Research: Comedy The Hangover; narrative analysis

 

The hangover narrative analysis

The trailer shows clear signs that Todorov’s theory of narrative, the equilibrium at the beginning is shown as all 4 main characters are well, clean and all intact, which by the middle of the trailer vastly changes. The music and lighting is used to build up and up to the climax making the audience feel good and as if they too are on a night out in Vegas. The disruption is marked by the collapse of the feel good music, imatating the anti-climax of a hangover from the night before. The appearences of the main characters change from looking quite dapper the night before, to looking a complete mess linking with the drop of the music, this marks the disruption of the equilibrium. A change of music and camera shot editing lowers the mood of the trailer as the characters try to right all the wrongs they did the previous night, the lower tone is contradicted as things start to go wrong for the trio giving the trailer its comedy element. This shows the characters  recognising the disruption and attempting to repair it. The trailer leaves the audience in suspense as the reinstatement of the equilibrium is not revealed in the trailer, making the audience want to see the whole film to see how it ends.
The trailer suggests that the plot of the film some what follows Propp's theory of narrative, the hero's; are the three male characters looking for their friend who is due to be married the next day, making the lost friend the princess. Las Vegas is suggested to be the villain as it is in the way of them finding their lost 'princess'. The various people the ask for information would appear to be the helpers and donors.