Trailer Analysis (MAMA)

The film trailer begins with a somewhat unconventional start as it seems to begin with disequilibrium however in recent years it has become more apparent for example Sinister (2012), as it shows two small young girls in horrific conditions. One of the girls is sitting on the other shoulders, which may be seen as the “norm” and somewhat playful of young children. However due to the conditions they are in and the way in which they have chosen to stand it is somewhat unnerving and eerie. As an audience we can see how they have lost their childlike innocence and how it has been replaced with something dark and sinister.  Due to the mid-close up we are able to see how dirty and malnourished the children are as and as an audience we are wanting to help them as we feel sorry for them, this is somewhat leading us into a false sense of security as we know little about the reason they are like that.

Here we can see the start of the equilibrium. The use of the mid-close up allows us to see the children in a clean room with a white bed cover, the use of the bed cover being white could suggest purity or could be used to juxtaposes the previous location and emphasise the difference between  them and how things are getting better. The child hugging the man may show her desired to be cared and loved however her facial expression remains somewhat neutral and almost fixed which is unconventional of most hugs. Also due to the fact we only see one of the children hugging the man it may suggest that there is a difference in character between the two siblings and how the younger child may be unwilling to let the man into her life suggesting she is somewhat of a problem.

   

This we have the start of a small disequilibrium which is the youngest child kicking and screaming in the female’s arms, she then slaps the female around the face amongst all the kicking and screaming, this is emphasized due to the quick cut in the scene and the sinister non diegetic music playing. Following this jump cut, we hear the female’s voice overlapping to the next shot saying “there is no way I am ready for this” from this we can gather as an audience that complications are arising and the situation is becoming worse. The use of having a lot of empty space around the two emphasizes the point that the young girl is distressed and struggling with the female.

 We now have an attempt to resolve the disequilibrium by having the doctor talking to the young girl, the way in which she is sitting could suggest she is somewhat possessed due to her posture and the way her eyes are fixated, this may suggest a theme of this horror (Demonic Possession). From the low key lighting used it makes the image seem ominous and makes the audience focus solely on the doctor and young child and in my opinion mainly focus on the way in which he is leaning towards her offering help the way her body is positioned is like she in unwilling to take his help, which may confuse the audience as there parental instincts would be to want the child safe and yet she is unwilling to take help.

The final shot we see the two young children sitting at a table together, with the youngest staring at towards the audience with a large grin on her face as if she is happy to see someone or something, this unnerves the audience as we are unable to see what she is looking at making the thing or person more scary. Shortly after her smile we hear a very childlike laugh which is amplified and played over creepy music. This makes us change our opinion of the child as she seems to be a part of the problem arising in the house and almost seems to be enjoying it.