Research into the genre thriller - Emma Irwin

I did some research into the top thriller films of the 21st century, this is list of some of the top films at came up:

• Inception
• Black swan
• Frozen

Thriller Genre conventions website - This website told me that the main aim of a thriller is to create suspense and excitement for the audience. A thriller usually has the environment of bust streets and suburban ares (e.g in Black Swan). Violence brings the film together and is key.

One of the top thrillers that came up on my research was Daren Aronofsky's 'Black Swan.'

From this trailer taken from the thriller 'Black Swan,' I could see many examples of what brought it together to be a thriller. For example, lighting is an important key factor. From the very beginning of the trailer there is an obvious contrast of light and dark that foreshadows that the movie will be dark and scary, however the protagonist in the film will try to turn things around to light. Another important factor for a thriller is sound. The sound captivates the audience and builds the tension. It makes the audience think of different possible situations that could happen next. A lot of close up shots are used in this trailer to make the audience look at different and important aspects in the story line which will help to drive the plot. Also many fast cuts of shots are used to speed the scene up and make it more thrilling and exciting to watch.  

Sub-genres on thrillers


The types of character generally used in thriller movies:

There is usually an antagonist (the character that opposes the protagonist) and a protagonist (the leading character of the film). The film is usually set from the protagonist's point of view following the events that that character must overcome. There are usually flash-backs and clips from the antagonists point of view also to help the story come together and for the audience to understand why they are in the bad. There is often a lot of action between the two characters that keeps the plot moving forward and is designed to make the audience keep on guessing (often wrongly). Usually the relation between the two characters will be explained in the end therefore the audience will be able to understand why they acted the way they did. However if it is not explained then the audience will go away thinking about the film on a note of suspicion and confusion.
    The heroes in thrillers are often male due to the fact of their jobs (e.g. spies and policemen). They are usually ordinary citizens. The villains are also usually men that are tall and have a shady sense about them, pointing at that they should not be trusted. Other supporting characters are usually on the protagonists side to help them, and these are often female due to the fact that they are seen as weak and helpless.


Thrillers - characters and mise-en-scene examples of films

From this website I found a few examples of the mise-en-scene used in thriller movies. I will use an example from The Illusionist (2006). The sound in this film is said to be silence due to the fact the attention of the audience needs to be on a specific character. The camera shots and angles that were used were mainly high angle shots, close ups and crane shots. These shots were used mainly to build tension, make the audience look at certain things in particular and to show power. The lighting used mostly was high key which means that the lighting is generally dim and casts a lot of shadows. This is important in a

thriller as it will build more tension and make the film more scary. The characters are dressed in the specific period it is set in to help the plot work and also for it to look realistic and convincing. Finally the film is edited together on chronological order so the audience is not too confused and has an easy understandable 3 act narrative.

Iconography used in thrillers:
Iconography simply means symbolic representations, which often has a conventional meaning attached to an image or object. Thrillers are usually easy to analyse because they often have specific things that are linked with them that creates the mise-en-scene. Here are some examples:

Knives:

Fist of all knives are a very typical symbol used in thrillers as they have connotations of death, blood and pain. An example from a film of this is from Alfred Hitchcock's film 'Psycho,' with the famous shower scene.

Shadows:

Shadows and silhouettes in films helps give thrillers the mystery and tension. They also build up the fear of the audience by prompting that someone is following or watching the the protagonist. This helps build the plot as it leads the main character on a journey. The shadow is usually of the antagonist and isn't usually revealed until the end of the film. An example of a film that shadows are used in to help build tension is the film 'Paranormal activity.'

Confined spaces:

The use of confined spaces in thrillers helps the use of aesthetics which is how the audience feel. They also feel trapped too. When the protagonist is in a trapped space they will start to breathe heavily making the audience feel tense. An example of some films this is used in is, 'Buried,' 'Cube' and 'Phone booth.'

Running water:

The connotations of running water in a thriller is death and life draining away. It can also be associated with blood dripping which builds tension and helps the plot move along. An example of this is in Hitchcock's 'Psycho,' in the shower scene when the blood is draining down the plug hole.

Clips and pictures from thrillers:

This is a still taken from the thriller, 'The house at the end of the street.' From this still I can tell what type of film it is by use of the gun and the lighting. The lighting is dark so suggests the film will be rather dark and scary, and the gun suggests danger. The girl in the picture is blonde and is wearing heavy make up, so it suggests that the film is a horror or thriller, as usually the blonde girl in it is weak and screams a lot.

This still is taken from the film, 'The purge.' From this picture the iconography suggests that it is a horror or thriller. With the use of the knife and the creepy masks that juxtapose each other it is clear that this film will be scary or unpleasant.

This still is taken from the film, 'The silence of the lambs.' From this picture it is very clear that the film is either horror, thriller or a psychological thriller. The use of the character's eyes in this picture predicts that the film will be scary as they are wide and look like they're filled with lunacy. The fact that he's wearing a mask suggests that he belongs to a mental asylum which shows that the film will be a thriller or a psychological thriller.