but to also provoke emotion within the audiences, allowing the viewers to sympathise with the character, urging them to want to see the film.

Props

Within the trailer we see a range of props that signal the period of time that the film is set. Our first indication through uses of props is the old fashion car we see drive past Christine’s home. Uses of transport are common ways of signalling the era, as steam trains are commonly used in films similar to this one.

During the conference scene we see reporters using 1920’s styled camera.

A man from the police department reads a news paper and looks at a black and white photograph of Walter Collins, her son.

Camera

In the trailer we see a range of different camera shots, angles and movements. The camera uses medium shots showing Christine talking as part of the conference and a long shot is used to show her home. Within the trailer we see various arial shots so that audiences can get a feel for 1920’s Los Angeles. There are also many close-up shots of Christine simply to express her reactions of at times anguish. A two shot close up is used during the scene in which Christine watches her son admiringly as he sleeps; the relationship between the mother and son is established, that he is her precious and special little boy. Towards the end of the trailer, we see evidence of a canted angle which shows an environment of a ranch, in which we see a man walking out of a trailer holding a shot gun. The use of the canted angle reflects the obscurity of the events, as it is followed by a shot where we see a little boy running away from him.

A tracking device is used to hone in on the little boy, making the moment appear more spectacular. It also physically imitates the reaction Christine must be experiencing when she is looking at a boy who looks nothing like her son, but claims to be him. A hand-held camera movement is used to follow the little boy running away, this device is used to make the audience experience the perspective of the person chasing him, making the little boy appear even more vulnerable.

Editing

A match-on-action is used during the opening scene, where we see Christine at the conference and camera shows different views of the action of screen. These types of edits are used so that viewers can interpret the space around the action as a continuous whole. It re-enforces the impact and the importance of the moment in Christine’s life, the point in which she declares that the LAPD aren’t doing their job accordingly in finding her missing son.

A shot-reverse-shot is used to show Christine among conversation with the man from the Presbyterian Church, simply to show them both communicating and their reactions.

I’ve always had an appreciation for the mise-en-scene of films from by-gone eras and ‘Changeling’ is by far one of the most inspirational films I have ever seen. The trailer manages to successfully capture the sheer emotion, incredible storyline and beautiful elements of mise-en-scene within the two minute trailer so perfectly, that I aspire to do the same within my own work.