Dystopian Trailer Critique

The Book of Eli. The Hughes Brothers. R. 2010.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, a man embarks on a journey to save humanity by protecting a sacred book, though he is not the only one who finds the book valuable.


Dystopias are characterized by an anti-utopian society, often caused by a political, technological, or environmental crisis. The trailer for The Book of Eli not only encompasses these dystopian concepts, but also shapes an understanding of dystopian society through its cinematography, music, and gripping plot. Immediately noticed when watching the trailer are the distinct colors found in the palette of the film. The colors used are mostly oranges, blacks, whites, and grays, necessary to create the parched, dying setting of a post-apocalypse. Also included in the trailer is a voice over that clearly defines key plot points. The trailer features an intense score, adding more definition to the underlying tone illustrated in the film. The absence of captions until the end of the trailer adds a nice sense of fluidity. The implementation of these effects will play a large role in the dystopian trailer for class. The altering of colors in the trailer may ultimately be a necessary effect to add in our trailer to further shape the tone and setting of the story we are trying to tell. Also, a voice over may be necessary to detail the plot, unless we manage to get the message across in a different fashion.