Thriller is a genre of literature, film and television that uses suspense, excitement and tension as the main elements. Thriller's create a shocking and anxious atmosphere for the audience, to create an adrenaline-rush. Literary devices such as red herrings, plot twists and cliffhangers are used extensively.[1]
In this essay I will discuss how thrillers have changed over the years, starting from the 1960s and going through the decades to the present time.
Task 1
The 1960s
In mid-1960, the iconic suspense/horror film Psycho was released (based on the 1959 novel of the same name). "The shower scene" is one of the best-known scenes in all of cinema. In the 1960s, a lot of subjects were taboo and not allowed in film or on television. This affected Psycho in the way that some things in the film were not seen in films usually, such as an unmarried couple sleeping in the same bed. Also at the time, it was unacceptable to directly show someone being stabbed on screen. Directer Alfred Hitchcock got around this rule by using over 77 camera angles, and 50 cuts.[2] In one shot in the scene, it seems as if the knife punctures the woman's abdomen, although no blood is shown, but this effect was most likely created with lighting and reverse motion. Despite the limitations of this time period, Psycho managed to, and still manages to, engage the audience with the film. Hitchcock achieves this with clever camera shots/angles and editing. An example of this is the fast editing during the time of the woman getting stabbed. This creates action and excitement. Another example is at the end of the scene, when she is lying on the floor of the bathroom (dead), and there is an extreme close up of her eye, looking directly into the camera. The camera then zooms out. This creates an intense emotional connection between the audience and the character. We do not have to see her fatal wounds to sympathise and empathise with her. Some say that Psycho was revolutionary for cinema, especially thriller films; this is highly due to the famous shower scene.
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| A screenshot from the end of the shower scene of Psycho (1960) |
After the 1960s, films gradually started exploring themes more graphically. For example, the 1978 film Halloween, directed by portrayed slightly more nudity/sexual content in scenes than past thrillers around that time. Also, by this time, direct violence/gore was more acceptable on-screen. During the opening scene of Halloween, 'Sandy' gets stabbed by her little brother. As he walks up to her, we briefly see that she is half-naked; this would not have been allowed in previous years, such as during the time of Psycho. This shows progression of what is and what isn't allowed in films in terms of nudity and gore. Furthermore, this film was very successful as it spawned 7 sequels, a 2007 remake and a 2009 sequel to the remake (unrelated to the original sequel).[3] This shows how popular thriller/horror/slasher films were - and still are. This film also demonstrates how thriller films can appeal to a wide audience and keep that audience engaged without having to show too much violence and gore. Modern thriller and horror films are more disturbing than Halloween, and this film still managed to be an iconic thriller film.
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| Screenshot from opening scene of Halloween (1978) |
In the 1980s, films became even more violent, depicting more gore. However, they also developed more intense or emotional plots. An example of this is the 1980 film The Shining which is based on Stephen King's novel of the same name. In this film, a young boy has a telepathic gift ("the shining") and sees into the past of the hotel where he, his mother and his father are staying. The father goes insane as a result of cabin fever and being convinced to "correct" (kill) the family.[4] The film is very intense and emotional, which adds an emotional depth to just a 'typical' slasher/horror/thriller film. The movie is world-famous, especially for the quote "Here's Johnny!" from the scene where the father, Jack, is trying to break into the bathroom (where his wife is hiding) using an axe. This quote, as well as the "twins" from the hallway scene in the film, are heavily referenced throughout modern media. Parodies and references are popular, resulting in younger people - who may not even have seen The Shining - know of the famous quote/the infamous "twins". This shows how well-liked this film is, and the cultural impact it has had on modern-day society.
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| Screenshot from a famous scene in The Shining (1980) |
The 1999 film The Sixth Sense had even more deep, emotional scenes and undertones than The Shining. This film is about a young boy who can see dead people. A tense atmosphere is present throughout the entire film, and there are a lot of violent, intense and frightening scenes throughout. This shows how much thrillers have changed since older films such as Psycho. Also in The Sixth Sense there is a scary scene where the boy sees the frightening, battered ghost of a suicidal woman. This is a very emotional scene in which the audience sympathises and empathises with the boy because he is frightened of the woman, and so are we. This shows how thrillers progressed to become films that form intense, emotional bonds between the characters and the audience. Also, it shows an improvement of make-up as her bruises and wrist-wounds look slightly more realistic compared to films from previous decades. Furthermore, this film is very popular in modern culture as the famous quote "I see dead people" has been referenced numerous times throughout different films, tv shows and other popular culture. Again, this proves how much thriller films can impact the modern day society.
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| The female ghost from 'the suicide ghost scene' from The Sixth Sense (1999) |
In 2005, Saw II was released. This film was even more bloody, intense and violent than the original Saw, which came out a year prior. The Saw film series is well-known for it's graphic violence; the main plot of the films is that 'traps' or 'games' are set for a group of people, and in order to survive them, they must experience severe body mutilation. An improvement in film budgets, make-up and cinematography meant that, by this time, film quality could drastically improve and this violent plot could be achieved. The make-up in Saw II is very realistic, with wounds looking real and quite frightening. One of the scenes from Saw II shows a woman in a metal and glass box. She has to push her hands through razors to reach something that will help her in the trap. The scene is quite graphic, in that her hands are covered in blood and she is obviously in pain. This lasts throughout the scene, too. This shows how far thriller and horror films have come since the 1960s; in that decade, directors weren't even allowed to show someone being stabbed. Now, graphic violence is common in the thriller and horror genres, especially in the Saw film series.
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| Screenshot from 'the razor trap' of Saw II (2005) |
Finally, in 2011, Final Destination 5 was released. This film series is very successful and popular for its bloody, gory and intense deaths in all of its films. In Final Destination 5, there is even more of an increase of sex/nudity within the genre than previous years. There is quite a lot of profanity and alcoholic beverages in this film. Additionally, it has a 10/10 Violence & Gore rating and an 8/10 Frightening/Intense Scenes rating (on IMDb) which is an indication of how graphic, in relation to blood, this film is.[5] Considering this film is only a 15 certificate, there is quite a lot of violence, gore and frightening/intense scenes. This is a representation of how much cinema, thriller films in particular, have changed. Again, this film can be compared to Psycho (1960). That film was an X certificate (equivalent of 18) when it was released; although it contained far less gore, violence and references to things like alcohol and sex than recent films such as Final Destination 5. This may be due to the increased acceptability of such topics in modern culture. Furthermore, the scene of Isaac's death in Final Destination 5 was incredibly bloody and violent. This supports my point also, as this never would have been allowed more than 30 years ago. It also looks quite realistic as it can be portrayed more graphically than in previous decades.
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| Screenshot from 'Isaac's death in Final Destination 5 (2011) |
In summary, thriller/horror/slasher films have become more gory, violent and intense throughout the years. Blood is shown on screen more frequently and graphically. There has also been an increase in the amount of nudity/sexual content seen in thriller films, due to subjects such as this being explore in modern media more frequently. This research will help me in planning a modern, intense thriller film opening as it shows what recent movies and past movies have in common to create a thriller film. My opening will be intense and make the audience frightened and on-edge.
References:
1. (Wikipedia) Thriller (genre). 2. (Wikipedia) Psycho. 3. (Wikipedia) Halloween. 4. (IMDb) The Shining. 5. (IMDb) Final Destination 5.
Task 2
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| Top 10 thriller movies from 1980 to present - boxofficemojo [1] |
The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) was very successful (in relation to lifetime gross). It is #2 in this chart, second only to its sequel, because it was and is a hugely loved and popular movie. It is a film adaptation of the novel of the same name, which was a sequel to the novel 'Red Dragon'. Due to this film being an adaptation of a popular novel with an infamous main character (Dr Hannibal Lecter), the film gained a lot of attention and was very popular at the time of its release, and afterwards. The plot of this film, and its prequel/sequel, were also intriguing for newcomers to the plot (who hadn't read the books), and there weren't and still aren't many films with such a dark, twisted and unique narrative. Moreover, there are two famous and successful actors in the film who play major characters - Jodie Foster and, again, Anthony Hopkins. People tend to watch films with more famous actors in. This film is rated 18, and over 18s can appreciate the story, the famous actors, etc more than younger audiences.
Se7en (1995) has the #4 spot in this top 10 chart. Its commercial success could be due to several reasons. Firstly, the narrative is original and unique - the plot revolves around two detectives, investigating a case where one person is killing one victim for each of the seven deadly sins. The integration of the detectives' lives is a unique plot point for a thriller, as this is uncommon throughout the genre - most thriller/horror films generally rely on the murderous aspects on a film. This may have intrigued the audience to watching the film when it first came out, and after it came out, due to its popularity. This film has an 18 certificate, which allows it to show more violence/gore - this attracts thriller/horror film lovers who watch films like this for the gory parts. Another reason that Se7en was so successful at first and after it came out was the fact that its, like Hannibal/The Silence of The Lambs, cast are famous and well-respected actors and celebrities: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman and Gwenyth Paltrow. Fans of these already well-known actors were drawn to watching Se7en. Se7en was also highly rated by critics, and received some awards/nominations, which again would add to why the film was so popular.
Overall, unique narratives, famous actors and sequels all contribute to how successful a [thriller] film is on its opening weekend, but also beyond that.
References:
1. Unknown author. (2013). Thriller - Serial Killer Movies at the Box Office - Box Office Mojo. Available: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=serialkillerthriller.htm. Last accessed November 23rd 2013.
1. Unknown author. (2013). Thriller - Serial Killer Movies at the Box Office - Box Office Mojo. Available: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/genres/chart/?id=serialkillerthriller.htm. Last accessed November 23rd 2013.
This post demonstrates a proficient understanding of how thriller films have changed over the years. The films and the screenshots that you have included, helps to demonstrate your understanding well on the narratives and of the codes and conventions.
ReplyDeleteTo develop this post, you need to consider specific scenes in more detail. As this will enable you to demonstrate further knowledge of the thriller genre.
The box office information that you have included above, helps to demonstrate further understanding of the thriller genre. But further discussion of why the audience watch these films are needed.
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