Directed by Gerardo Naranjo

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

Drama Films are serious presentations or stories with settings or

life situations that portray realistic characters in conflict with either themselves, others, or forces of nature. A dramatic film shows us human 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 a broad spectrum of films.
Dramatic themes often include current issues, societal ills, and problems, concerns or injustices, such as racial prejudice, religious intolerance (such as antiSemitism), 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.

The genre of the film, a Mexian drama film presents and highlights the issue of current drug wars within Mexico. This is conveyed through the use of music used within the film, This Aint No Hymn by Saint Saviour, especially towards the end when the lyrics are repeated and is more strongly emphasized, this aint no hymn, this aint no hymn. Alongside the fast pace of the editing and typography used in the 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 the drugs 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 and conveying to the genre of a drama film.

 The narrative structure of the trailer shows the film within a chronological order as is

done so within the film. Todorovs narrative theory can be applied here also with the beginning 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 in the trailer, no realisation and restoration is shown. The turning point of the narrative that marks this shift of the climactic point, is not when the club is hijacked and there is a shooting, but when the female protagonist is drawn into the drugs gang and war, and becomes fully participated in their actions without her willingly wanting to do so. This is 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 in the narrative due to the fade to black after when the music, This Aint No Hymn by Saint Saviour begins.

 Within the trailer it is visible that a strong sense of binary opposition is presented here

of her dream in becoming Miss Bala, and in the way that she forced to do succeed this through the drug wars, this is presented the use of the images in the trailer.

The film begins setting up a faade of bliss, with the first two opening shots, that are brightly lit.

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

The trailer conveys the institutional information at the beginning of the film with the production company, Canana Films ident and at the end of the film, after the title Miss Bala is shown. This information presents to us that Gerardo Naranjo, who wrote, directed and edited the 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 executive produced the film, he his well known for his acting in many films such as, Y Tu Mam Tambin by Alfonso Cuarn and Pedro Almodovars film, Bad Education. Canana Films is an independent distributor and production company.

The trailer opens with the dialogue of Laura Guererro, and whilst there is not a great amount of dialogue in the trailer, she is main speaker

 Alongside the fast pace of the editing and the sans serif typography of the title, shows the

title of the beauty pageant, Miss Bala, with a crack through it, this connotes the narration of the film in which, female protagonist, Laura Guererro gains the title of Miss Baja California only through her role within the drugs gang, that of which she did not choose to participate but was forced to do. The crack highlights the corruption of this issue 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 location in which the trailer shows the film is based around, Mexico and some of the shots connoting of the drugs gang coincide with this.

The text of the subtitles have been used in a certain way with the transition of fade to black to create narrative intrigue. This adds mystery and puts the audience in a sense of vulnerability hearing the diagloue, seeing the text but not being able to see this character. This places the audience in the place of Laura Guerreo, the female protagonist in which she is put in a state of vulnerability.