The Texas Chainsaw Massacre trailer analysis

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)

Narrative structure:

·         Period of Equilibrium

The audience can tell the period of equilibrium as the group of teenagers are on a road trip. The fun and carefree atmosphere emphasise the period of equilibrium of the movie.

·         Moment of Disequilibrium

The first sign of the moment of disequilibrium is when the group of friends find the hitchhiker on the roadside. The line, “they’re all dead” is the biggest suggestion that this part of the trailer is the moment of disequilibrium. One other factor which suggests the period of disequilibrium is the teenagers’ curiosity of the house.

·         Period of Disequilibrium

The trailer clearly represents the period of disequilibrium through the group of friends being split up and the individual chase scenes; along with clips of the teenagers being attacked by the psycho killer.

Sound:

The non-diegetic sound at the beginning of the trailer suggested and emphasised the period of equilibrium because it was calm and relaxing, as the establishing sequence suggested. However when the moment of disequilibrium is introduced the sound immediately stops up until the period of disequilibrium, where the non-diegetic sound becomes fast-paced orchestral music, in synchronisation with the chase scenes and action.

Codes and Conventions/ Genre Iconography:

The establishing shot shows the code and convention of isolation as the audience see a car travelling on a long, deserted road. The clip we see of two teenagers kissing and the other teenager taking drugs, adds to the codes and conventions of sex, and any other immoral acts, linking straight to death. The “Final girl” theory is also shown within this trailer as the audience are shown the female survivor at the moment of disequilibrium. Further along the trailer, the iconography of the dark, abandoned, isolate house is presented to the audience as it creates fear of the unknown for the audience. The feminist view of films is clearly portrayed as a codes and convention within this trailer, because of the voice over of a woman screaming for help, showing the female characters of a horror movie to be weak and inferior. The weapons used by the psycho killer are sharp, violent, piercing weapons, following the codes and conventions of slasher horrors.

Editing:

The beginning of the trailer consists of smooth transactions such as Fade to blacks. This represents the passing of time and makes the clip seem to have a laid-back atmosphere. During the moment of disequilibrium the fade to black editing becomes quick to show shock and fear of the teenagers. The dissolves used at the moment of disequilibrium creates uncertainty and curiosity for the audience as well as the characters. This is emphasised by the freeze frames used for the audience to clearly see the torture. At the period of disequilibrium the editing has a fast pace as the jump cuts create fear for the audience. The fast-paced jump shots not only mirror the audiences’ heartbeat but make them feel disorientated adding to their fear.