RUST & BONE: light, sound, words

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Frederick Greene

Rust and Bone made many critics top 10 list for 2012. I’ve just watched the trailer, but avoided reading a synopsis, so this post relies on the a/v evidence of the trailer for its analysis. I did look up the gorgeous music cue, “My Tears Are Becoming an Ocean” by M83, which offers a wall-to-wall soundscape.

The trailer does not provide much in the way of story details in its selection of filmed excerpts. Marion Cotillard is a trainer of Killer Whales who loses the use of her legs. Her romantic partner, Matthias Schoenaerts, is a bare-knuckles fighter, but whether he’s an amateur or professional is unspecified.

The copy tells us that “from the acclaimed director of A Prophet,” Jacques Audiard,
“comes a love story
that begins
when two worlds
fall apart.”

A genre of romantic drama is specified, featuring the talents of Oscar winning actor Cotillard and Schoenaerts, who Google tells me is a Belgian actor of some distinction. He is shown brawling, running on ice, banging on the ice as if to break through, carrying his son on his shoulders while hitchhiking in urban traffic and embracing the boy while swimming in the ocean. Cotillard’s relationship to Schoenaerts fighting is unspecified, but he has a child who appears not to be their offspring. Ms. Cotillard is not apparent in such scenes, although there are various shots of them driving together, absent the boy.

The story presentation appears to be a-chronological, since we see Cotillard active and working with killer whales both before and after the crippling incident.

So, in a trailer that rather willfully refuses to explain, other than in the most general terms of “worlds falling apart,” why is the trailer so affecting?

Partly its the music cue, which with its oceanic hiss and roar and unintelligibly important lyrics (rather like Cocteau Twins) conveys something elemental and mysterious; partly it’s the sun dappled, over-exposed images of Cotillard and Schoenarts in various states of intimacy, exaltation, extremity, and ease: one longs to understand how they coexist within the film.

The other element of the trailer presentation that appeals to its target audience (and remember, for a foreign language film with subtitles, this is already a self-selected group) is the critical reception, whether of the performance by Cotillard and Schoenarts, the festival laurels from Cannes or the superlative one-word reviews of the film.

While the copy run is brief and general, the performance reviews are effusive:
“Marion knocks it out of the park.” “Marion Cotillard in a raw & beautiful performance.” “Matthias Schoenarts is just astounding.” And the film reviews are extensive: “An exhilarating experience…”
“Edgy, fearlessly emotional romance.”
“Euphoric and speelbinding.”
“A towering picture”

After the title reveal, subsequent to a final shot of Marion and Matthias walking toward the camera, the frame filled with sunlight from behind them, 6 one word reviews, with attribution, three per card, appear in succession:

“Stunning” – New York Magazine
“Genius”- Entertainment Weekly
“A Contender” – Time Magazine
“Tremendous” – Onion
“Beautiful” – Hollywood Reporter
“Astonishing” – Movieline

The sources range across the spectrum of mainstream media, including online and print, celebrity journalism, urban and mainstream weekly magazines, a trade publication and a comedic one. Odds are that as a foreign film viewer, you’ll be a reader of at least one of these organs of the press.

As a trailer afficionado who sees all too many trailers that tell me just what to expect from the feature, this lovely, oblique trailer (literally non-transparent given the moments of oversaturation and sunspots when the sun is behind the actors) makes me curious, despite the all-too-cinematic roles of killer-whale-trainer and bare-knuckles fighter.

Once I’m done publishing the post, I’m going to read the synopsis and check the local listings.

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movietrailers101 by Fred Greene is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

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“HANDS UP” (1918) – The very first promo trailer pioneers motion picture B to B communications

Posted on January 15, 2013 by Frederick Greene

One of several posters for the 1918 serial “Hands Up!” Starring Ruth Roland

Researching early trailers at UCLA’s Powell Library, I came across 2 versions of a promo trailer for “Hands Up!“, a 15 part 1918 serial starring Ruth Roland and George Chesebro.* Rather than a traditional trailer– a communication between the film’s producers/distributors and a likely audience of ticket buyers– these two motion picture advertisements were created by the distributor to persuade exhibitors to show the film. As such, they represent the earliest motion picture business to business communication i’ve ever encountered. Happily for me, as a trailer enthusiast, they are also replete with scenes from the film and all the other kinds of information that is typically leveraged to appeal to audiences.

Apart from its listing of cast, director, writer and studio, the promo describes the various marketing materials that are available to support the publicity and advertisement of the film, as well as the simultaneous “trans-media” exploitation of the material. The “screenplay” was to be published as a story in Motion Picture Magazine around the time of release, on the cover of which an image dedicated to star Ruth Roland was to be featured. Here’s the gist of the communication from Pathe Exhange (the distributor/studio) to hoped for exhibitors:

It opens with a credit block constituted by separate graphic cards specifying the provenance of the film in terms of distributor, author, producer, star Ruth Roland (with credits) and star George Chesebro. A series of representative scenes follows featuring romance, horseback stunts and life-endangering thrills. Cutting to an establishing shot of the wild-western setting, a card explains that “here is a sample of the rugged…[setting]”

Next, the lavish expenditure that has been committed to the project is emphasized, with the “Throne Room of the Incas” and the “sacrificial chamber” specified. Making plain its objective, a card from Pathe Exchange explains “What we are doing to help you [the exhibitor] cash in big profits.” Specifics follow, card by card with visual aids indicated in parenthese:

“A nationwide Billboard campaign on ‘Hands Up’ has been undertaken by Pathe. These stands will be posted by Pathe in upward of 500 cities.” (Key art is shown)

“Ask Pathe representatives for details of our offer of these magnificent posters absolutely free of charge.”

“’Hands Up’ in serial form will be out in the Motion Picture Magazine on sale early in August. The October Cover features picture [sic?] of Ruth Roland. This story will be read by over two million people.” (Transmedia avant la lettre, as it were.)

And yet more cards describing promotion materials available to exhibitors:

“Here is a list of the advertising helps we have prepared in order to help you cash in Big Profits with Hands Up.” (Notice the repetition of “cash in big profits.” Pathe, presumably, is only interested in “big profits” for its exhibitors. Strikingly, there is no balancing mention of the possibility of a big risk, in terms of initial outlay for the film and foregone opportunity costs.)

This promotional business to business trailer was not the only one made, nor miraculously, the only one to survive. A variation includes traditional trailer rhetoric combined with direct address to the exhibitor: “Hey Mr. Exhibitor: Make 15 weeks of profits,” by booking the 15 part serial.

This trailer begins by characterizing the film as a “Cyclonic Western Serial,” a figure of speech which makes neither meteorological nor generic sense, but nonetheless captures the film’s excitement and energy. “Hands Up!” is offered in 15 episodes, a relevant detail the companion promo elides.

To the introduction of author and producer provenance, it insists on their collaboration (as opposed to?), mentions director George FitzMaurice, whose “supervision” is specially indicated. We see Ruth Roland posing glamorously, like the established star she is, while George Chesbro appears on horseback.

Next, the “Phantom Rider,” makes an appearance, his mysterious identity positioned as an attraction to draw viewers, episode by episode, in order to satisfy their curiosity. He is followed by a string of villains: “The Adventuress,” a soft, scheming socialite in contrast to the doughty, rough riding heroine Roland; and pitiless Incan Leaders, “custodians of treasure,” whose cultural motivation is assumed.

We see George and Ruth in romantic clinches, performing stunts astride and falling off of horses. Without transitional cards or scenes, we next find Ruth imprisoned in a tower, escape from which imperils the heroine as George rides to the rescue. Yet again she is captured and yet again she gets-away. The attentive exhibitor will have a clear notion of the picaresque story line of the series and its “cliff-hanger” articulation. Conflicts are raised and resolved in tongue-in-groove fashion from one episode to its successor.

The rugged, realistic landscape (probably somewhere in LA county) earns a star turn, followed by emphasis on the lavish sets and the heavy expenditure needed to produce the series.

The promo addresses its audience directly, detailing “what we’re doing to help you the exhibitors make money.” Tie-ins and cross-media promotional efforts are dscribed. One poster, of three that are available, is spotlighted. One sheets and lobby cards constitute further “advertising helps,” that will surely “guarantee” a week of profit for every one of the 15 weeks of the series.

Whereas the viewer of a movie trailer in 1918 had little more than a dime or a nickel and the investment of some free time at stake in buying a ticket, the audience for these promotions is making a significant business commitment of time, money and opportunity cost. He (or she) will want to hear strong arguments whose accuracy it would be prudent to confirm. Nevertheless, in this animated precursor of a powerpoint presentation, the business argument is thin relative to the aesthetic one.

That may be because the exhibitor already knows that a good serial is a good investment; what is most significant to him (or her) is whether the product meets or exceeds the standards he maintains, and whether the distributor is one he trusts, one he can rely on for the marketing support promised and required. Stars, directors, authors, lavish sets, interesting secondary characters, cliff-hanger plots, horseback stunts, genre and romantic chemistry are the strong “arguments” that an exhibitor is called upon to assess, and they are that part of the negotiation which is impossible to contractually fix. They are, however, filmed and tendered in earnest in this fascinating document of the sophisticated and thoughtful marketing that occurs before a film ever screens for a paying audience.

* “All that apparently remains of this fifteen-episode chapter play is the promotional reel sent to exhibitors in an effort to encourage them to book the series. That reel, included on the DVD boxed set More Treasures from American Film Archives, suggests the series was a doozy. There’s impressive and exciting footage of stars Ruth Roland and George Chesebro mixing it up with the villains of the piece, Inca Indians who believe Ruth’s character is the reincarnation of a beloved native princess. It’s a tremendous shame, of course, that so many silent serials have crumbled to dust over the intervening decades, but thank goodness someone had the foresight to save the remnants of this one.” — From the User Reviews section of IMDB

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movietrailers101 by Fred Greene is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

* Chesbro entered the Army and was replaced by George Larkin for the remainder of the series.

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CHRONICLE (2012) Trailer: Form & Content Combine to Convey a History if Not a Narrative

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Frederick Greene

“Chronicle is a 2012 science fiction film directed by Josh Trank in his directorial debut, and written by Max Landisbased on a story by both. Three Seattle high-school seniors, bullied Andrew (Dane DeHaan), his cousin Matt (Alex Russell) and more popular Steve (Michael B. Jordan) form a bond after gaining telekinetic abilities from an unknown object. They first use their abilities for mischief and personal gain, until Andrew turns to darker purposes.” (From the Wikipedia entry)

In his influential analysis of historical representation, The Content of the Form, Professor Hayden White (UC Santa Cruz) distinguishes between annal, chronicle and narrative modes of telling about factual experience. The annal is a chronological compilation of dates and the events, an historical list rather than a story. The chronicle, for its part, “represents historical events” as “unfinished stories.” It is for the narrative that we reserve the term history, insofar as “it has given to reality the form of a story.” (White, pp. 4-5)

While the consequences for historical representation of our cultural preference for story telling over event listing are outside the scope of this post, I was struck by how the presentation of information (“found footage”) in the Chronicle trailer corresponds to White’s description of the manner in which a chronicle presents fact and lived experience. Moreover, in the signal editorial gesture of the trailer, a quick rewind that occurs about 80% through, we return to a period before the first scenes shown, at which point as yet-unseen events are recorded but also left, “unclosed,” unfinished, and unformatted into a story as we typically understand the term.

Perhaps the trailermakers were enrolled in the History of Consciousness Program at UC Santa Cruz when Prof. White was actively teaching. Most historians–and lay persons alike–are resistant to his ideas since they expose the rhetorical, subjective and fictionalizing activities beneath the objective, “facts only” facade of historiography. It’s one of the most persuasive, accessible and mind-blowing pieces of critical theory with which I’m familiar, and it’s a treat to see that its influence has escaped the ivory tower. Let’s take a look.

As yet another addition to the “found footage” school of filmmaking, Chronicle became a surprise hit, grossing 126M worldwide, leveraging an effective social media campaign and this, intriguing and effective trailer.

The trailer opens with three attractive, middle-class high-school aged boys, videotaping themselves on a hand held camera as they drive to school, singing and acting goofy. Typical shots from an American High School campus establish the context, before the presentation of a scene that confounds expectations. One boy jams a fork into another boy’s hand bending the fork but not puncturing the skin of the other. Cut to the boys in a toy store experimenting with what appears to be telekinetic powers. They remotely “mess” with a male peer and terrify a small girl with a levitating teddy bear, laughing in alarm and confusion at their own ability.

Speculating on their newfound talent, they compare it to a muscle that requires exercise. In the next shot, one is shown moving a automobile across a parking lot, while the others laugh at the confounded owner. Excitement and lighthearted pranks give way to a life-threatening incident in which a motorist is forced from the road, down an embankment and into a pond. Rescuing the hapless victim, they argue among themselves. As the screen goes black, one of the boys, in voice over states, “I’m worried about Andrew.”

In the next scene, Andrew (presumably) is shown exercising his telekinetic muscles, the first of a series of scenes that demonstrate his growing power and the growing apprehension of his friends, escalating into a standoff in downtown Seattle with dozens of members of the police, whose cars Andrew has levitated. At this point, timecode appears on screen and the events witnessed previously rewind in 10 seconds. We go back beyond the opening to the initiating event of the action. The boys find a large crater-like hole in the ground into which they descend. As they enter a grotto filled with a glowing, bluish light, one of the boys expresses their reaction: “Holy…” as the image goes to static then black and the facebook URL appears on screen.

In this trailer, there is no voice over (apart from diegetic dialogue) and no copy cards. There is no cast run nor graphic cards for the director, writer, producer or distributor. It is, in keeping with its pretense, presented as found footage. The shots are bordered with static and color bars, “inexpertly” framed and shot from awkward angles, with the zoom in/out testifying to putatively realistic, in-the-moment capture.

So, to recapitulate: the trailer, with its absence of V.O. or copy narrative, relies on our ability to combine scenes 1, 2, 3…N into a coherent story. And then, prior to “completing” or “closing” that incipiently narrative connection, it rewinds, undoing, as it were, the presumably causal because chronological relationships among them. It returns to a point before the first manifestation of “paranormal” ability in the 3 protagonists. But there, too, it refuses to state, reveal, or insist on a meaning or explanation. Rather, it carefully, intentionally and skillfully obliges the viewer to speculate, to invest, to draw conclusions on the basis of incomplete information.

In a chronicle, the sense of completeness or closure is withheld because of the simple fact that it is recorded by one who has yet to live or experience the next event. Whether that event would conclude or merely defer the story is unknown and unknowable. The trailer for “Chronicle” operates according to that logic. In its foregrounding of the “found” and “recorded” visual artifact, vs. the filmed and produced scene, it exploits the “documentary” appeal of the genre to audiences who might be bored or suspicious of the cinematic presentation of events, while also, and cleverly so, leaving space for them to perform the imaginative work of story telling.

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movietrailers101 by Fred Greene is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

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