Case Study: Harry Brown

Narrative

The trailer opens by introducing Harry Brown and soon after gives him his motivation for his mission through the death of his friend Lenny at the hands of the local hoodlums. Unsatisfied with the police and terrorized himself, the rest of the trailer displays Harry enacting his own brand of vigilantism, shadowed by the polices attempts to catch up with him, very little of the plot is detailed more than this, and the audience is given very little clue as to what is going on, particularly towards the latter part of the film where plot gives way to action.

Characters

Harry Brown is, fittingly, the first character to be introduced, with his background in the marines being discussed vaguely later on, he seems to be the most fleshed out character, his relationship with Lenny spurring the plot for the film and his own thoughts displayed through his dialogue, on the other side, the antagonists are introduced all in a similar manner, and all are displayed as violent, arrogant or otherwise low character's, little more is revealed. In between this a female police officer recurringly appears, as apparently she alone understands the true nature of Harry.

Colours & Lighting

The entire trailer is primarily show in low light; creating strong contrast on top of the scene, what light there is seems to come mostly in blue or orange tones, creating either a cold, or a dangerous atmosphere, respectively, the orange lighting is especially used in conjunction with fire, which seems quite prevalent in the trailer.

Music and sound

the piece is an original score by Chase and Status, the song is reflective of the youth culture the film surrounds, and is a clear contrast to Harry Brown's character, a metaphor for how he stands out of his element and against the odds, as well as being a marketing ploy to attract the younger audience that the film is aimed at. Most of the characters speak with a south London accent, with the gang members’ accents being particularly strong. Only the female police officer has a middle class accent, singling her out from the rest of the characters.

Props

Firearms are prevalent throughout the trailer, showing the dangerous nature of the film, and the location reflects the stereotypical idea of youth crime in that it mostly takes place in run down areas.