The trailer for Braveheart is very conventional and displays many of the typical aspects associated with film trailers. Most trailers follow the Todorov structure, which develops from an initial equilibrium, to a disequilibrium, and then ends with an altered equilibrium. However seeing as trailers are designed to whet the appetite of the viewer rather than give away the plot of the film, the altered equilibrium is not shown. The trailer for Braveheart exemplifies this structure; at the start, the viewer is shown the initial equilibrium, when William Wallace is shown to live a peaceful, idyllic life. This is summed up by what the narrator says, "In a land of timeless beauty, William Wallace was a man of peace", while the music in this first segment of the trailer is also serene. Then, the music changes drastically to a darker soundtrack, and the audience is shown the disequilibrium. The English army led by Edward Longshanks - who is introduced as "the most ruthless king to ever sit on the throne of England" - are introduced. This segment of the trailer is also nicely captured by the narrator, who continues, "But when they threatened his world and the woman he loved, he was driven to war".
Initial Equilibrium
Disequilibrium
An aspect of the trailer that goes against the conventions of most trailers is the lack of titles. Generally, trailers include titles in between scenes in order to either give an overview of the basic plot or for promotional purposes such as to introduce star members of the cast and crew or the release date. Instead, in the trailer for Braveheart a narrator fills the storytelling role, and of the cast and crew only the male lead, Mel Gibson, is mentioned by the narrator. The only title that is shown is a brief credit to the main figures and institutions in the production of the film.
The trailer is a conventional length at 2:54 minutes, and this gives enough time to take the audience through the traditional motions of an action/adventure trailer, with a slow start and calm music transitioning to a fast paced, action-packed second half and climax.
Furthermore, this trailer also follows Propp's character theory, which is especially prevalent in historical and action/adventure trailers. The different roles are outlined very clearly from the first half of the trailer. The 'Hero' is William Wallace, The 'Villain' is Edward Longshanks and the 'Princess' is a literal princess - Isabelle, who we see in romantic scenes with the Hero in the trailer.
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