The second trailer for Out of the Furnace, the Scott Cooper film staring Christian Bale and Woody Harrelson, pounds its pulse a little more wildly then the first trailer, but overall still conveys the sense of despair and futility associated with poverty that the first one did. The film, also starring Casey Affleck as Bale’s disillusioned brother, home from the army and in incredible danger, along with Zoe Saldana and Willem Dafoe, is set to release in theaters on December 6, 2013.

 While the first trailer focuses more on painting a picture of the rust belt, complete with character portraits and the sprawling industrial landscapes, the second trailer is far more visceral. This one, drawing more from fight/crimes movies and the impoverished alienation capitalized and other Appalachian desperation films, gives you more of an idea of the “whole ‘nother world up in there” which Affleck has gotten himself entangled in. Bale, who’s character Russell has just gotten out of jail, has to decide whether to take his freedom and run or put it all on the line, guns blazing, as he treks into the lawless backwoods of Appalachia to get his brother back from the villain, played by Woody Harrelson.

Taken in aggregate, these trailers shine most in their immaculately crafted interiors, their character designs, and their wide shots of beautiful yet filthy industrial landscapes that sustain and oppress the cast of characters.  Neil Young’s “Heart of Gold” is covered sorrowfully in the second trailer to emotional impact, and along meticulousness shown in both trailers to the environment and to the performances, the general vibe evokes Winter’s Bone and other horror stories of American poverty. If Scott Cooper pulls performances out of his cast anywhere near as good as the one he got out of Jeff Bridges for Crazy Heart, this film will not be one to miss.

Out of the Furnace is directed by Scott Cooper and stars Christian Bale, Woody Harrelson, Casey Affleck, Zoe Saldana, Willem Dafoe, Forest Whitaker, Sam Shepard. It hits theaters on December 6, 2013.

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