Nadia Khatun

GENRE

RESEARCH:

THRILLER

TOP FILMS IN THIS GENRE

Gone Girl (2014)

The Maze Runner (2014)

The Equalizer (2014)

Lucy (2014)

Left Behind (2014)

The Purge: Anarchy (2014)

Horns (2013)

Se7en (1995)

Psycho (1960)

STEREOTYPICAL GENRE

CHARACTERS

Female victim who is young and vulnerable with opposite characteristics of the antagonists.

Male antagonist who is villain of the thriller movie and has opposite characteristics to the protagonist.

Often there is a scream in a thriller movie by a female victim who is vulnerable in a wide open house or in the house alone. The antagonist is often a male.

There is also a pyscho who is a male antagonist attacking a female protagonist/victim where they are vulnerable.

There is a hero type character who usually restores the equilibrium and is often the protagonist.

There is the antagonist (villain) who creates a disruption in the narrative; usually psychotic but clever.

TYPICAL SETTINGS

In an urban city, usually the main colours used will be white, black and grey to lay emphasis on the helplessness of the first character we see.

In quiet country villages, where a poor and simple lives are being lead.

If set in a city environment, the main colours used will be black or grey to show how normal and ordinary life is. However, at particular plot points, other strong colours are often used. For example, if there is a recurring theme of red then we understand that the characters are in danger.

Other settings include: streets, crowded cities, and dark areas of a place.

NARRATIVE THEME

A lot of the information in a thriller is hidden as the narrative is restricted. There is an equilibrium which gets disrupted and then the equilibrium is restored again.

There is often a complex structure with twists and turns as it keeps the audience guessing on what will happen next. Until towards the end of the film, questions and or riddles will be left unanswered.

If it is a psychological experience, the audience will be able to feel a wide range of emotions varying from happy, sad and anxious.

The action, danger and violence can make the viewers feel thrilling and excited as it doesn’t happen in their everyday life.

There is also extraordinary happening in the ordinary so things such as places, objects and people can all become dangerous and thrilling. This can be filmed in a way to create suspense, fear and excitement.

ICONOGRAPHY / PROPS USED

Some props contribute to adding suspense and a lot of tension in a thriller film. Some of these props include:

Weapons – such as knives, swords and guns

White shower curtain

Dripping bathroom/kitchen tap

Blood

Written signs/caution signs

Household tools

Ropes

Chains

Masks

Machinery

ENIGMA CODES

“Who stole the valuables?”

“What is going to happen next?”

“Who murdered who?”

“Who are the criminals?”

“Who are the victims?”

“Why is this happening?”

“Is there more to come?”

HISTORY “The Lodger” was released by Alfred Hitchcock in 1926, which was a silent thriller following a Jack The

Ripper plot. Techniques that were used are recognised as the conventions and codes of the thriller genre and so it is clear to any audience if a film fits into a thriller genre.

There were continuous releases of suspense-thrillers in the 1940s by Hitchcock including: Foreign Correspondent (1940), Rebecca (1940), Saboteur (1942) and Shadow of a Doubt (1943). In 1944, a psychological thriller was directed by George Cukor’s.

There was a massive change to the thriller genre in the 1950’s by Alfred Hitchcock. Technicolor was added to his thrillers; there were no longer in black and white. A touch of glamour was also added to his films, for example, by adding ‘icy blondes’ to play the leading ladies. The films in the 50’s made by Hitchcock include: Strangers on a Train (1951), Dial M For Murder (1954), Rear Window (1954), To Catch a Thief (1955) and Vertigo (1958),

Throughout the 1970’s and the 1980’s the thriller films in this era began to start associating with the horror genre. Violence is being added to these films whilst still maintaining the clear difference between the two genres. The thriller films released in this era include: Alfred Hitchcock’s Frenzy (1972), Steven Spielberg’s Duel (1971), Clint Eastwood’s Play Misty For Me (1971), John Boorman’s Deliverance (1972), Nicolas RoegDon’t Look Now (1973).

Some of the thriller films in 1990’s include Misery (1990), Sleeping with the Enemy (1991), The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992), Unlawful Entry (1992), Single White Female (1992), Malice (1993) and The Talented Mr Ripley (1999).

The thriller genre moved even closer to the horror genre during the 21st century. The films now contain more deaths, gore and blood. Also, the codes and conventions of action movies are combined too.

The plots are now modernised, instead of re-using the plots from old thriller movies. Government conspiracy, terrorism and large world-wide issues are now added to some plots. Some of these thriller movies in the 21st

century include: Eden Lake (2008), The Last House on The Left (2009) and P2 (2007).

IDEOLOGY

Something that occupies a lot of what society thinks about and is worried about is the main identifying theme of a thriller. For example, kidnapping, isolation and terrorism and its effects.

There is often a blurred line between what is considered good and bad. For example, if there is a seedy male character who is bragging, boastful, lecherous and drunk who then later has his money stolen, the audience is positioned not to feel sorry for him when it happens (even though it is considered wrong as it is a crime).

Lawbreakers are not necessarily portrayed as completely wrong or evil and the audience members sometimes sympathise or understand the reasoning behind the lawbreaker’s actions.