Nadine Blowers
Definition: A style or category of art, music, film or literature:
‘Rock is my favourite genre of music’ e.g.
‘Horror is the best movie genre’
- Oxford Dictionary
Western
Romance
Anime
Sci-Fi
Action
Fantasy
Adventure
Film Genres
Crime
Horror
War
Thriller
Comedy
“Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film and
television programming that uses suspense,
tension and excitement as the main elements” - Wikipedia
Audience expectations from a Thriller
Thrillers tend to give the audience a psychological experience.
•
•
•
•
Fast paced
Uncertainty
Possible Crime aspects
Intensity
•
•
•
•
To be ‘thrilled’
High levels of anticipation
Suspense
Confusion
Nadine Blowers
The first ever Thriller type film that was made was called SAFETY LAST! (1923) It was directed by Fred C. Newmeyer and
Sam Taylor, and it was written by Hal Roach, Sam Taylor, H.M. Walker, Jean C. Havez and Harold Lloyd. According to
Christian Metz’s development of Genre theory, the first films that are in the beginning of a genre are in the
‘experimental’ stage of development. These films help create rules for the next stages to follow. This is why Safety Last!
was important as it created the guidelines for future Thriller films, with the iconic clock scene where Lloyd is hanging
from the hands of a clock. This has been replicated in many different ways in today’s thriller films. Safety Last! Is
actually a hybrid film, meaning that it combines the codes and conventions of other genres into one film. Another
famous Thriller which is debated to be the first actual Thriller film – but definitally the directors first ever Thriller- was
directed by the thriller pioneer Alfred Hitchcock – The Lodger (1927)
Since then Alfred Hitchcock is well known for directing films such as the world renown Psycho (1960). Psycho fits into
the stage of Metz’s theory called the ‘classical’ stage where all the most famous films are made. In the Thriller genre,
films such as Silence of The Lambs and Se7en were created.
In modern day Thriller films, many of them aren’t just one genre and contain subgenres. Subgenres are when one genre
is taken and other aspects of different genres are merged to make a multi genre film. For example, Teen Thrillers, Action
Thrillers, Spy Thrillers etc..
Safety First (1923)
The Purge (2013)
The Lodger (1927)
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)
Psycho (1960)
Hanna (2011)
The Silence of The Lambs (1991)
Se7en (1995)
Nadine Blowers
Narrative conventions in thriller films indicate that the general plot is seen as a
mystery to both the audience and the protagonist; meaning that the film is
usually in the perspective of the protagonist. In most thrillers, the antagonist
may remain unknown to both the audience and the protagonist which creates
suspense that ‘thrills’ the audience and can lead to an exciting climax in the
film if the identity is revealed.
Following Torodov’s theory of equilibrium, thrillers start off with an equilibrium – meaning that
there is normality and balance in the characters lives. Then a disruption to the equilibrium
occurs which creates a disequilibrium. An example of this in thriller terms could be a murder
etc. A recognition of the disruption is then carried out by the characters which leads to an
attempt to repair the damage – which could be the murderer used in the previous example
being caught by the police- and then finally a new equilibrium is established. In some Thrillers,
new equilibriums could still mean the outcome is bad for example in Se7en, Brad Pitt’s
characters wife has died, but it’s the new normal.
A lot of thriller films are set in urban locations such as big cities. This can be used because cities are busy and there are
lots of strangers which adds to the universal mystery theme of thrillers. Pathetic fallacy is often used in thrillers as the
rainy city may indicate to the audience that something bad is going to happen. The lighting in thrillers is usually low-key
which is mainly used for creating dramatic scenes and also gives the film a darker narrative. Thriller films always have a
serious atmosphere, meaning that the character has to use serious facial expressions and emotions. The make-up and
costume is usually quite formal clothes as thrillers often involve characters in uniform; and the make-up is quite natural
or used to show stress e.g bags under eyes etc.
Nadine Blowers
Camerawork :
-A lot of panning shots are used in thrillers because they are often slow and reveal a lot of the information about the
scene and because of the slow speeds it keeps the audience guessing until the rest is revealed
-Close ups are used quite often in thrillers as they reveal emotion and can make the audience understand more about
how the character may be feeling.
- Extreme close ups are used as it only allows the audience to see a certain object which leaves the bigger picture
questionable and creates suspense.
-POV shots are another shot which is used in thrillers – usually through the protagonists eyes as the audience are then
able to feel part of the action.
-High angle shots are used in thrillers to make certain characters look vulnerable (maybe a love interest)
-Low angle shots are used in thrillers to make certain characters look bigger and more dominant.
-Unconventional angles are very effective in thrillers as they provide a difficult and uncomfortable sensation for the
audience.
Editing:
-Jump cuts and quick shots are used quite frequently in thrillers as they create uncertainty and
disorientate the audience
-Match on action is used in thrillers to engross the audience and keep them up to date with
everything the protagonist is doing so the audience is really seeing the film through the
perspective of the protagonist.
- Shallow focus can be used to make the audience identify the importance of a person/object
Sound:
In almost every thriller there is usually an eerie soundtrack (non diegetic) which easily creates suspense and tension.
In certain scenes, there might be sharp, piercing sounds (timbre) which is non diegetic and can make the audience feel uneasy.
The pace of the music can change and most of the time it changes to meet the pace of the film. This makes the audience
involved in the film with more than just their eyes.
High pitched noises e.g screams (diegetic sound) also make the audience feel uncomfortable.
Silence can also be used in thrillers which contributes to a build up of suspense and uncertainty.
Diegetic sounds like dialogue and doors slamming are always used in thrillers which contain sound.
Nadine Blowers
Slide 1 –
Info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thriller_(genre)
Slide 2 –
Info: http://www.tiki-toki.com/timeline/entry/69797/History-of-theThriller-genre/
Pictures: Safety First!, The Lodger, Psycho, The Silence of The Lambs,
Se7en, Hanna, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Purge
Slide 3 –
Pictures: Question Mark from Clip Art, Diagram of Torodov Theory.
Slide 4 -