The First Trailer for Michael Winterbottom's Trishna: Watch it and Weep

August 19, 2011

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Michael Winterbottom has been duly celebrated for the genre-jumping versatility with which he moves effortlessly from counter-culture biopics (“24 Hour Party People“), ripped-from-the-headlines political dramas (“A Mighty Heart”), and bittersweet road comedy (“The Tripf”). But the British has yet to be properly hailed for what may be an even rarer talent: His ability to make trailers that transcend marketing and exist as stand-alone short films destined to go viral. Mark our words: Some day someone will curate an exhibit — virtual or physical — displaying the best Michael Winterbottom trailers.

Early clips promoting “The Trip” would certainly make the cut; as would his evocative and impressionistic trailer for “Trishna,” his adaptation of Tess of the D’Urbervilles, which debuted today. We were so taken with above footage, we held our breath through the first viewing in one prolonged gasp. Overstatement? Perhaps, but try not to be moved by Winterbottom’s audacious decision to let his images of Freida Pinto and Riz Ahmed dance across the screen accompanied by the exquisitely wistful love song by Indian film composer Amit Trivedi.

Because of the combination of Pinto and its Indian pop music score, the “Slumdog Millionaire” associations are inevitable. But it’s important to remember that Danny Boyle brings an irrepressible optimism and romanticism to his work. There is always the sense that his characters will always claw their way toward redemption, even if takes spending most of the movie strung out on junk or smashed under a boulder to reach that resolution. Winterbottom, on the other hand, is not similarly inclined to mollify us by wrapping his narratives up with a tidy hope-filled ending. Instead he’ll often leave things on a bleaker note, ranging from open-ended ambiguity to cruel-fated tragedy.

Given the source material’s calamitous ending, expect “Trisha” to deliver a hefty helping of the latter. There are few storytellers more emotionally unrelenting Thomas Hardy, whose best works revolve around characters who endure and prevail over extreme hardship only to be cruelly punished in the end with no hope of recovery. Though the trailer doesn’t hint at any of this tragedy, make no mistake: Watching the third act of this movie will feel like someone’s taken a sledgehammer to your gut. But in the deeply satisfying way particular to dark-hearted artists like Thomas Hardy and Michael Winterbottom.

What are some of the books and films you have most enjoyed, even while they were pulverizing your insides?

Tags: Frieda Pinto, Michael Winterbottom, Slumdog Millionaire, Tess of the d'Urbervilles, The Trip, Thomas Hardy, Trailers, Trishna