Stop-Loss

If only ulterior motives were easier to disguise. I'm taking a look at the marketing efforts for Stop-Loss (opening in theaters this weekend) simply because I want to see the movie. Which could mean the film has been doing an effective job at marketing - or not. Either way, we'll find out.

So the interesting thing about Stop-Loss is this: it's an Iraq war movie that doesn't play up that it's an Iraq war movie. The Kimberly Pierce film (Boys Don't Cry) takes this approach because after a fall that was littered with films that either directly or indirectly had thematic ties to Iraq (Lions for Lambs, Rendition), marketers learned the hard way that the war just doesn't sell. So what is Paramount to do?

First - sell it as an MTV film. Slap "MTV Films Presents" in as many highly visible places as you can, and hope it finds its way to socially preoccupied 17-24 year olds everywhere. Second - downplay the Iraq connection in any and all advertisements, including the official trailer. Third - re frame the movie - don't sell it as an Iraq film, sell the pretty young cast as a close group of friends.

Compare the two official trailers on the film's website for a clearer example.

This one, which is listed as the second official trailer, was actually the first one I remember seeing last fall. (The film was scheduled to be released in the Fall of 2007, but the slew of Iraq movies coming out then forced Paramount to move the release date.)



This trailer, listed as the first official trailer, is the one that is used currently.



Big difference, right? The first trailer screams big, political, anti-war, anti-Bush movie - exactly the type that already failed at the box office. The second, however, frames the movie as a gripping drama about a group of twenty-somethings, which just so happens to involve the Iraq war.

This is a risky strategy for Paramount. On the one hand, it's clear that audiences aren't all that interested in the Iraq war at the box office just yet. (Though when the war is finally over, and we've all had time to reflect and digest, I think that will change.) On the other, Paramount could severely upset their audience by selling the film as something it isn't. Or, the movie ends up being a hit - it really could go either way. While I think it's sad that Paramount needs to dumb down the film in order to sell it - I understand the motives behind the decision. Here's to hoping that Stop-Loss doesn't become a box office loss. Who knows - maybe we'll finally have an Iraq film that finds a way to resonate with movie audiences everywhere.