Thriller Conventions

What are the convention expected

Narrative,representation,theme use of micro element

Chasing-Bad and good-weakness

warning(impending doom)

tension for shadowing

PLOT TWIST

task to do objective - solve a situation

night time- dark time/setting

happy then sad

ACTION FILMS

less sophisticated plot

Action set pieces

explosion and fighting

HORROR

Threat is supernatural

Gore-blood

Extreme SCARE

Thriller convention

The protagonist will be seen in peril

Themes of identity are common

- Mistaken identity,doppelgänger,amnesia

- The protagonist fallible(not perfect)- has an achilles heel/weakness that is exploited

- The narrative centre upon crime (theft,murder)

- The antagonist ensnares the protagonist in an increasingly complex web,leaving them helpless and isolated

- The audience is placed in the ambiguous position of voguer

- A series of enigmas are established and resolved at the end. (mystery riddle)

- Themes of seeing reflection and mirroring

- Micro-element combine in a build up suspense

- Extraordinary events in ordinary situations

Rear Window

Suspense and Meaning

Rear window 1954

Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

(Psycho, Vertigo, North by northwest, 39 steps, Rebecca, Suspicious, Marnie, The rope)

Jimmy Stewart - Jeff

Grace Kelly - Lisa

Thelma Ritter - Stella

Lars Thorwald – Raymond Burr

-       Creating suspense

-       Diegetic music from the neighbours flat

Tension

-       We know the killer is coming. Jeff does Lisa doesn’t

-       Jeff is helpless he cant move and the audience can’t help

-       We know help is on the way

-       Are they going to get there in time

-       Editing shows us the emotion of Jeff and Stella, the danger is real.

-       We know theres a struggle

-       Is he going to kill her

-       uncertainly

-    The killer knows he is being watch,what will he do next.

SUSPENSE – GIVE INFORMATION

-       Character

-       Audience

SE7EN Location and setting

Se7en (1995)

Director David Fincher

Brad pitt - David mill

Morgan freeman detective somerset

Kevin Spacey- John doe

Gwyneth Paltrow - Tracy Mills

 Scene 1

Location 

Where - street side , flat raining,city,poorer area, US,built up area, area for crime

Time - 90's

What is this world like - busy , police car , siren diegetic ,ambulance, shop are close,aggressive,rainy,gloomy,old,cheap, garbage around, people push through mills surprised,depressing ,cloudy,dead body carry around

Colour palette green,brown,grey 

Scene 2

Old fashioned - clothes

Where- house,flat,kitchen,bedroom

Time - 90's

What is this world like - Diegetic - neighbouring flat,siren,

The city is still even in his home

Lacking colours white brown beige

flick knife shows that outside is dangerous

Scene 3

Where - Diner, restaurant

Time - 90's

What is the world like - gloomy , busy,people always walk pass, negative , hate the world so much a child shouldn't be born here

Talks about pregnancy

reaction-sorrow 

Tracey-terrible place

destroying new life

SE7EN

Character

Mills - aggressive, angry, mad, emotional, passion, impatient, extreme anger

Violent physically push photographer down the stair

Kick down the door of suspect

He shouts

He swear at milly – MILLS F*** OFF

Acts an impulse feeding off emotions

His crime is wrath

Kind gentle loving with his wife (hugs wife)

Loving his dogs – energetic way- rolls around with dogs

Confident – hero, believe he can fix things,

Make a difference – naïve – justice - happy

Somerset

Clam, patient, rational

Think thing through consequence

Keep a grip on his emotion

Neat, precise-how he dress, lays out wallet badge knife very precise, pick fluff off his jacket, clean coffee jar

Quitting, retirement- the world is messed up – police fix and clean up cant be done-

Apathy (not caring)- people see crime and do nothing about it [apathy is the solution]

‘People don’t care therefore you don’t care about people'

 

Killer(john doe) represents both

Why do we watch scary films?

Do we like seeing evil punished?

-       The excitement ‘ the think’ (physical response)

-       Face fear (challenge ourselves)

-       (Knowledge that everything is safe) Not scary if not believable

Aristotle

Believed in catharsis

-       A release of suppressed emotion

-       We are attracted to what scares us to purge emotion

Exciting theory – Zolf Zillman

-       Negative emotion

-       Gain from violent/scary

-       Imagery INTENSIFY the positive

-       We enjoy seeing evil vanquished

Glenn D Walters

What makes a film scary?

-       Tension – suspense built up with filming techniques

-       Relevance – the fear generated has to be relevant and believe by the audience

-       Unrealism – We have to know there is no real threat. This is safe space to explore and experiment

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