Anna Karenina - Trailer Analysis

This is my trailer analysis for the film, Anna Karenina. (The written analysis works with the Powerpoint)

  Released in 2012, Joe Wright’s adaptation of Anna Karenina is a period/romance film, based on the book by Leo Tolstoy.

  Set in 1874, part of Anna Karenina’s success is the beautiful period costumes and imaginative sets. Unlike most period films, Joe Wright (the director), wanted the costumes in Anna Karenina to be a mix of 1950s couture with 1870s silhouettes. The exquisite attention to detail and the overall design of the film, makes it, in my opinion, a visual art form.

  The first two shots, which feature the film company logos, Focus Features and Working Title, Set up the trailer as if it were the beginning of the film, but are also used to promote the film companies. These two companies can also be associated with period dramas, and they have produced them in the past.

  An intertitle is then used against a black backdrop, which reads, “There are as many loves as there are hearts. Leo Tolstoy,” which immediately suggests the romance genre, but also the idea that the film that is about to come is an adaptation of a Tolstoy novel. This could be a selling point for an audience that likes classic novel to film adaptations, but also period dramas. Without even showing a glimpse of the film itself, a lot of the picture is suggested.

  I think that the target audience for this film is middle aged adults, both male and female, but also anyone that has a passion for classic literature.

  The film trailer lasts two minutes and thirty one seconds, which is the average time of a film trailer. In this time, a good overview/synopsis of the plot is given, without telling too much of the story, as it teases the audience.

  With 153 shots in total (I think!), the trailer clearly shows off the sheer beauty of the film’s design, however the pacing of the shots ascend throughout the trailer with the climatic point featuring two or three shots in one second. This emphasises the drama as well as keeping the audience focused and intrigued.

  There are many fades used, which lead to intertitles that feature patterned backdrops and what appear to be almost like dancers’ reflections. This continues the sophisticated and period theme. There are also lots of fast paced jump cuts, that emphasise the climax and the drama.

  The diegetic sound that is used in the trailer is mainly speech and dialogue. The opening dialogue,  “I was eighteen when I got married, but it was not love…” immediately implies the romance genre, but also the obvious regret that the character carries with her, and her remaining desire to fall in love.

  The diegetic dialogue, “So this is love!” which is synchronised over shots of Anna and another man, suggests to the audience that the film is centred around the female character and her love affair with a younger cavalry officer, Count Vronsky. This is also reinforced by Anna’s husband’s dialogue, “We are bound together by God, and this can only be broken by a crime against God, which reflects the religious argument, but also the seriousness of the matter, especially in that time period.

  As for non-diegetic music, there is an introductory soundtrack to begin the trailer, which is an overture-like theme, informing us that what is about to come is like a play, but also creates a grand opening for the trailer. The second soundtrack that begins shortly after this is the main soundtrack that plays across the rest of the trailer. The piece of music heavily features a piano, with some strings, that increase in volume as the trailer reaches its climax. The genre of classical music fits perfectly with the trailer, as it reinforces the period genre, but also the sophistication, class and status of the characters in the film. The sound effect of an old fashioned train is used a few times in the trailer, but especially just before the title of the film is revealed, and when the trailer is at the climatic point. This reinforces the importance of the train in the story, and foreshadows the tragic ending.

  The main character, Anna, is portrayed as a married woman, but not in love, until she falls for Count Vronsky and undergoes a shocking love affair. This is the story featured most in the trailer, however there are sub-plots implied, which reveal some of the other characters’ stories. For example, Anna’s husband (Alexei Alexandrovich Karenin), is shown to be in government however he is losing his power and status, apparent in the dialogue, “The man who can’t govern his wife has gone as far as he can go in government.”

  The trailer reveals that this is a tragic romance, beginning with wide shots of Anna and Count Vronsky dancing, and a medium close up of Anna twirling and laughing, but gradually tells the audience of Anna’s depression and troubles, as her husband orders that she cannot have her son because of her love affair. A shallow focus shot is also used towards the end of the trailer, which features Anna in the background and a bottle of whiskey in the foreground, which further implies her depression and spiral into alcoholism.

  The code of enigma represented in the trailer is Anna’s fate, and her choice between true love and the life that she has been trying to live with her husband.

  Intertitles are used to give an overview of the story, such as, “An affair shocked a nation, which refers to the adultery between Anna and Vronsky. However, they are also used to inform the audience of the film director. For example, the intertitles, “From Joe Wright”, and, “Director of Atonement and Pride & Prejudice,” create a unique selling point, as fans of Joe Wright, or people that enjoyed Pride & Prejudice or Atonement may be intrigued to see this film. The intertitle, “An epic story of love,” further reinforces the romance genre, which would be appealing to the target audience.

  In my opinion, the most appealing aspect of Anna Karenina is the film’s visuals. Every shot is a work of art, and the intertitle, “A bold new vision,” sums up the film perfectly, as the stunning sets/locations and beautiful costumes makes this a film that the target audience would be in awe with.