The titles that appear in the lock stock and two smoking barrels are not what you would expect from a crime thriller, but this is because comedy is also a big part of the film. However, they fit very well as they are heavily edited with things such as shadows and energetic transitions. The titles also fit the era of the film, 1998, as the lettering is not fancy. It is just straight forward bold lettering, which also has British connotations. This can also be seen in similar-era films such as ‘Starsky & Hutch’ and ‘Snatch’. They tell us the film will be serious, and they also hint at the type of comedy to expect. If it was soft, family comedy the letters would most likely be swirly, make some sort of picture or have a certain trademark font such as Shrek, the ‘S’ in particular as it has the Shrek ears.
The simplistic design is also very typical of the director Guy Ritchie, which suggests he would have had some input on the idea, his other films use little colour and are straight to the point such as ‘Rock n Rolla’ and again, ‘Snatch’.
This is the film title as it appears in the trailer. As you can see they are very easy to read, they are bold and stand out and they have the tilt so they connote comedy. The picture to the left is also quite funny as you wouldn’t expect that to be a serious picture of the typical ‘gangster’. They also have reference to Britain as the background of the ‘and’ is a union jack. The black background is also powerful as it something the reader doesn’t notice on screen, allowing them to take in this image fully and allowing the union jack to have a larger effect and not needing to be big to be noticed. The ‘pillar’ the characters appear to be stood on is red which is a connotation of blood and danger, things which are both a big part of the film and very common throughout with gun crime, car crashes and gang rivalry. The characters have also been edited into a silhouette which has comedic effect on the film, as they are just outlines however, they provide us with a sense of mystery and we want to match the characters seen in the trailer to the four seen above, this is a technique used to relate to the audience and make them want to watch it.
The genre is definatly a hybrid between Crime, Thriller and Comedy. It has reference to these three genres throughout and they are entwined perfectly. Crime is present with the involvement of weapons, drugs and gang rivalry. It is also a thriller because we are kept on edge as one gang member is caught by the other and held at gun point, and gang members hide in other gang’s houses for example. The comedy part comes across accidently through dopiness and stupidity of other characters. There is a scene where a character with a perm is shot and the bullet goes straight through his hair leaving behind a hole of smoke. As some of the genres are done to look accidental and some are exaggerated it becomes very unique and I think this is why the film is so entertaining and successful as it fits its niche. It relates to other films directed by Guy Ritchie such as ‘Snatch’ with the thriller and crime side which is why I think he found scope to add humour, this is another reason the hybrid genres are very well portrayed.
The film is rated 18 so the audience intended is of that age plus. I think this is very suitable for the film because of everything it includes such as weapons, drugs and sexual content. As well as this point, I think people younger than this age such as 14 or 15 would struggle to understand some of the connotations and struggle to fit the whole storyline together. The film could have to contain these elements in order to be successful so I think the certificate is perfect.
The trailer appeals to these by showing the more violent, yet comedic scenes and clearly hinting that the characters are gangsters and involved with the gangster lifestyle. Stereotypically we know this involves weapons, drugs and sexual content mentioned above so it is clear to the audience that the full version will be rated 18. They do widen the appeal of the film with comedy which could also be a bad thing as younger viewers might be tempted to watch it or secretly download it on the computer without parental consent; I would say this is the only negative connotation of the trailer.
Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels had a very unique selling point as it was one of the first successful British gangster crime thrillers at the time it came out in 1998. The fact that comedy and crime had been infused together, but still with its serious tone allowed it to be one of a kind and make it a desirable film to watch. I also think some people would have been able to relate to situations in it throughout or at least hear about the kinds or storylines in everyday conversation, particularly at that time in London as the film also involves lots of modern day issues.
The cast of the film also give it a high reputation and make it very creditable as it includes such actors as Jason Statham and Vinnie Jones. Jason Statham is quite a talented actor so the audience will enjoy watching his performance and he does all his own stunts, another respectable characteristic of an actor. Vinnie Jones is an ex Welsh footballer so he will already have had a largely accumulated fan base through that profession. He is also typically known as a ‘hard man’ so he plays the roll very well. The fact these actors portray the characters perfectly makes this kind of film very successful. In the trailer, the film was regarded as “Fresh, fast and utterly original” by Jonathan Foreman of the New York Post. His compliment will also encourage an audience.
The trailer begins with dialogue from the mouth of Vinnie Jones, he introduces the trailer with “rack them guns up, count the money and put your seat belt on”, this is diegetic sound. As you can see this tackles the issues of weapons, money and is followed by a humorous comment, neutralising and lightening the mood/situation. As this is the first thing you hear from the trailer before any non-spoken sound you can already get an idea of what the film is going to be like. Music then begins as a guitar chord is strung and a rock riff is layered above it. This runs along with a chase scene were Jason Statham is running away from the police and it provides the action seen on screen with a sense of energy.
In terms of non-diegetic sound, an American narrator then begins to say the reviews it has received over the top of the scene and praise how good it is giving it credibility. This is in direct contrast with the actual film as ‘Lock, Stock’ is very British, but I think buy the narrator having an American accent it mixes it up and makes it less confusing; if the narrator was English it wouldn’t work as well as they would all have similar accents and it would seem quite monotone, America is home to a large culture of film so this also adds to its credibility.
The fast tempo rock soundtrack continues to build a crescendo throughout as drums and percussion are layered on top, along with bass guitar. This makes us think it will be action packed, full of energy and chaotic throughout with lots of exciting features and scenes as that would fit the soundtrack we are hearing as do the scenes we are shown in the trailer. We also hear diegetic sounds and sound effects of money flickering, guns being reloaded and characters shouting which reassure the audience of what it will be like. Pauses in the narrative speech allow for characters to be introduced or say a few lines from the film, this is a way to tease the audience and leave them on a cliff-hanger which will make them want to watch the film. Halfway through the trailer the first rock song switches to a Classic Brit Pop song by Oasis, this adds credibility as they are a world famous band and it will be another enjoyable part of the trailer for people. Not only this, but fans of Oasis (which would have been millions of people) will be drawn to the film and may become encouraged to see it simply through this feature.
