Thriller films are known to promote intense excitement, suspense and tension. This genre of film became popular in the 1940s. Because there was lack of computer techniques in this era, directors relied largely on cinematic techniques and sound to create the high level of anticipation and ultra-heightened expectation that you would find in a thriller film. A good example of this would be Suspicion (1941), a romantic psychological thriller by Alfred Hitchcock. In the film a shy young woman marries who she initially believes to be a charming gentlemen but she begins to suspect he is a murderer and attempting to kill her.To portray the wives distrust and anxiety, Hitchcock uses a hidden light bulb to draw the viewers attention to a glass of milk. The milk has been given to the wife by her husband and she suspects he could have poisoned it. In one scene, while the wife is asleep and an empty glass lay on her bedside table it begins to fill up with milk by itself. He does this by hiding a light inside the glass.
1950's
In this era Alfred Hitchcock began to expand the colour of his film from black and white and added technicolour. This made the films more effective to the audience but there is very little real colour in these films and so it was still not very realistic.Strangers on a Train was released in 1951. It is a psychological crime thriller about two strangers who meet on a train: an amateur tennis player and a psychotic socialite. Both men want to get rid of someone so the psychopath suggests that they 'exchange' murders. This way he believed they would never get caught. The socialite, Bruno, would kill the tennis players, Guy's, wife. In return Guy would kill Bruno's father. Because they have no identifiable motives for the crimes, Bruno believes they would have no suspects.
Cinematic techniques are used to create suspense and tension in this thriller film as editing was not advance in this decade. So the director had to rely on pictures, camera and techniques. The zoom shot is used in Strangers on a Train, gradually zooming in allows the viewer to focus on that person or object. They could be viewing someone as a potential killer or victim or seeing their facial expressions at more detail and therefore understanding more how they are feeling and building a relationship with that character.
Prolonged cross cutting is another technique used. It is used to establish action happening at the same time in two different locations. In Strangers on a Train it cuts from a Tennis match to Bruno trying to regain Guy's monogrammed pocket lighter that he had dropped down a drain. This allows the viewer to witness and compare both scenes between the different characters.
1960s
Psycho is a American horror-thriller about a secretary, Leigh, who steals $40,000 from her employer's client and skips town. She checks into a secluded remote motel run by a disturbed young man and his mother. This film is also directed by Alfred Hitchcock and was released in the year 1960.Editing techniques were still very simple so Hitchcock uses elements such as sound to create dramatic effects. Psycho is most famous for its recognisable shower scene, in which the sound of a screeching violin is played. This creates tension and nervous apprehension for the viewer as they do not know what but they know something bad or unpleasant will occur so they are waiting anxiously for that to happen.
The different perspectives and points of view from that scene switch using the camera editing technique cross-cutting. This means the camera switches to and from two different scenes or points of view from the same scene. This technique is also found in the famous shower scene. The camera cuts from the woman on the shower to the murderer who has walking in on and attacked the girl. Psycho played a big part in the development of thrillers.Even with such a small budget, the film was a massive success despite being very controversial as the main character was killed off in the first 45 minutes of the film which had not really been seen in successful thriller films before.
1970s
This decade saw a large rise in violence in thriller films. Jaws, Dirty Harry and Black Christmas were all released in this era. Another Alfred Hitchcock film is called 'Frenzy' and was released 12 years after Psycho. The film takes place in London where a serial killer is targeting women and strangling them with neck ties. The London police have a suspect: Richard Blaney but he is in fact the wrong man. Fairly early in the film the viewer discovers that Robert Rusk is the real murderer. This creates tension because the audience, who have formed a relationship with the protagonist and do not want him to be wrongly blamed, are hoping and wanting the real murderer to be caught. There is also an element of irony because in the film nobody knows who the killer is whereas the viewer does and some people in the film suspect it to be Blaney when the viewer knows the truth. The murder of Blaney's girlfriend occurs off-screen. The viewer witnesses her and Rusk entering his apartment, but then the camera pulls back down the stairs and all the way across the street. This long pull back shot is an editing technique used to heighten the anticipation of the viewers.
1980s
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Blade Runner is a science-fiction thriller that was very successful in 1982. The film entails a retired police officer (Blade Runner) who must destroy four replicants who have stolen a ship from space and returned to Earth to find their creator. Dark and shadowy cinematography such as low-key lighting is used in this thriller. This produces sharp contrasts of light and dark areas and deep, distinct shadows are formed which emphasises the dramatic tension. An ongoing theme in Blade Runner is the protagonists morality. He has a questionable moral outlook which adds a controversial element to the film as the protagonist is usually stereotypically moral and genuine. This is a modern futuristic film, tension is created between the tenses of past , present and future which may be interesting to a viewer. These thematic events provide an atmosphere of uncertainty.
1990s The Hannibal Lecter film series was released in this decade as well as Se7en, proving that there was a |
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2000s - Present
Today's thrillers focus mainly on psychological themes and are more action oriented then they used to be, in the decades previous. It is less controversial for thriller films to be gory than it used to be so today's films feature more themes of horror such as blood, gore and violence. Also, present day thriller films base themselves on mystery, plot twists and shocking story lines. Zodiac is 2007 mystery thriller film about a detective who is chasing down a notorious serial killer known as 'The Zodiac'. Some present thriller films are based on previous eras (as it adds a creepy atmosphere) and inspired by older films. In Zodiac, the serial killer killed in the 1960s and 1970s. The obsessive behaviour of the detective makes the viewer believe he will stop at nothing to catch the killers and hope that he does eventually find and stop him. Letters, blood-stained clothing and ciphers mailed to newspapers are sent from the killer to taunt the police. This inspires suspense and fear in the viewer as his next actions are unpredictable.
Unlike other films, Zodiac does not rely mostly on special effects. It does not need them to create the suspense and tension because the storyline and cinematography do this alone. Sound and lighting help largely to create an eerie atmosphere for the film while the plot twists and snappy story line keep the viewer feeling apprehensive. Only part of Zodiac is filmed digitally; high-speed film cameras were used to create murder scenes in slow-motion. The slow motion effect increases dramatic tension and fear in the viewer. Thriller films today are most likely to be more successful and frightening because the availability of modern technology allows present day thriller films to explore new editing techniques and effects.
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Modern Thriller Films
Box Office's Top 15 Thriller Films
Both films are based on cannibalistic serial killer Hannibal Lecter. In Silence of the Lambs, Clarice Starling from the F.B.I, seeks his advice to help her find another serial killer. This film was very successful as it grossed over $200 Million and is number 2 on the Box Offices Highest Grossing Thriller Films list.
Unusually though, the sequel to this film, Hannibal, was more successful. It grossed $58 Million in it's opening weekend. The reason Hannibal is more successful could be because in The Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal is remembered as behind bars or wearing a muzzle. This ensured the viewer that the other characters in the film were somewhat safe from him. However in Hannibal you see the serial killer before his incarceration, when he was known as a respected psychiatrist. The viewer is able to see the psychiatrist live both as Lecter and Hannibal as he tries to hide his dark secrets. Hannibal appears more dangerous in this movie as he is not locked away, therefore the film may be more frightening for viewers.
Also, Anthony Hopkins was only seen as Hannibal in The Silence of the Lambs for sixteen minutes. Hannibal is based more on the serial killer and his life rather than Clarice Starling trying to catch a different killer like in The Silence of the Lambs. More of Hannibal's disturbed and creepy character is shown in Hannibal and it is therefore more dramatic and scary for the viewer.
Red Dragon is a prequel to both The Silence of the lambs and Hannibal and was released in 2002. In this film Hannibal Lecter is working with Will Graham, and FBI agent and psychologist, on a case of a serial killer who is believed to be cannibalistic. Throughout the film, Graham discovers evidence that implies Lecter could be the murderer. Lecter attacks Graham but he is overpowered and sentenced to life imprisonment in an institution for the criminally insane. This film grossed $209,196,298 worldwide.
Red dragon had good character development and performances from the actors but, like The Silence of the Lambs, there was very little scenes with Lecter. This may be why this film is quite a bit less successful then the other two and sits at five on the Box Office list. This further proves that Hannibal Lecter is a popular character for viewers and therefore the films that feature him at more detail are the most successful.
The tenth highest grossing film is The Cell which is a science fiction psychological thriller released in the year 2000. A social worker and an FBI agent work together to find out where a serial killer has hidden the body of his last victim. They do this by using experimental technology and allowing the social worker to enter the murderers mind, who has fallen into a coma. It grossed around $61,000,000.This film is successful because the audience builds relationships with the characters and so they care about them. This makes parts of the films very tense, when the characters they like are put in danger.This way the viewer feels involved in the storyline and the dramatic tension or suspense they experience when watching the film is increased.
Natural Born Killers is a 1994 American crime thriller based on two victims, who are traumatised by their childhoods, become lovers and mass murderers. The film was labelled fifteenth highest grossing and it was due to the controversy of the film that gave it this spot on the list. The film divided critics and audiences and became a subject of debate as some believed that it glorified the murders and the violence was "Over the top." However, others argued that the film discourages murder and attacks media's obsession with violence.
Taking Lives is the last film on the list. It is a 2004 American psychological thriller about an FBI agent trying to catch a serial killer that takes on the identity of each victim. The film is a very simple thriller, it has some suspense moments, plot twists and dramatic tension. However some viewers believe the ending is disappointing which is why this film did not do as well as films such as The Cell or the Hannibal Lecter series.
This research will assist me with planning and creating my own thriller because I am able to see what factors made all of these films successful. The ultimate aim of a thriller film is to provoke suspense, excitement, fear and tension in the viewer. Psychological crime and mystery themes in a thriller seem to be the most successful at doing this, especially in the 1990s and onwards. These films contain action, shocking storyline's, plot twists and sometimes gore. Hide and Seek is a 2005 thriller that, throughout the majority of the film, implies the young girl is completing hostile acts such as cutting up the face of a doll and drowning a cat. However in the end we discover that it is actually her father doing this. This is shocking for the viewer and therefore creates dramatic tension. Similarly Frenzy (1972) creates tension by initially implying that somebody else is the killer and then revealing that it has been this wrong suspects friend.
Psychological thrillers tend to keep the viewer guessing and make them question what they believe to happen next as it is made unknown at first before being revealed as a plot twist or dramatic ending. In Suspicion (1941) the husband is believed to be a murderer who is trying to kill his wife, however at the end we discover that he was actually planning to commit suicide. This leads the viewer to feel apprehensive, suspense and fearful until they discover the truth of the story line.
Creepy and disturbed characters are unpredictable so it is more scary and dramatic for the viewer who doesn't know what they will do next. This is why films such as Saw and Hannibal are highly rated. The Hannibal Lecter series also teaches us that the films are more successful if the popular creepy characters are given more airtime and featured at more detail. Although snappy story lines and plot twists also increase the success of a thriller film, the films should not focus on them entirely because then they may not feature many 'jumpy' or creepy moments that make the audience scared. This is why Hannibal grossed more highly than The Silence of The Lambs.
Another thing I could take into consideration from those films is that The Silence of The Lambs ensure the audience that the characters are somewhat safe from the antagonist. A successful thriller should avoid doing this as it adds an element of danger if the viewer feels that the characters are unsafe then they too begin to feel unsafe because they have built relationships with those characters. In successful thriller movies, the audience builds relationships with both the protagonist and antagonist. Between the viewer and antagonist there is usually a negative relationship and the viewer wants the antagonist to be found or stopped, etc. This creates dramatic tension and the audience feels more involved. They also feel more involved in the story line due to the relationship they build with the protagonist. The viewer begins to care about the character and therefore scenes where they may be in danger become more intense. The relationship with the protagonist tends to be stronger if the viewer can relate to them and if they have a bad relationship with the antagonist.
Cinematic techniques help to heighten the anticipation of the audience. Various camera techniques are used to create tension and expectation. For example, cross cutting is used in Strangers on a Train and Psycho. It allows the audience to either compare two or more scenes between different characters or different perspectives or view points in the same scene like in the Psycho Shower Scene. Alfred Hitchcock teaches us that sound and lighting also create an eerie atmosphere in thriller films and in turn increase the dramatic tension. The sound effects creates ultra-expectation in the Psycho Shower Scene as the viewer knows something is going to happen.
A thriller film needs a creative and shocking ending because the ending is usually what is most remembered by the audience. If the ending is boring or disappointing then that is what viewers will remember and say about the film to other potential viewers. Taking Lives is an example of this as it is reviewed as a good film with an interesting storyline up until the end where it becomes disappointing. This could discourage some people to watch or buy the film.
These factors all effect the success rate of a thriller film and I should refer back to this when creating my own. However, how successful a film becomes is also dependant on the time period that it was released in. For example, Psycho was very successful in the 1960's because it was shocking, controversial and dramatic but today it would appear not very shocking or controversial compared to modern thrillers. Also the cinematic techniques would not seem as impressive as they did then because modern technology has improved massively. I should observe and research conventions of present day thriller films when creating my own and consider what makes them successful. Although this research has allowed me to see the development in the thriller genre over seventy years.
This post demonstrates a proficient understanding of how thriller films have changed and developed over the years. You have made a start in identifying a variety of films from different years. You have focused on the narrative element well, but further analysis of specific scenes are necessary, to demonstrate your understanding further.
ReplyDeleteThe box office task also helps to demonstrate your understanding of the thriller genre well as you have started to make some comparisons between the films and film gross.
Now aim to include a summary to explain how your research will assist you with planning and creating your own thriller and what inspirations you have gained from the narratives.
I've added a summary. What other changes do I have to make?
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