To Mr. Mundt,

Using a genre-based and nationalist mythological approach to market No Country For Old Men is a good financial decision because you can draw directly on people’s nostalgia for western movies. Let’s be real, sir, the western genre more or less died (in the eyes of the public) about 50 years ago, so this might be a tough sell. Instead of selling the film as a western, then, it might be more profitable to market it as a kind of retrospective towards the genre. Think about it, the movie is all analyzing why people are nostalgic for old western movies, just market the movie about the story of the western “myth” and you can appeal to multiple generations: the older ones who are nostalgic for westerns themselves and the younger ones who love deconstructing things that older people like.

People also love movies that subvert genre roles. Remember how much everybody loved Get Out (or, I guess, remember how profitable it was)? That movie was all about using the horror genre to make off-genre conclusions about American society (did I mention you can use this same nationalist approach too?). No Country For Old Men can use the same angle; using the elements of a western to analyze what about the genre characters connect with. Sure, you could use the over-the-top violence to market the film, but plenty of ultra-violent movies flop. Instead, I would suggest using the way that the film plays with genre to sell it, so that we can secure the postmodern millenials who just love deconstructing genre the way that this movie does. Maybe use the music-less soundtrack in your ads, or include some of the voice-overs about how they did it in the “good old days.” Either way, No Country For Old Men’s take on genre conventions is also its most interesting and possibly profitable option, and I hope you’ll consider this approach when deciding how to market it.

To Mr. Mundt,

Using a combination of an archetypal and feminist approach to market Brave is a good financial decision because the movie puts a unique spin on Campbell’s quintessential Hero’s Journey template, which is familiar to more or less all moviegoers and is known to be well-received. The most popular films of current day, such as the Marvel franchise, employ the Hero’s Journey to enormous economic and cultural success. Film consumers, now more than ever, love a good hero. But the only thing better than a hero? A heroine. People are growing tired of the stereotypical male-led stock protagonists, and are calling for more diversity of all kinds in casting. This is the ideal time to market a female-driven narrative, as notions of woman empowerment and feminism are at their peak in modern society. Social media, in particular, is an extremely effective platform to sell this on. For proof, think of movie heroines that viewers have worshipped – Wonder Woman, Moana, Rey, Katniss, Hermione – they have cemented their place in pop culture by virtue of being strong, well-developed female characters. Brave’s Merida fits neatly into that list, along with an extra dose of unconventionality by not having a love interest in the picture. By showcasing her Heroine’s Journey, we can combine modern feminism with tried-and-true Campbellian archetypes to create a powerful marketing approach.

To Mr. Mundt,

Using the Messianic approach to market Truman Show is a good financial decision because the people LOVE Messiahs. The idea of a Messiah– a hero to save us from our own vices– is one that’s inherently appealing. You’re a devout Christian, Mr. Mundt, so I don’t need to tell you this. Truman’s transformation from Everyman to Messianiac figure is rather inspiring, telling people how they take control of their own lives and save themselves from whatever destiny they have.

If we take this inspiration and move it to marketing, imagine the profits we can attain! Many people likely missed the Christ imagery in Truman Show on their first watch, giving them incentive to rewatch. New viewers will be drawn in the Messiah narrative that has become so ingrained in our culture– just look at the beloved Hero’s Journey, which has many aspects reflective of a savior narrative. They’ll see Truman and they’ll think, “Now this is a movie that’s got something to say.”

Plus, there’s a cool little meta aspect to it as well. After all, in the movie proper, viewers of the Truman Show saw Truman as a form of comfort. In-universe, he was a Messiah figure himself, despite his commodification. Now, if we sell this movie as a Messiah story, we’d be commodifying a story about the commodification of a Messiah. Now you may see this as cynical, Mr. Mundt, but I see this as a perfect way to show how layered the film is. It’s an exploration of the relationship between viewer and television star, of reality and perception, and of man and savior. I think that, if we pull this off, we can get a damn good marketing campaign.

Anyway, Mr. Mundt, I hope you’ll consider approaching the Truman Show advertising from a Messianic perspective. I feel like it’ll be a take that a lot of people will appreciate, plus we can do some neat metatextual stuff.

Best,

Leif Mollo

To Mr. Mundt

Using a nationalist approach to market GoodFellas is a good financial decision because it is an especially Italian American movie. Martin Scorsese has directed a variety of Italian American movies that even include a documentary about his family titled Italian American. Scorsese has had a soft spot for the Italian American community and GoodFellas is a story about a specific part of this community. One of the most significant reasons why this movie will sell is because it is about the mafia and this is a distinctly Italian American group. People want to see the mafia at its best (or ugliest depending on your take). This happens when they are Italian, taking part in the break-neck culture of tough guys fending for themselves and those close to them. This culture is entertaining to viewers and very recognizable with the actors doing what it takes including commiting murder in order to keep others in line. People recognize the Italian mafia which adds to the appeal of running a nationalist myth campaign. The Italian American nationalist myth also has a romanticism to it given that many scenes take place in restaurants or bars. The central theme of family throughout the myth paints an ideal world where the husband loves his wife and kids and the big extended family all comes together as one. This nationalist myth puts some scenes and actions in an ideal lighting to tell the viewer that this is the way things should be and many people are interested in experiencing that world. GoodFellas draws people in because it enters the nationalist myth of a romantic people while also entertaining them with the violence of the mafia found in the same culture. If people are reminded of this, they will be more than willing to buy copies of a timeless movie.  

To Mr. Mundt,

Using a nationalistic approach to market Iron Man is a good financial decision because Iron Man is the embodiment of the American culture, and what do Americans’ like more than America? Just take a look at Tony Stark: he’s a billionaire, famous, innovator of new technology, funny, and extremely attractive. What more could an American man want to be like, and what more could an American female want to find? It’s no wonder Iron Man is one of the most popular figures in the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, he is everything an American wants to see in today’s superhero. So why not commemorate the end of Iron Man’s career in the MCU with a reboot of his origin story movie, that focuses on why all the fans love him? On a more serious note, this nationalistic approach is a good idea because the plot of the movie revolves around the war on terror. As you recall, Stark was captured by a group of terrorists and made his first suit in order to escape, ultimately he comes back and defeats them, and saves innocent civilians. This ‘perfect american’ that the fans love comes in and defeats the terrorists that our country has been at war with for the past 20 years. For an everyday man, they can’t help but be entertained by this. It is like rooting for your favorite sports team, Iron Man brings out a sense of pride and nationalism for the fans because they are rooting for him against a common enemy. On a deeper level, fans thats do not support the War on Terror anymore can find their own sources of support from this mythological approach. Fans with an extensive knowledge on the comics know that Iron Man realize that Iron Man is an allegory that criticizes the Vietnam War and Cold War. By paralleling the two stories, they can actually interpret this movie as a criticism of this war as well, supporting their beliefs. On top of this, other fans can ignore the Middle East all together, because the real enemy is the corrupt Mr. Stone, Stark’s old partner that betrayed him. America’s today despise corrupt business that exploit others for their own selfish desires. So how could they not get invested in the battle between Stark vs Stone, the epitome of good vs evil in today’s world.

As you can see, marketing Iron Man from a nationalistic approach will remind the fans why they relate with Iron Man and are invested in the movie, which is why the movie was such a blockbuster in the first place.

To Mr. Mundt,

Using an archetypal and religious approach to mythology to market Se7en is a good financial decision because the theme which this movie focuses on makes it unique from other movies and appeals to all audiences. This movie draws intensely from literature which show to be influenced by biblical mythology such as Paradise Lost, Dante’s Purgatory, and more to expound on the seven deadly sins which this movie uses as a motif. The serial killer, John Doe, puts people through judgement and punishment based on the sin they represent, thinking he is some sort of supreme power entitled to do this. This religious approach in the movie makes it distinctive from others because it hints to being a story of the gods (which most myths are), but still manages to be free from bias towards a specific religion. Therefore, you can advertise the movie as a film about judgment yet is still free from religious bias, making it attractive to all audiences. The archetype which this movie poses is also an attractive feature of the movie. The setting of the movie is never specified and lifestyle of the main characters are pretty basic. The serial killer’s name, in fact, is John Doe, a name given to the unidentifiable. This vagueness and lack of specificity makes the movie comes off as an archetype applicable to reality or other plot structures. This isolates the movie from others, since most are specific about their settings, characters, etc. It would be a good investment because it meshes the film’s plot with what viewers might experience themselves instead of isolating the movie from reality. Viewers will question whether the screenwriter intended the movie to be so vague to underscore the message that humanity can be put through judgement like in the story whether that is by a supreme power or not. A movie about the seven deadly sins may intimidate viewers who don’t have religious background, but even though this movie is influenced by biblical mythology, it doesn’t credit a specific religion for this. Additionally, it appeals to those who do have religious background and believe that humans are judged based on a dogma similar to the seven deadly sins, making it in total worthwhile to all audiences.

To Mr. Mundt,
Using a psychoanalytic approach to market Psycho is a good financial decision because there has been an interest in horror movies that contain a plot revolving around a main character who does extreme, wicked actions due to a psychological illness, both in fictional and nonfictional films. For example, Split is a psychological horror film that follows a man who has 23 different personalities and imprisons three teenagers in an underground facility. Another example is Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile, which is a biographical crime thriller film that is told from the perspective of real life serial killer Ted Bundy’s former girlfriend Elizabeth Kendall. Psycho is a good balance between Split and Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile because it is based off of the stories of real life serial killer Ed Gein where the main character Norman Bates, who has Dissociative Identity Disorder, takes the identity of his dead mother who he murdered. Consumers thirst for the explanations behind the unimaginable actions of these serial killers, which can be provided with the psychoanalytic approach. Our culture is also extremely interested in the psychoanalytic explanations to everything: why humans behave a certain way, why humans have preferences, etc. It may be advantageous to use this approach in order to highlight the progress of the stigma of mental illness from the 60s since it is a widely talked about issue today. Additionally, using the psychoanalytic approach to advertise the movie is the best approach because it is appealing to a specific audience that has not been reached to before. At the time of the film’s first release, a nationalist or archetypal approach would have been better in order to appeal any type of audience in general. With the multitude of movies being released, it is better to advertise with a specific lens in order to highlight the message in the film.

To Mr. Mundt,

Using psychoanalysis to market Interstellar is a good financial decision because people nowadays are very invested into psychological thrillers, plus after the whole House Un-American Activities Committee fiasco back in the day it probably is best to shy away from Marxism as our selling point. You wouldn’t want to find yourself getting deported to the former Soviet Union, after all. Anyway, psychological thrillers are all the current rage. Take for example the film Get Out. While technically a horror movie, the film actually is not horror in the typical sense but rather an examination of the psychological and social implications of racism and how it can play out even in a supposedly safe environment. Interstellar has major psychological themes running through it, such as the highly stressful environment of space and the wearing effects of loneliness. Take Dr. Mann for example. He is labeled throughout the film as “the best of humanity,” and continues to act in a manner that has the veneer of logic behind it, yet in voyaging out to space he admits he was so arrogant as to assume in the face of incredibly low odds that his planet would be one to support life, and when he discovers this is not the case begins to transmit it as the right one anyway out of his fear that he will be abandoned. In this, human emotions take center stage and make profound claims about how even the best of humanity can be reduced to monsters if put in trying situations, the very point that Dr. Mann makes to Cooper as he tries to kill him, saying “you were never tested as I was.” This has mythic implications due the common denominator as myth verbalizing the wildest thoughts of individuals and these scenes tacking the way the human mind operates under immense pressure. Beyond this, several other scenes also make this approach worthwhile, such as the discussions of love and where it finds its source. Given that this is clearly a discussion of the psychology of humanity, psychoanalysis is the perfect approach to take as it examines the story through the lens of human thought in the same way that the film tries to teach its audience about human thought. Overall, given the recent push for psychological thrillers and the centrality of psychology in the film, it is the perfect choice to take the psychoanalytical approach.

• One of the most important things I want to revise for my final draft is the overall flow and direction of the paper. I feel like a lot of my ideas were scattered in different paragraphs and I want to rearrange some of the ideas and make it more clear how they relate to and support my thesis. This reconstruction and rearrangement would serve not only to organize my paper, but also to organize my thought process (and therefore my writing process). In my thesis, I also want to find a way to relate class mobility and the Irish Boston national archetype to Damon’s upbringing. Although Damon was not Catholic Irish like the character he portrayed in Good Will Hunting, he did grow up in the Southie neighborhood, so he had firsthand experience of what it was like to grow up in their community. One thing I plan on doing is deleting the whole third paragraph, as I feel is it irrelevant to my thesis and redistributing the source by Noreen Golfman. This relates to my next point I want to fix in my final draft:
• I want to utilize more of the external sources I found. For example, when talking about the Irish Boston, I want to include some of the ideas about class transcendence and social mobility and tie that into my thesis. I would also like to include references to the Joseph Campbell paper we read during first quarter about the Hero’s Journey, but I will have to go through the process of searching for that first.
• In my paper, I also want to include more concrete evidence from the film and utilize more of the movie into my support for the thesis. For example, when describing the contrast between Professor Lambeau and Sean Maguire, I can incorporate various scenes of the movie that demonstrate the argument I am trying to make.

The first problem in my draft is the research involved to relate the movie to different myths. I would either have to dig deep and scratch the surface to get my answers. However, I feel like I ended up with a lot of information and needed to condense it since I ended up writing a 8 full pages. I just felt that I wasn’t proving that these sins related to myth enough so I provided a lot of concrete details from a myriad of sources. I simply have to dissect what is important and what isn’t so I can provide more argument on other things.

I actually, also, want to include more about how John Doe considered himself as some sort of supreme power and how that also ties into mythology as well. When I finished my essay, I realized that like in many religious pieces of mythology, there was a some supreme power that put people through judgment, which is almost what John Doe does. He punished people based on the sins which they committed which is almost similar. I feel it would make my essay more interesting and show that I put more insight into my work by going beyond just the seven deadly sins.

My argument in regards to tying the production history with what ended up on screen is a part of my essay that isn’t quite opaque. I provide a paragraph discussing Andrew Walker’s (screenwriter) interview where he talks about the research he had to do to write this movie and my discussion of the myths he used/what ends up on screen is what the rest of my essays are about. But, I would like to also talk about the production for each crime scene in the movie (in relation to myth) and what ended up on screen as well. Of course, again, I would have to condense my first draft hella.