Romeo & Juliet 1996 Trailer Analysis

Romeo and Juliet 1996 Trailer Analysis

It can be said that for the trailer of Romeo and Juliet it shows a link to Post Modernism and the idea of aesthetics. A key point in the trailer itself is the use of diegetic music. At the beginning the trailer the music featured is classical, linking back to the period time in which Romeo and Juliet was set when it was written by William Shakespeare. Then as the scene changes abruptly to show visuals of the “violent ends” the diegetic sound changes to the chart music of the 1996. It represents the large contrast between the high ends and the low ends in the period displayed. From this, it is evident that there is a form of intertextuality as they are using the formal Language from the play that William Shakespeare wrote, but bringing it into a modern light to make it more appealing for the audiences watching.

Looking further into the features of the trailer. Whilst the scene where the costume ball is taking place, there are very contrasting clothing choices. It is noticeable to see that there is an astronaut with an angel, presenting the idea to the audience that it is the use of Bricolage. Evidently it makes the audience question why that have chosen to place these two together, when it is supposed to be a formal gathering as it is not representing the sophistication that is suggested by the audio and dialogue. It is random, yet is engaging as it creates an element of curiosity and confusion for the audience. There are multiple elements like this such as the flashbacks of the post modernism news, and the bricolage of fireworks. There is no purpose for these being included, but it just creates a whole new atmosphere for the trailer that engages people due to how random it really is.

Referring to the idea of intertextuality there is a vast amount of the trailer that can conform to this idea. When the abrupt change happens, the portrayal of the low ends is very negative. There is key iconography used, which is the gun, linking the romance genre to be hybrid with the action genre as it is a key convention to the genre amongst the whole idea of anarchy. Because it is a romance genre, it appeals to predominantly females as they will appreciate it more and be able to acknowledge the smaller details. Whereas by adding the hybrid factor, it won’t only appeal to the females, but the males so it is a film that can be appreciated by couples as there are aspects of appeal for both parties. The trailer itself is non-linear, as they have chosen the best parts to include. If they didn’t do this then they wouldn’t be gaining the wider audience appeal as they wouldn’t be aware of the content.

‘Kitsch’ is used throughout the trailer as there is scenes showing religious artifacts, and neon lights. There is no obvious link between these two within the trailer, they are just layered together, which is what appeals as it is so unusual. Because they are so unusual it is said that they add a comedy element to the trailer, to take away from the seriousness of the trailer involving their romance. There is no link within the trailer, let alone to Romeo and Juliet and their romance itself. Hence why it is an appeal to the audience because it is creating that curiosity factor.

Dyer's star theory is featured in the trailer, with the usage of Leonardo DiCaprio throughout, as people think that he is attractive he will be used as a unique selling point, to get people engaged with the trailer itself. Not only this, but Leonardo is also featured in various other productions so he will most likely be bringing his fans across to this film, as they will be influenced to watch it if he is their favorite actor.

Although this is a completely different genre to what my trailer is going to be, it proves to be a good example as it shows how the different features go hand in hand such as the intertextuality being linked to non-diegetic sounds. From analyzing this trailer, I want to take away the idea of Kitsch and Bricolage as I prefer wanting people to watch my trailer because it leaves them watching more through a curiosity aspect, instead of it just being because the genre itself is popular. It will be easy to do as I will be able to capture shots that don’t make sense, that are random and bricolage them to leave people questioning it. This is most likely why films that include this have a large social media impact as people will feel a mixed amount of feelings when watching the film’s trailer and will need to speak to other people about the trailer to find out their views as well. Additionally it proves to me why I am not producing a trailer in the romance genre, as it would need a high end actress/actor to feature to make it appealing, as well as a large budget to be able to pull it off, which proves to me that it is unrealistic and horror is definitely the best trailer for me to produce.