Trailer Analysis: American Sniper (2014)

 

American Sniper is a US action film, and the trailer depicts the tough decision that needs to be made by Snipers in the heat of war. This trailer expertly shows the level of tension in the short scene and the pressure of having to make the right call. The editing of this trailer is the key to its success as the pacing and the flashbacks all add to the suspense of the moment. The director, Clint Eastwood is very good at recreating these tense moments and portraying gritty realism as shown in other films like Sully. 

The camerawork is very important in this trailer as it shows the perspective of the sniper and is very intimate. There is a lot of close up shots in order to capture the facial expressions of the actor as we see the choice of taking the shot is juggled in his mind. This therefore gives the audience an insight into the sniper's character, rather than portraying him as a ruthless killer the audience is emotionally attached to him. This emotional connection between the character and the audience is also key as it means that the audience is much more likely to watch the film after the trailer. There is also POV shots used to show the audience what he is seeing through the sight of his scope. This allows the audience to put themselves in his shoes and acts to amplify the tension created in the scene as the audience watch the events unfold. This accompanied with the mise-en-scene of the debris-ridden, bombed, Middle Eastern town helps add to the realism of the scene and the immersion in the trailer. The costuming has also been done effectively as the soldiers are wearing tan camouflage which is stereotypical of soldiers deployed in Middle Eastern / desert countries.

Sound is used very precisely in this trailer. As the trailer progresses and the suspense and action build, so does the music. The intensity of the background track adds further suspense to the scenes unfolding and doesn't reach a crescendo, which makes the audience question whether he took the shot or no. This will act as a hook to get the audience to watch the film in cinemas as they want to watch and find out what happens. At the end of the trailer when notable mentions are shown, there is a single heartbeat which is very ambiguous in its use. This could signal the taking of the boys life, or the mistake of him not taking the shot and the convoy being destroyed.

Dialogue is also important as it helps deter the audience from alienating possible enemies. In the trailer, the sniper is deciding whether to shoot a suspicious man on a rooftop. As he is given the 'green light' to shoot, his spotter says "maybe he is calling his old lady". This dialogue reminds the audience that the people in war have lives and other people surrounding them and that other people will be affected by their death. This is where the trailer excels, giving emotional value to each interaction in the trailer. This further emphasises the difficulty in having the power to conserve and keep someones life.  

Editing is also a key aspect to this trailer that helps to give emotional value to the scene. Cross cutting is done is an parallel way, trying to contrast what he is seeing to his own life. He has a backstory and the trailer suggests that the main conflict isn't Afghanistan vs America, but a man vs his own mind. When he is deciding whether to shoot the boy, flashbacks of his life play in his mind. This gives the audience insight to his life experiences and how that may affect his decision. There is also an audio overlay during the flashback montage of his spotter saying "they fry you if you get it wrong" referencing court marshaling. This further emphasises the emotional weight of his decision to take the shot or not.