Conventions of a Thriller Genre

Conventions of the Thriller Genre

With reference to Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ (1960) and at least two other thrillers you have studied, as well as your wider research, discuss the thriller and its forms and conventions.

The genre of film dictates how the film will be presented to the audience. Thriller Films is a genre which is based on suspense and tension. The aim of Thrillers is to keep the audience overthinking, continuously alert and on the edge of their seats. The details are generally made up through cinematography, editing, sound and mise-on-scene

Thrillers typically have one main protagonist and one main antagonist. The basis of the story revolves around these two characters. A male is usually the protagonist The protagonist sometimes has an assistant who is a plot device to keep the movie going, for example in The Silence of the Lambs, Dr Hannibal Lector is used whenever they want to progress with catching the killer.

There is a common theme in Thrillers where the main protagonist has no/little family. This makes the audience sympathise as they are alone and vulnerable. In Leon the Professional Mathilda is shown upset and vulnerable as her family get slaughtered at the start of the movie. This makes the audience not want Mathilda to die and worry about her as she tries to hunt down the man whom killed her little brother.

Another example of this is in the film Memento, where the main protagonist (Leonard Shelby) has lost his wife but due to his short-term memory loss he struggles to find the murderer. The movie is cut up and moved around in a way which confuses the viewer giving them the feeling of the short term memory loss in which Leonard possess.

Typically in Thriller movies the antagonists despite their problems/wrongdoings, they usually live in a secluded location. In Horror thrillers such as Texas Chainsaw and in Crime Thrillers such as The Silence of the Lambs, there is a recurrence of the basement being used as the place where all the killing takes place. The dark and dampness creates suspense in the Thriller.

Antagonist usually have a hidden identity until later on in the film it’s revealed. This is to create suspense and anticipation until the character is finally revealed. It’s typical for the film to have scenes with the antagonist in early on but not show his face or do an extreme close up of his eyes.

The main element of Thrillers is the fact that life is threatened. The main character (protagonist) usually becomes in danger not on their terms and has to adapt and face it heads on. Without the chance of death the film loses the tension and build up which has been escalating during it. By the end of the film they are usually stronger people and more confident.

The location is a really important aspect in the Thriller genre. It helps the audience establish the theme and most of all it sets the tone and mood for the scene. A good example of this would be on Texas chainsaw 3D where it is very dark building up tension and scaring the audience. However most thrillers are shot on location in cities/towns to make the scene look like it could happen in reality.

Props are typically used in Thriller films to add to tension and to build suspense. Weapons such as guns, knives and explosives a generally used a lot in Thriller films, however household items such as cutlery, glass bottles and other sharp objects can be used to make the person look desperate in the fight or to make out they don’t know what they are doing.

In psychological Thrillers, the weapons are adapted to suit the personality of the antagonist, for example the bigger the weapon the more violent and psychologically unstable the villain/antagonist is. Due to Thrillers having more realism than to horror films they tend to use more accessible objects such as knifes or pistols. In some cases the character may have their own signature weapon such as the samurai sword on Kill Bill or the Suppressed shotgun in No Country for Old Men.

In the mise en scene there are a lot of close up shots of the protagonist’s face, this is typical in Thriller movies as it is used to show the characters emotions. Showing the protagonists’ emotions is very important to build up suspense. For example if it’s a close up of someone scared then it builds the scene up because the audience is left wondering why are they scared and what is going to happen/happening to make them feel that way.

Mise-on-scene is obsessed over by the Director’s in the Thriller Genre. It is designed to target your subconscious, making you think about what’s going on around what your primarily focusing on (e.g. if someone’s in the background in the dark, only slightly visible.) They are crafted with the intention of setting the scene, but in doing so, unsettle the audience and give a persistent sense of dread and suspense. In “The Departed”, there is a scene where Leonardo DiCaprio gets a phone call from a dead man’s phone. When he picks it up he says nothing, and the person on the other side is completely silent as well. Neither want to speak in fear of being recognized by the other which creates a climax in tension. This gets the audience on the edge of their seat as they see the look on Leonardo DiCaprio’s face.

A huge part of the Mise-en-Scene is the location and location props. These can be tailored to the antagonist’s personality to give a dramatic effect. An example of this would be in Hitchcock’s Psycho where Norman Bates office has some elements which suggest that he is not the man he is presenting himself as. In his office he has stuffed animals all around the room/walls. This suggests he likes killing and shows his “psycho” side of himself. It hints at the fact he is slightly deranged, which compliments how he is acting very happily, like he is crazy.

Another great example of Location and Mise-en-scene would be the basement in silence of the lambs. All the mannequins and skin with thread and needles makes the viewer uncomfortable as they know what the antagonist does and what he is doing in the scene (taking skin of women to use on himself). Not forgetting the massive hole he has in the ground for his victims make the audience question how deranged the man actually is. This also adds tension because the audience know that his victims have no way to get out.

Lighting is a big part of Mise-en-Scene as it can connote subliminal messages to the audience. Lighting in Thrillers is mainly low key which is used to create shadows on faces, bodies and props. It also sets the scene as the thriller portrays the main themes of the genre. Low key lighting is normally used during more sinister, scary scenes to emphasise the suspense and tension. It helps provide detail, making the viewer unsettled as they can’t see what’s going to happen until it’s too late. Colour is a direct link to emotions, therefore a lot of dark greys and blacks would go with uncertainty and confusion.

The use of costumes within Thrillers are very important, they must be life like to the audience, as how the characters are presented is how the audience perceive them. Therefore the more “lifelike” and believable the characters are the better the storyline for the audience. Typically in Thrillers the murderer/antagonist will wear dark clothes to enhance the mystery and evilness of them, as well as creating tension. However the victims usually wear ripped, dirty, blood stained clothes, reinforcing their weakness and vulnerability, as well as connoting that they have been chased, are unable to fight back etc.

Within Thriller films the facial expressions and body language are key because it tells the audience how the character is feeling, we can feel empathy. If we see that they have a frown on their face we know that they feel angry, if they have a smile on their face because they have been saved then we know that they feel relieved and happy. However if scary music is playing over the background we can gain a different feeling toward the character because we know something is going to happen. Therefore the facial expressions reveal a clear indication towards their feelings this can also be done by body language.

The way characters are positioned in the frame can tell the audience a lot about the character. Levels of supremacy can be identified by how the characters are centred and angled. In the film Se7en, it introduces the film with the two main characters getting ready for work. This connotes the contrast of the characters and how they are the complete opposite.

At the beginning of the scene it shows Morgan Freeman in his house. His home is tidy and decorated, portraying him as somebody who takes pride in his appearance. From his smart clothing to his perfectly made bed, the opening scene shows him as a professional man.

Then it cuts to Brad Pitt, who is the complete opposite to Morgan Freeman. He is young, a lot more relaxed and very messy. He wears casual clothes such as a leather jacket and drinks left over beer before work. This shows Brad Pitt as someone who doesn’t really care about how he does something as long as he does it.

Another example of how the characters are positioned in the frame is in the Silence of the lambs. At the start of the film when Clarice Starling first met Hannibal Lecter. When they first met Clarice acted very cautious and very distant from Lecter. However by the end she trusted him even enough to take something directly off the serial killer, completely aware of what he can do.

Overall the two introduction scenes tell the audience straight away what we need to know about them for the rest of the film. This is unusual as thrillers usually start with a climax/murder.

Editing is vital in a Thriller because it is used to create a tense and suspenseful atmosphere. This is achieved through fast cuts, changing angles and possibly motion blur to disorient the audience. Jump cuts are mostly used during thriller films, these are used to give information to the audience that they might need in order to understand a part of the film. Jump cuts can completely change the scene, the faster the jump cuts the more tension created within the film. A quick succession of short clips will disorient and audience. This is because the fast pacing makes the audience lose focus on everything which is happening in the scene. Quick cutting with fast moving clips creates a pace in which the audience starts to believe that everything on screen I being performed in haste and they feel a sense of urgency.

Shot-reverse-shots are typically used in the Thriller Genre to show the audience what is happening. The shot will show the character (typically a protagonist or bystander) reacting to something. Then it will cut to what the person is seeing (usually something that shocks the audience as well). After seeing what’s so frightening it would usually cut back to the person’s reaction. A good example of this would be in the film Psycho by Hitchcock, where the lady sees Norman Bates mother in the basement. This tells the audience how to react, even though in this scene, people will be taken of guard and shocked.

Framing of the shots is important in the thriller Genre. The most common type of shot used in thriller films are close up/extreme close up shots. This shot is used to create suspense. As well as this also long shots are commonly used, this is to show the audience were the action will be taking place and so that they can understand the current environment. Close-up shots are also used so the audience can see the emotions of the character.

Camera angles are important in the Thriller Genre. High camera angles are used in thriller films to show the importance of a certain character. They are also used to make the protagonist/antagonist look stronger/bigger than the other, connoting power/weakness. Over-the-shoulder shots are used to show the perspective of the character or to follow the character.

Sound contains very important elements which make up a thriller. For example themes and stings are shown in this era, as the different music themes produce and different mood and effect for thriller films. For example jumpy and scary music which are played in each scene, can be names as themes/stings as they produce different moods and settings for thriller films. Another sound element which is very important is high pitched sounds such as screeches.

Silence is widely used to create tension to a certain scene. It is used usually before a jump scare or climax as it emphasises a scream/noise when the jump-scare actually happens. For example if the room goes all quiet then something jumps out at the protagonist/character it will shock the viewer more than if there was an ambient noise in the background.

Sound bridges are really important in thrillers. They are used to cut from one shot to another shot, without the action being interrupted. This is very important in a thriller as it allows the audience to still feel tension, even when the action is no longer viewable.

Thrillers often over exaggerate/emphasise diegetic sound effects like footsteps or doors to make the audience feel uncomfortable/scared. The use of non-diegetic sound such as heavy bass music or high pitch music creates different effects to build up tension. Heavy bass sounds build up scenes such as maybe walking through an abandoned building. High pitch sounds such as violins are used in Thrillers when action is taking place or something fast paced is happening. An example of this would be in Hitchcock’s, Psycho and the shower scene. How the music heightens with the action to create a more dramatic effect and emphasise the death of the Woman in the shower scene.      

A huge element in Thriller movies is a plot twist. This is when the audience have been led to think one thing but then suddenly everything changes. When the audience find out the twist in the story is typically when the protagonist finds out. This makes a connection with the character because you feel the same way their feeling, whether it’s shocked, sad or confused. This is common in thrillers as they build a climax in suspense when the protagonist/antagonist realises what’s been happening all along. A good example of this is in the film Fight Club, when at the end of the film it was revealed that Brad Pitt’s character and Edward Norton’s character were in fact the same person.

One of the best example of this is in The Sixth Sense where Bruce Willis realises he’s dead for the first time. This is a big shock for the audience as they are tricked to believe he is a real person for the whole film. Despite the fact that the audience think he is real, the film leaves subtle clues through-out such as when he goes to his anniversary dinner and his wife doesn’t acknowledge he is there. We believe it is because she is upset that he came late but it makes sense now because she was doing it just to pretend he was still with them.

Another film with a huge plot twist is Shutter Island where Leonardo DiCaprio finds out that he’s is a patient not an inspector. For most of the film its shows a sense of Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo are trapped on the island. Leo is investigating the disappearance of one of the patients and has a strong belief that they have an undercover operation where they test on patients by making normal people sound crazy. When the doctor finally explains at the end how he’s been relapsing this character in his head because he can’t cope with the fact that his children are dead and he killed his wife come as a huge shock to the audience. Even though it came as a shock, it was hinted through-out the film again that there was an extra patient. For example when he goes into the room where the girl who escaped lived, he found a note saying there was one extra “prisoner”, this led to Leonardo DiCaprio hunting down this extra person thinking it was the Pyro-maniac which killed his wife, which was him all along. This in my personal opinion is the best plot twist I have ever seen, including The Sixth Sense and other films like Silence of the Lambs.

In the thriller genre, long hold scenes are used to create a dramatic effect on what has just happened in the film. In No Country for Old Men, Anton Chigurh is in a room with Carla Jean Moss. He flips a coin and asks her do draw it and she doesn’t. After that it cuts to a long hold scene of Anton leaving the house. The audience does not know whether he killed her or not it’s left to their imagination. There was no gun shot sound because the gun he uses is a supressed shotgun. This is effective cinematography as it leaves the audience with the burden of never knowing what really happened to Carla Jean Moss.