THRILLER GENRE RESEARCH
CONVENTIONS OF THRILLER:
Common thriller plots:
Common elements:
- Ransoms
- Heists
- Obsessions
- Kidnap
- Spying
- Crime/Investigation
- Revenge
Common elements:
- Protagonist faces death
- Antagonist starts of in stronger position than protagonist
- Main story line for protagonist is quest or on someone, focuses on mystery to be solved
- Films narrative construction is dominated by the protagonists point of view
- Action and characters must be credibly realistic or natural in their representations on screen
- Major themes that underpin the thriller genre, are the desire for justice and the morality of individuals
- Presence of innocence in corrupt world
- Protagonist and antagonist battle, not just physically but mentally
- Accidents and curiousness are seen to be dragged into conflict
Jack Reacher Clip Analysis
How does this film follow the thriller conventions?
How do micro-elements portray a thriller atmosphere?
BY TEMITOPE SIJUADE
- It has innocent people that end up facing death throughout the storyline plot
- The antagonist is shown to start at a stronger position, due to the idea that he has the sniper and is shooting at innocent victims
- Through the titling sequence, it suggests that a mystery is to be solved as to who the sniper is, and why he is acting in this brutal way
- This sequence shadows a main thriller theme of finding justice
How do micro-elements portray a thriller atmosphere?
- The use of a score starting low, helps to create a negative atmosphere which suggests a mysterious and suspicious nature. This helps portray to the viewer the genre of the film
- The use of bullets as a prop, significantly highlights a violence nature to the plot
- An establishing shot at the start helps to set the setting of the city, and helps to emphasise the journey of a specific white van the camera shot is following
- The use of face paced shots suggests the idea of panic and time is being lost, suggesting things are going on the clock, precise and accurate
- The use of a close up showing the antagonist wearing gloves and tapping on the steering wheel, makes the viewer feel anxious to what is to happen and why
- The extreme close up of the sniper alone also makes the viewer feel uneasy
- A pan over the innocent victims highlights their vulnerability and them looking weaker because they can't do nothing to change the situation
BY TEMITOPE SIJUADE
Shutter Island Clip Analysis
How does this follow/subvert conventions of a thriller?
BY SAMUEL AUSTEN
- The protagonist actually starts off in a stronger position of power as he has the gun pointing at the antagonists.
- The mystery that has been going the whole way through the film is being solved
- Follows as their is a feel of corruption about the whole thing as its a crime thriller and the storyline has a massive twist at the end making the audience feel betrayed like the main character
- The protagonist and antagonist have a mental and physical battle as the doctor tries to explain to the patient who he actually is whilst the also have a fist fight
- There is not a lot of non diegetic sound and no music to try and make the scene as naturalsitic as possible
- There are also a lot of fast camera movements which is very popular in thrillers as it creates a chaotic atmosphere making the audience realise how much there is going on
- There are also a lot of over the shoulder shots to put you in the protagonist point of view
- The use of close-ups is a common feature of thrillers as it shows raw 'in ya face' emotion
BY SAMUEL AUSTEN
Inception Clip Analysis
How does the opening follow conventions of a thriller?
> the first shot of the protagonist shows him washed up on a beach, potentially facing death as a man with a gun finds him.
> the protagonist is weaker than another character, as he is carried into the room to talk to him
How Micro-elements help portray the genre?
> the close-ups early on show a sense of unknown, he is washed up, does not know where he is.
> canted angles indicate a fear of the unknown, and encourage the perception that the protagonist is not supposed to be there, and also used to show a realisation process in that the protagonist does not know where he is
> the children having there backs turned cause a sense of ambiguity as the person does not know what they look like. the guard is oblivious to there presence, however he acknowledges the presence of the protagonist
> the gun being taken away from the protagonist creates a sense of weakness, as his defence has been taken away from him, and the people he converses with have protection.
> the closing shot of the scene, the close up on the watch, indicates the importance of time to the viewer, however they do not know why so it creates a sense of ambiguity, and the way in which the hand of the clock speeds up causes a sense of adrenaline as it appears to be leading up to something
BY SCOTT HUBBARD
> the first shot of the protagonist shows him washed up on a beach, potentially facing death as a man with a gun finds him.
> the protagonist is weaker than another character, as he is carried into the room to talk to him
How Micro-elements help portray the genre?
> the close-ups early on show a sense of unknown, he is washed up, does not know where he is.
> canted angles indicate a fear of the unknown, and encourage the perception that the protagonist is not supposed to be there, and also used to show a realisation process in that the protagonist does not know where he is
> the children having there backs turned cause a sense of ambiguity as the person does not know what they look like. the guard is oblivious to there presence, however he acknowledges the presence of the protagonist
> the gun being taken away from the protagonist creates a sense of weakness, as his defence has been taken away from him, and the people he converses with have protection.
> the closing shot of the scene, the close up on the watch, indicates the importance of time to the viewer, however they do not know why so it creates a sense of ambiguity, and the way in which the hand of the clock speeds up causes a sense of adrenaline as it appears to be leading up to something
BY SCOTT HUBBARD
Jaws Clip Analysis
How does the scene follow the conventions of a thriller?
BY ADRIAN BAMBUR
- The main character faces death throughout the scene
- The antagonist is in a stronger position, and is in its element/habitat.
- Mystery behind what is in the water approaching the boat.
- Tense score building the anticipation for the audience.
- Score is used throughout the film to represent when the monster shark is about to appear, yet in this scene, the shark appears out of nowhere with no prior musical warning. This was done to create a feeling of shock and surprise in the viewer, just like the main character would be feeling in the situation.
- The location in which the scene is set is also very important. The fact that the scene is set on a boat, where the protagonists should be safe from the shark, is very important because the shark attacks and nearly injures one protagonist when he should be completely safe. This is a vital event in the scene because it shows that no matter where the protagonists hide, they will never be safe from the much stronger shark antagonist.
BY ADRIAN BAMBUR