Django Unchained: Trailer

Tarantino's new film is about a freed slave who becomes a bounty hunter to retrieve his wife.

Characters Django and King

Narrative: The Trailer reveals what seems to be the general plot line for the film. From the trailer, audiences learn that Django, a slave, has lost his wife to a wealthy slave owner. A bounty hunter who knows who Django is frees him to help him hunt down two brothers because the bounty hunter does not know how they look, but Django does. Because of Django's knowledge, the bounty hunter asks for his assistance - He will help Django retrieve his wife if Django provides his services in return.

antebellum society shown by KKK members

Mis en Scene: The trailer reveals a very antebellum setting. For the most part, the trailer is very dark which creates an ominous and mysterious mood. There is a lot of detail put into the production of the film down to even the font on the papers posted on walls containing bounty information. We see slaves dressed scantly and wealthy white plantation owners living luxuriously as seen through DiCaprio's character drinking wine and shooting billiards. In one scene in the trailer that is set in an old outskirt town, we see Django talking with the bounty hunter while activity is happening outside through the dusty, cracked window. The mis en scene in the trailer helps emphasize the setting by making it more realistic as well as reveal minor things within the narrative.

various scenic shots in trailer

Cinematography: The cinematography in the trailer remains pretty simple consisting of close ups for key players in the plot. When conversations are being heard in the trailer, there is the usage of shot/reverse shots as well as master shots (but these are kept at a minimal). There are multiple shots of scenery that are very appealing to the eye such as the snowy mountain shot and the dark showdown shot at the end of the trailer. Also, there are three instances in the trailer where whip zooms are included so show the intensity of the situation and the focus in each person's eyes.

Whip pan into Leo's face

Edit: The edit stay pretty textbook style. Much like the trailers of its genre, the Django trailer begins very mellow to introduce the characters. There are a lot of dip to blacks to introduce new settings and new characters. Once the conflict is introduced in the trailer, the pace quickens dramatically to emulate the action packed movie through just a trailer. The shot duration drops dramatically and there is much more close ups and even explosions in the shot to reflect its action genre.

Explosions match soundtrack

Sound Design: The sound design in the beginning is very crisp and upbeat. While the starting soundtrack is very slow and glorious (little like Gladiator's soundtrack), the sound effects contrasts with it. There are lots of clicks of guns, gunshots, as well as thumps. After the conflict is introduced, the soundtrack get more uptempo and mocking. Much like other Tarantino films, the sound doesn't exactly fit its genre. It is neither all epic, not all melancholy. Instead, it sounds much more comedic consisting of low strings like with a string bass mostly. Then in the end of the trailer, all the aspects of sound comes together. The trailer is cut to the beat of the music and sound bridges are used to weave together shots and ideas. Also the thumps and gunshots that were used earlier in the film now add to the rhythm of the soundtrack, united all aspects of the sound design.