THRILLER films

1. THRILLER films Ellie Ellis

2. THRILLER GENRE • Thriller is a genre which has a complex narrative structure that follows a certain codes and conventions to create psychological and emotional responses from the audience. Most thriller films are based on the same structure extraordinary events happening in ordinary situations; usually a crime is committed, the narrative will twist and turn and the plot will build towards a climax. Thrillers have restricted narration; questions will be left unanswered. THRILLERS THAT WORK ON DIFFERENT LEVELS • The genre uses ‘thrills’ at one level that simply depicts danger and violence but the second level is a psychological experience which provides the audience with thrills/ anxieties that create an emotional anxious response.

3. THRILLER SUB-GENRES & HYBRIDS • Hybrids - films that have elements of two and more genres. Hybrids are often perceived as groundbreaking and more original. Examples of this would be family, sci-fi, thriller (Avatar), action kong-fu, thriller (Kill Bill), Film-Noir, thriller (double indemnity), crime,comdy,thriller (Pulp Fiction) • Sub-genres – different types of films within a genre. Examples of this would be: Crime (The Usual Suspects), medical (Coma), eco- disaster (The Day After Tomorrow), romance (gone bad) eg stalker (The Roommate), serial killers (Seven), psychological (Jacobs Ladder), legal (The Firm), spy (The Bourne Identity), action (Die Hard).

4. THE HISTORY OF THRILLERS English film-maker/director Alfred Hitchcock helped shape the modern day thriller genre Hitchcock set some important ground rules for thrillers; often place an innocent victim into a strange, life-threatening or terrorizing situation. He also capitalized on a ‘red herring’ plot element which kept audiences guessing to catch the viewers attention. ‘McGuffin’ –An event which initially seems important, but then becomes irrelevant, this is intended to mislead the audience. English film-maker/director Alfred Hitchcock helped shape the modern day thriller genre Hitchcock set some important ground rules for thrillers; often place an innocent victim into a strange, life-threatening or terrorizing situation. He also capitalized on a ‘red herring’ plot element which kept audiences guessing to catch the viewers attention. ‘McGuffin’ –An event which initially seems important, but then becomes irrelevant, this is intended to mislead the audience. • 1920’s – 1930’s - One of the earliest 'thrillers' was Harold Lloyd's comic Safety Last (1923). Hitchcock released his early silent film The Lodger (1927). Other directors that made thriller films in this time included, Walter Forde, Vorhaus, George A, Cooper and Michael Powell • 1940’s – Hitchcock continued to direct more suspense thriller films. In 1941 Hitchcock released suspicion, and shadow of a doubt which was based on a real serial killer. • 1950’s Hitchcock released more thriller films witch included strangers (1951) rear window (1954) To Catch A Thief (1955) Vertigo (1958) & North By Northwest (1958) other directors such as Henry Hathaway and Charles Laughton released other thriller films Alfred Hitchcock Bibliography link

5. THE HISTORY OF THRILLERS • 1940s-1950 Film Noir is a stylistic type of crime-drama, thriller that was popular throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Film-Noir is characterized by a black-and-white style with stark lighting effects. The main character is usually a cynical hero. Examples: Sunset Boulevard, The Maltese Falcon, Sweet Smell of Success. • 1960’s- Hitchcock released one of his most famous thrillers Psycho many more thriller films were released by different directors. • 1970’s- The thrillers during this decade dealt with themes such as alienation and isolation, with characters forced into moral quandaries without knowing whom around them they could trust. The 1970s gave us many memorable, gritty crime thrillers, shot on location as opposed to soundstages, giving them a realism that audiences had not seen before. Here is a list of popular thrillers and directors which are realised in the 1970s – Frenzy in 1972) directed by Hitchcock Play Misty for Me (1971) directed by Clint Eastwood The Conversation (1974) directed by Francis Ford Coppola Straw Dogs (1971) directed by Sam Peckinpah Audrey Rose (1977) directed by Robert Wise Don’t Look Now (1973) directed by Nicholas Roeg Three Days Of The Condor (1975) directed by Sydney Pollack

6. 1980s THRILLER • 1980’s – Thrillers began turning more heavily on plot than character in the 1980s, characters were driven to make decisions based on extraordinary circumstances as opposed to a character’s actions dictating the outcome of the story. More and more, thrillers during this period relied on the moral ambiguity of its characters, and in many this ambiguity reflected the cultural morass that was the 1980s. Here is a list of popular thrillers and directors which are realised in the 1980s Dead Of Winter (1987) directed by Arthur Penn The Dead Zone (1983) directed by David Cronenberg First Blood (1982) directed by Ted Kotcheff Blood Simple (1984) directed by Joel and Ethan Coen Blow Out (1981) directed by Brian De Palma • Phillip Noyce ended the 1980’s decade of thriller films with a film called Dead Clam (1989) starring Nicole Kidman. This film influenced a lot of other thriller films in the 1990’s because of the use of obsession within the film and also the elements of trapped characters.

7. 1990-PRESENT DAY THRILLER • Present day- To this day many thrillers share ideas and themes and have similar elements within them. However in the recent thrillers that have been made directors try to gain as aspect of individuality by making them stand out from the rest. They do this by adding more gore, horror or violence. Thrillers used to be a lot more psychological but not have as much elements of horror added to them as today. A popluarthiller director from the 1990s to presnt day is Quentin Tarantino. Trantino has directed well-known thrillers such as Pulp fiction (1994), reservoir Dogs (1992), Kill Bill 1 (2003) and Kill Bill 2 (2004). Another popluar direct is Martin Scorsese. Scorsese directed famous thriller films such as Goodfellas (1990) and Departed, The (2006) • 1990’s- more thriller films about obsession were released in this decade. Other thriller films became popular with themes like agents and detective tracking down serial killer’s. A popular sub-genre for 1990s thriller became crime/thillers. David Fincher released Se7en in 1995 about two deceives in search of a deadly serial killer.

8. NARRATIVE THEMES & CONVENTIONS A thriller is a very broad genre that branches into several different sub-genres, although there are certain characteristics that exist in all thrillers – • The narrative structure is complex with false paths, clues and resolutions – this will keep the audience in suspense • Usually a crime is committed • A hero having to defeat the plan of a villain • Hero must overcome obstacles presented by the villain • Villains identity is usually known to the hero and to the audience • Mysteries which must be uncovered • The villain’s plan will usually result in mass destruction and many deaths. • Twists and turns, keeping the audience guessing about what will happen next • The plot will build towards a climax • Creates tension and suspense • Thrillers have ‘Restricted Narration’ - questions / riddles will be left unanswered until the end of the film. Example of the thriller Se7en which follows these narrative themes and conventions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV3cZ0Bc68I

9. NARRATIVE Todorov’s theory • Todorov’s narrative theory – states that most storys or plot lines follow the same pattern. There are 5 steps to this pattern. • EQUILINBRIUM- This is the stage is the narrative where the majority of the characters are content and everything is how is should be. • DISRUPTION of the equilibrium occurs. • RECONGNITION that the disruption has occurred • ATTEMPT to repair the damage of the disruption • RESTOATION of a new equilibrium

10. NARRATIVE - Syd Fields theory • According to Field, screenplays follow a three-act structure, meaning the standard screenplay can be divided into three parts: Setup, Confrontation, and Resolution. • Act I comprises the first quarter of the screenplay. (For a two hour movie, Act I would last approximately 30 minutes.) • Act II comprises the next two quarters of the film. (For a two hour movie, Act II would last approximately 60 minutes.) • Act III comprises the final quarter of the film. (For a two hour movie, Act III would be the final 30 minutes.) • The "Plot Point"--According to Field, the three acts are separated by two plot points. A plot point, often called a reversal, is an event that puts the plot in a new direction, leading into a new act of the screenplay. • Setup - This part of the story introduces the main character, the dramatic premise, and the dramatic situation and the inciting –incident - an event that sets the plot of the film in motion. It occurs approximately halfway through the first act. • Confrontation - comprises the next two quarters of the film. Obstacles--In the second act, the main character encounters obstacle after obstacle that prevent him from achieving his dramatic need. First Culmination--a point just before the halfway point of the film where the main character seems close to achieving his or her goal/objective. Then, everything falls apart, leading to the midpoint. Midpoint - a point halfway through the film where the main character reaches their lowest point • Resolution - comprises the final quarter of the film. Climax (Second Culmination)--The point at which the plot reaches its maximum tension and the forces in opposition confront each other at a peak of physical or emotional action. Denouement--The brief period of calm at the end of a film where a state of equilibrium returns.

11. CHARACTERS • Protagonist/hero - A typical thriller hero is often an ordinary person who is drawn into danger unknowingly. Usually the heroes in thrillers are men but occasionally women take on the role. Often they this character is an ‘upstanding citizen’, ex cop/cop, detective or innocent victims. For example ‘Brick’ a teenage boy is finds himself in the middle of a crime ring after the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend. It could also be a duo in crime thrillers for example two detectives working together on a crime an example of this would be the two main characters from Se7en (1995) who work together to catch a psychotic serial killer. • Antagonist/villain – A typical thriller villain usually is a convict, criminals, stalker etc. they are often psychotic. The villain causes a narrative problem that needs to be resolved by the hero this is often a crime which would have been committed. For example Rebecca Evans from the from The Roommate (2011) is a psychotic stalker who murders and commits psychotic crimes in order to get closer to the protagonist. Rebecca Evens character • In thrillers there can also be other characters which will be seen a lot e.g. a love interest or a helper to the hero/villain. SE7EN (1995) BRICK (2005)

12. PROPPS THEORY • Vladrimir Propp was a literary critic and scholar who came up with the theory that a certain type of character was used in every narrative structure. Propps theory has influenced many filmmakers today. • Propp suggested that every narrative has 8 different type, these character types are: • The hero – a character that seeks something • The villain – fights the hero in some way • The donor – provides an object with magical properties • The dispatcher – makes the villains evil known and sends the hero on the quest • The false hero – who disrupts the hero's success by making false claims • The helper – helps the hero on the quest • The princess / prize – acts as the reward for the hero and the object to the villains plots. • The father – acts to reward the hero for completing the quest

13. MISE-EN-SCENE Mise-en-scene is everything you see on screen; setting, lighting, colour, props, décor, costumes,makeup, figure of expression and body language. We expect to see certain objects that we associate and that are ‘iconic’ with a genre. E.g. in a thriller genre we would expect to see guns, blood, knives, cars etc. • Setting – the setting of a film is important as it tells the audience a lot; what period it was set in, geographical and sometimes social class. Most thrillers are set in urban and normal everyday places such as cities, towns, high schools etc. By doing this it creates suspense and anticipation for the audience as there are normal places where extraordinary things are happening; people can relate. Where a film is set and what the weather is like gives the audience different emotions, it can also help to contribute to the mood and atmosphere. For example its vey typical for thriller to have scenes where it is raining and dull to create suspense and mystery. SE7EN (1995)

14. MISE-EN-SCENE • Costume/Makeup –costume and makeup can tell the audience a lot about the characters like the social status, the time period it was set in, their role in the film. In thriller the protagonist is a ordinary person so usually be wearing normal clothes however law enforcement costumes could be expected within a thriller EXAMPLE In the film collateral (2004) the protagonist is wearing normal clothes this tells the audience that he is an ordinary person who has been thrown in to an extraordinary situation. EXAMPLE The detectives clothes in ‘Se7en’ Morgan Freeman wears a trench coat and hat this suggest that he is a more traditional detective and has been for a long time whereas Brad Pitt wears a leather jacket suggesting that he is new to being a detective and not so traditional.

15. MISE-EN-SCENE • Props – props that a placed within a scene will be put there to give information to do with the narrative or characters. For example the décor of characters home this will supply the audience with a lot of information about there personality/ role and status in the film. • In thrillers you there is often weapons, like guns or knives. Thrillers also use the use of technology such as phones for the use of unknown identity. THE SHINING (1980) BRICK (2005)

16. MISE-EN-SCENE • Lighting/colour- Lighting can create different moodsand atmospheres, in thrillers they use low key lighting, tocreate shadows and darkness. Thrillers often use de-saturated colour to make feel more coldand lifeless.  The lighting in the film Shutter Island (2010) is particularly interesting. As they use different types of lighting to create a completely different atmosphere and mood in different scenes. The majority of the film uses dark, ominous, atmospheric lighting to convey an de-saturated look. In contrast to the shots of his wife which use bright lighting on the character. This tells that audience that this must be something different from the real world and that what we’re viewing is one of protagonist's Hallucinations. Here is a shot example of low key lighting in Touch Of Evil (1958) which is a Psychological thriller. The low key lighting creates shadow and darkness creating mystery and adds to the atmosphere of the scene

17. TECHNICAL ASPECTS CINEMATOGRAPHY • Camera shots, angles and movement are used very carefully to make the audience feel different things. Thrillers use camera shots, angles and movement in interesting ways to make the audience feel suspense or uneasy. • Canted angle shot is used in thrillers. This is when the camera is at an angle, these types of shots are unconventional that’s why they are used in thrillers because it makes the audience feel uncomfortable and uneasy. • Another example would be a close up shot this usually a head shot, it makes the audience feels close to character. This helps to feel the intensity of the characters emotions this is used this a lot in thrillers. • Dolly zoom/ reverse tracking are also used in thrillers to make the audience feel unease. This is when the camera is on a track and moves in or out. An example of this is in Jaw’s (1975) to show the characters shocking feeling Jaws Dolly Shot Another example of a less obvious dolly zoom/ reverse tracking shot is in Goodfellas (1990) Goodfellas tracking shot • Handheld shots are shots which seem shaky and ragged. Heldheld shots ae in thillers as they serve to create a more “home made” or dramatic feel to a shot.  JAWS (1975)

18. TECHNUCAL ASPECTS EDITING The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) • Editing is a post-production part of filmmaking which places different shots together. • Continuity editing when the frames flow and the editing is unnoticeable. Most thrillers don’t use this they use non-continuity editing because they want the audience to notice the editing for a certain purpose that could be to highlight something important or to make the audience feel uneasy. • Graphic match is also used in thrillers. This is when an object link in with another scene it can show the audience if the film has gone back or forward in time. An example of this would be ‘Brick’ there is a graphic match between the girls bracelet when she’s dead and when she's alive this shows the audience they have gone back in time Brick Graphic Match • Another typical way of editing in thrillers is graphic contrast – this shows two contrasting images for impact. For example The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) it flicks between two different shots one of the girl who is screaming and a close up of her eye and the other of the man laughing. This shows the extreme contrast between the characters and the psychotic nature of the man Texas Chain Saw Massacre • Match on action is a editing technique for continuity editing in which one shot cuts to another shot portraying the action of the subject in the first shot. This creates the impression of a sense of continuity this is often used in thrillers. Match on Action example Matrix

19. TECHNUCAL ASPECTS SOUND Different types of sound are used to create different moods and emotions in a film. • Diegetic is sound which is naturally occurring within the scene e.g. dialogue. Ambient sound is also used in thrillers this is also sounds which are naturally occurring in the scene such as birds, trees, cars etc. Ambient sounds are used in thrillers to keep creating the idea that it is normal places, normal people but extraordinary things happen. • Non-diegtic sound which has been put into the scene afterwards e.g. voiceovers, SFX, film score or theme music. All been added to empathize a certain action. Thrillers use non-diegetic sounds to create more tension and heighten emotions. The music usually goes along with the action on screen building towards a climax. • Pace and volume with non-diegtic sounds are also important aspects in the sound to creating certain moods and atmospheres. For example if the volume and pace increases in an action scene it will make the audience feel tense. Whereas if the volume and pace is extremely quiet it will make the audience feel uncomfortable and on edge. • Pleonastic- sound which imitates and reinforces the action and example of this would from psycho the music imitates the knife and the stabbing, the piercing sounds puts you on edge Psyco shower scene • Contrapuntal- sound that is in opposition to what we see on the screen it contradicts the action to create disharmony. Thrillers use contrapuntal sounds a lot to create confusing. An example from The Shinning in the opening title sequence when there is a shot of a peaceful countryside but the music is very dark and sinister this gives the impression in the first few moments of the film that this is not going to be a happy film about a family going on holiday and something bad is going to happen. The Shinning Contrapuntal Sound • Silence is also used in thrillers a lot for effect. Silence is the complete absence of sound. Silence could be used in thrillers to create a philological effect and out viewers on edge.

20. AUDIENCE EXPECTATIONS Thrillers target audience is aimed at young adults and adults this is due to many thrillers having a psychological and violent aspect to them. However due to the fact that many thrillers have sub-genres each would have a secondary target audience. When watching a thriller there are certain things which the audience expect to see within the film. • That it creates a verity of emotions for their audiences, particularly apprehension, exhilaration, excitement and breathlessness. Overall the audience expect to get a thrill. • Lots of twist and turns throughout to keep the audience guessing • People watch thrillers to get a psychological experience they also watch them because they like the intellectual side of strange psychotically challenging behavior that features in psychological thrillers.

21. SOUCES OF INFORMATION • http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000033/bio • http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Rebecca_Evans