Thriller Wider Knowledge

Thriller essay

In terms of conventions, the thriller genre is many ways incomparable to other genres.  This is due to the fact that the thriller genre consists of a level of suspense distinct to other generic films. Irrespective of the varying sub-genres of thriller, the crucial convention to their success is the excitement they contain (whether that is through suspense, anxiousness or uncertainty), this excitement is selectively coincided at well-timed moments with unsuspected twists, and this in turn results in the thrillers distinct levels of tension.

The term thriller is imprecise, since thrillers are generally categorised into various subgenres (each sub-genre having slight variations in their conventions). A favourable example of one of these sub-genres is that entitled “psychological thriller”, these thrillers focus heavily on individual characters. Perhaps, because of this consist of elements of psychological horror (horrors generally evolve around the misfortunes of one unfortunate protagonist). Incidentally within school we have collectively studied perhaps one of the most renowned psychological thrillers- Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” the story which depicts the encounter of an attractive female secretary “Marion Crane” with the enigmatic yet psychotic “Norman Bates”. Although initially pushing boundaries from the onset of its release in the 1960s and loosely the crimes of the “Wisconsin murderer”. Psycho is unquestionably conventional, as it portrays the a stereotypical female victim in the midst of fatality and confusion- the justification of its success is solely in the hands of Hitchcock’s understanding of how to manipulate the viewer psychologically .

Another renowned sub-genre of thriller are crime thrillers. These thrillers are generally fictitious and rely heavily on created anticipation. Not only this but, crime thrillers (being hybrids) occasionally consist of elements of action-adventure films. This is due to the fact that the protagonists’ danger can be empathized by chases, escapes and cover-ups. A good example of a crime thriller is “The departed”

Although being proclaimed as an action film, this Scorsese film is evolved around organised crime and the struggles within the characters concepts of identity, therefore in my opinion I think this hybrid of film is conventionally more of a crime thriller.

Although it would be inaccurate and naive to disregard the variations in thriller sub-genres, a clear theme despite the overlaps is that all thrillers conventionally of the prolongation of confusion. A clear distinction to consider is the differentiation between “Action” films and “Thriller” films. This is due to the fact that fact that thrillers stimulate the viewer to draw assumptions from the plot as they attempt to conceive the outcome- this differs substantially to action films, as the audiences are stereotypically impatient resulting in the plot lines being fairly self-explanatory, having a “spoon feeding” feel.

An appealing convention is the level of normality portrayed. Empathy is created towards to antagonists as they are made to be familiar to the viewer, this not only ensures a certain level of admiration towards to depicted character but also aids in letting the viewer suspend their disbelief towards the sometimes far-fetched scenarios. Illuminating this ideal of normality, is David Fincher’s film “Seven”.

The basis of this story is the portrayal of two fairly average detectives placed within an predictably average suburban environment, by Fincher doing this complete empathy is created towards both protagonists and the audience is enabled in familiarizing themselves. Not only this,but the portrayal of being similar to the audience is furthered as the scene elapses into an establishing shot within the work environment. This primarily allows the audience to again have empathy as they (presumably) are used to the comparable scenarios and secondarily gives an insight into the character as the audience becomes aware that the protagonist beholds somewhat compulsive disorders as the camera shows a methodically organised desk.

Furthermore, a fundamental element to thrillers is that of plot twists. These not only determine the penultimate outcome of the film, but also alter the audiences perception of events as the director twists and eventually astounds the viewer.  A distinct example of this is again “Psycho”. Due to the fact, that the entire plot is turned on its head as the revelation of character “Norman Bates” split personality is made evident. This makes this psychological thriller hugely discomforting, primarily because the viewer questions how the overlooked the antics of the psychotic character and secondarily for the reason that Norman himself was previously conveyed as a protagonist. By playing on the audiences preconceptions, Hitchcock not only makes Norman unquestionably iconic but also plays on the viewer’s subconscious.

Another example of a thriller which conveys a false protagonist is entitled “A perfect stranger” .The basis of the storyline is constructed around “Rowena Price” a reported with the intent of exposed corrupt individuals ( one of which being character “Harrison Hill”) despite this however in the midst of manipulation, deceit and adultery, the true motives of the female played by Halle Berry are revealed.

The concluding convention which I shall consider is that of suspense is essentially the sole decider on whether or not the overall impression on the audience is going to be positive or negative. By mastering suspense, the director is enabled in controlling and manipulating the viewer’s emotions. An efficient yet simplistic way of achieving this is by leaving questions unanswered (the main difference between action films and thrillers) as intrigue sparks tension. An additional attribute to the tension is the use of both non-diegetic and diegetic sounds- as the sound track is crucial in determining the audiences overall mood. Therefore in conclusion, I believe that thrillers have obtained the title of being the most effective genre of cinematography as they are simplistic at face value, leaving the tension to be a large result of the audience attempting to mentally deconstruct scenarios.