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Directed by Gerardo Naranjo

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A thrilling, unrelenting actioner that wears

sincere socio-political concerns about the

drug wars in Mexico on its sleeve.

- 55th BFI London Film Festival

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VnFnAdSawc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VnFnAdSawchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VnFnAdSawchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VnFnAdSawchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VnFnAdSawchttp://rebeccamediastudies.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/miss_bala_uk_poster.jpg

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Drama Films are serious presentations or stories with settings orlife situations that portray realistic characters in conflict with either

themselves, others, or forces of nature. A dramatic film shows ushuman beings at their best, their worst, and everything in-between.

Each of the types of subject-matter themes have various kinds of

dramatic plots. Dramatic films are probably the largest film genre

because they include abroad spectrum of films.

Dramatic themes often include current issues, societal ills, andproblems, concerns

orinjustices, such as racial prejudice, religious intolerance (such as anti-

Semitism), drug addiction, poverty,political unrest, the corruption of power,

alcoholism, class divisions, sexual inequality, mental illness, corrupt societal

institutions, violence toward women or other explosive issues of the times. These

films have successfully drawn attention to the issues by taking advantage of the

topical interest of the subject.

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The genre of the film, a Mexian drama film presents and highlights the issue ofcurrent drug wars within Mexico. This is conveyed through the use of music usedwithin the film, This AintNo Hymn by Saint Saviour, especiallytowards the endwhen the lyrics are repeated and is more strongly emphasized, this aint no hymn,this aintno hymn. Alongside the fast pace of the editing and typography used inthe title, shows the title of the beauty pagent, Miss Bala, with a crack through it,this connotes the narrativ of the film in which, female protagonist, Laura

Guererro gains the title of Miss Baja California only through he role within thedrugs war, that of which she did not choose to partcipate but was forced to do,highlighting the corruption of this issue in Mexico and thus conforming andconveying to the genre of a drama film.

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The narrative structure of the trailer shows the film within a chronological order as isdone so within the film. Todorovs narrative theory can be applied here also with thebeginning state of equilibrium, and disruption that is also presented within the trailer.

Todorovs narrative theory however can not be completed, as with what is presented inthe trailer, no realisation and restoration is shown. The turning point of the narrativethat marks this shift of the climactic point, is not when the club is hijacked and there isa shooting, but when the female protagonist is drawn into the drugs gang and war, andbecomes fully participated in their actions without her willingly wanting to do so. Thisis due to the fact the trailer and film in general are following Laura Guerrero, the

female protagonist and her story. The audience is aware that this is the turning point inthe narrative due to the fade to black after when the music, This AintNo Hymn bySaint Saviour begins.

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Within the trailer it is visible that a strong sense of binary opposition is presented hereof her dream in becoming Miss Bala, and in the way that she forced to do succeed thisthrough the drug wars, this is presented the use of the images in the trailer.

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The film begins setting up a faade of bliss, with the first

two opening shots, that are brightly lit.

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The two MID shots presented here to the left shown at thebeginning and middle of the film show the deterioration anddestruction of the character that has been caused. The twoshots present the female protagonist in two different states,both in a realisation of ones self, one with darker lighting andfilter than the other also shows these two different states ofpositivity and negativity through the drug war.

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The trailer conveys the institutional information at thebeginning of the film with the production company,Canana Films ident and at the end of the film, after thetitle Miss Bala is shown. This information presents to usthat Gerardo Naranjo, who wrote, directed and editedthe film, this creates an association of his previous work

in which he has made five other Mexican drama films.Gael Garcia Bernal, is also shown to have executiveproduced the film, he his well known for his acting inmany films such as, Y Tu Mam Tambin by AlfonsoCuarn and PedroAlmodovars film, Bad Education.Canana Films is an independent distributor andproduction company.

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The trailer opens with the dialogue ofLaura Guererro, and whilst there is nota great amount of dialogue in thetrailer, she is main speaker

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Alongside the fast pace of the editing and the sans serif typography of the title, shows thetitle of the beauty pageant, Miss Bala, with a crack through it, this connotes thenarration of the film in which, female protagonist, Laura Guererro gains the title of MissBaja California only through her role within the drugs gang, that of which she did notchoose to participate but was forced to do. The crack highlights the corruption of thisissue in Mexico and of the way in which the female protagonist was used in order to

achieve this. The colours and texture used for the title is also represented of the locationin which the trailer shows the film is based around, Mexico and some of the shotsconnoting of the drugs gang coincide with this.

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The text of the subtitles have been used in a certain way with the transition offade to black to create narrative intrigue. This adds mystery and puts theaudience in a sense of vulnerability hearing the diagloue, seeing the text butnot being able to see this character. This places the audience in the place ofLaura Guerreo, the female protagonist in which she is put in a state of

vulnerability.