Textual Analysis - Shutter Island Trailer

              

A key theme in this trailer is that the protagonist is mentally ill which is common on psychological thrillers. The trailer shows criminals locked away whilst the protagonist calls them 'criminally insane' which reinforces the dominant ideology in the film. The camera shots position the audience against the criminals by making the audience see them in the prison and not in the cell with the criminals as well as using a high angle shot to position the audience to be looking down on the criminals which allows the audience to interact with the film by putting them in the protagonists point of view as well connoting authority and positioning of the characters in binary opposition.

Establishing shots are used on the ship and the island to allow the audience to understand the location and settings. The colour of the island is brown and dull which connotes a dead and unliving compared to bright colours which would suggest alive and thriving. The use of quick cuts of shots of the protagonist and point of view shots suggest that the audience will be following where he goes as well as suggesting that he is the main character of the film. The use of the long shot of the room with handcuffs connotes torture and the surrounding dark lighting connotes exclusion from the world (living). 

The mise-en-scene denotes what time the film is set in, for example the costumes of the characters are old fashioned. Extreme close-ups are used on the badge and the gun so Mise-en-scene is used to connote authority and violence. The  shot when Leonardo Di Caprio is looking through the bars is allowing the audience to see through his point of view. The editing used to create a white flash jump whilst the diegetic sound of a scream suggests that the genre is a psychological thriller.

The distributor logo at the beginning of the trailer which conforms to the codes and conventions of film trailers. From the beginning up until half way through the trailer there is a chronological narrative, then a series of rapid shots of various key moments are used, this creates a series of enigma codes which entice the audience to watch the film. The old lady who signals ‘stay silent’ to the protagonist portrays hints of the supernatural and also psychological aspects.

The audience expects the doctors to be helpful but the diegetic speech of the doctor 'going somewhere?' to the protagonist suggests that he is a 'baddie' and this is also created through the fast cut and non diegetic screetching sound. The trailer gives the idea that narrative of movie involves the protagonist finding out the truth.