Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film and television, having numerous subgenres. ... Successful examples of thrillers are the films of Alfred Hitchcock. Thrillers generally keep the audience on the "edge of their seats" as the plot builds towards a climax.
Suspense is a crucial characteristic of the thriller genre. It gives the viewer a feeling of pleasurable fascination and excitement mixed with apprehension, anticipation and tension. These develop from unpredictable, mysterious and rousing events during the narrative, which make the viewer or reader think about the outcome of certain actions. Suspense builds in order to make those final moments, no matter how short, the most memorable. The suspense in a story keeps the person hooked to reading or watching more until the climax is reached.
In terms of narrative expectations, it may be contrasted with curiosity and surprise. The objective is to deliver a story with sustained tension, surprise, and a constant sense of impending doom. As described by film director Alfred Hitchcock, an audience experiences suspense when they expect something bad to happen and have (or believe they have) a superior perspective on events in the drama's hierarchy of knowledge, yet they are powerless to intervene to prevent it from happening
Common methods and themes in crime and action thrillers are mainly ransoms, captivities, heists, revenge, kidnappings. Common in mystery thrillers are investigations and the whodunit technique. Common elements in dramatic and psychological thrillers include plot twists, psychology, obsession and mind games. Common in horror thrillers are serial killers, stalking, deathtraps and horror-of-personality. Elements such as fringe theories, false accusations and paranoia are common in paranoid thrillers. Threats to entire countries, spies, espionage, conspiracies, assassins and electronic surveillance are common in spy thrillers.
An example of a historical thriller would be the Little Red Riding Hood (1697), an early example of a psycho-stalker story, is a fairy tale about a girl who walks through the woods to deliver food to her sick grandmother. A wolf wants to eat the girl but is afraid to do so in public. He approaches Little Red Riding Hood and she naively tells him where she is going. He suggests the girl pick some flowers, which she does. In the meantime, he goes to the grandmother's house and gains entry by pretending to be the girl. He swallows the grandmother whole (in some stories, he locks her in the closet) and waits for the girl, disguised as the grandma.
Early Thrillers, 1920s - 1930s
In 1926 Alfred Hitchcock released his first thriller 'The Lodger', a silent thriller that followed a Jack The Ripper plot. The thriller films released in this time period could be said to be the most key thriller films produced. They used techniques that are widely recognised as the codes and conventions of the thriller genre. Through the repetition of the codes and conventions, it is now clear to any audience if a film fits into the thriller genre.
Thrillers in the 1940s
In the 40s Hitchcock continued to release suspense thrillers: Foreign Correspondant (1940), Rebecca (1940), Saboteur (1942), Shadow of a Doubt (1943). George Cukor's directed a psychological thriller called 'Gasoight' in 1944.
Thrillers in the 1950s
In the 50s Hitchcock made a massive change to the thriller genre. He added technicolour to his thrillers, they were no longer in black and white. He also added a touch of glamour to his films, by casting 'icey blondes' to play the leading ladies. Strangers on a Train (1951), Dial M for Murder (1954), Rear Window (1954), To Catch a Thief (1955), Vertigo (1958).
50s - 60s
The Night of the Hunter (1955) - Charles Laughton, Touch of Evil (1958) - Orson Welles, Cape Fear (1962) - Lee Thompson. Through the use of repitition, these thriller films continue to set down the basic codes and conventions used when creating a thriller film.
Thrillers, 1970s - 1980s
Thriller films in this era began to edge closer to the horror genre, adding violence to the mix, while still maintaining the clear difference between the two genres. Frenzy (1972) - Alfred Hitchcock, Duel (1971) - Steven Spielberg, Play Misty for Me (1971) - Clint Eastwood, Deliverence (1972) - John Boorman, Don't Look Now (1973) - Nicolas Roeg.
Thrillers in the 1990s
Misery (1990) - Rob Reiner, Sleeoing with the Enemy (1991), The Hand that Rocks the Cradle (1992) - Curtis Hanson, Unlawful Entry (1992), Single White Female (1992) - Barbet Schroeder, Malice (1993) - Harold Becker, The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) - Anthony Minghella.
Thrillers in the 21st Century
During the 21st century the thriller genre moved even closer towards the horror genre. Films contained more blood, gore and deaths. Also combining codes and conventions of action films. Instead of re-using plots from old thriller films, they decided to modernise the plots. They did this by adding plots that involved government conspiracy, terrorism and large world-wide issues. Eden Lake (2008), The Last House on the Left (2009), P2 (2007), Captivity (2007), Funny Games (2008), Ride (2001), Unknown (2011), Hostage (2005), Cellular (2006), A History of Violence (2005), Firewall (2006).
Key changes to the Thriller Genre
Over the course of time there have been many changes made to the genre. For example the stereotypical plots, although still used, have a modern twist. Often including situations relevant to modern society. For example 'Unknown' or 'Taken' include government or terrorist based plots. As time progressed, music and sounds were used to heighten the viewers mood, to make them feel tens and to create suspense. Lighting and colour also became available to the directors, this allowed them to use dark shadowing and lighting to emphasise the dark side to characters.
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