History of Thriller Films
Introduction:
A typical thriller film will include features that will create shock, suspense and surprise for the audience. They typically provide thrills and keep the audience cliff hanging at the edge of their seats as the plot builds towards the climax. Thrillers typically refer to an exciting suspenseful film especially a mystery. Thriller films aim to draw an audience in by having exciting and creative plot twists to make an audience shocked and want to continue watching the film.
Thrillers
Characters in thrillers genrally include convicts, criminals, stalkers, assassins,innocent victims, prison inmates, menaced women, characters with dark pasts, psychotic individuals, terrorists, people involved in twisted relationships, psycho-fiends. The themes of thrillers frequently include terrorism, political conspiracy, pursuit, or romantic triangles leading to murder.
There was a number of films through the ages of thrillers in the 1900s that Alfred Hitchcock produced and directed. This made him an Iconic thriller film producer. Hitchcock was born in 1899 and died in 1980.
Thrillers in the 1940's
'Rebecca' (1940) - Alfred Hitchcock
This was a psychological thriller of the 1940 and was one of the first films that Alfred Hitchcock produced. From watching the film trailer from 1940 for this film it shows a number of conventions of a thriller film that we even still see today, including suspicious music which creates a dramatic effect to the trailer and draws the audience in. There is also a female victim which is typical of most thriller films, it is rare that you get a male victim in a film. This film was filmed in black and white because it was before there was colour films. Other typical conventions of this film that links to thriller films include hidden identity's that conveys suspense to the audience. Mentioned is a shy and sophisticated young girl which links to the plot of the film includes a naive young woman who is in Monte Carlo working, this is a typical convention of a thriller because she is a female victim. There is a mystery within the film as to who Rebecca is and what it is that she has done. This is conventional to a thriller film because there is mystery and suspense to the audience as to what is going to happen to the rest of the charters and who Rebecca is. One of the women mention the rooms in the house and the room that she was standing in is suspicious as it looks like it is abandoned. This is a typical convention to a thriller film because there is the tension of an abandoned area for the audience.
The thrillers in 1940 compared to today are very similar but different because the props and the way that the props were introduced into a film is different and the effects of the film were very different mainly because then the films were filmed in black and white.
'Strangers on a Train' (1951) - By Alfred Hitchcock
This was a psychological crime thriller film that was directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951. It shows the conventions of a typical thriller film from the 2 minute trailer. The plot is aimed around the fact that there is two men looking for each others help in order to murder a number of different women. There is two typical conventions of a thriller within the plot as there is a female victim that are being hunted and murdered and there is the aim of the men who is the victim to murder the women, murdering people being the typical convention of a thriller. There is suspicious music within the trailer to show the audience that there is suspicion and the music and sounds help to keep the audiences attention. The fact that there is the dull music is conventional to a thriller because there is then tension created for the audience and makes them feel for the characters.
Within the 10 year difference of the film 'Rebecca' and 'Strangers on a train' there really isn't that much difference between them other than the fact that there is slightly more graphics and the similarities of this film is that it is still not filmed in colour as it couldn't be then.
Psycho' (1960) - Alfred Hitchcock
Psycho was a film that was released in 1960 and was a revolutional thriller film by Alfred Hitchcock. The film was based on the 1959 novel of the same name Psycho. This film unlike a lot of films now didn't have a very big budget and typical to 1960 this film was shot in black and white. The typical audiece for this film would be adults but due to the nature of the film it may pull more towards men rather than women. It is obvious that this thriller film wouldnt have been suitible for children. It may have been applicable for teens.
This film was a big hit and had a scene that was marked as brilliant and has audiences questioning motives. This was a shower scene of which the villain muders the vitctim in the shower and the way that this scene was shot left the audience with a sence of shock (the main idea of a thriller film.) 'The combination of the close shots with their short duration makes the sequence feel more subjective than it would have been if the images were presented alone or in a wider angle, an example of the technique Hitchcock described as "transferring the menace from the screen into the mind of the audience'
'Frenzy' - Alfred Hitchcock
'Frenzy' is a thriller film that was releases in 1972. The plot centres on a serial killer in contemporary London. Unlike the previous films that I have written about this film was not filmed in black and white. The audiencde for this film would have been again for adults or teens and women and men would have taken a particular interest in this film.
After having released some unsuccessful films prior to 'frenzy' he decided to return to the idea of thriller films. The narrative makes use of the familiar Hitchcock theme of an innocent man overwhelmed by circumstantial evidence and wrongly assumed to be guilty.
Alfed Hitcock died in 1980 and this was one of his last projects. 'Some critics consider Frenzy the last great Hitchcock film and a return to form after his two previous works, Topaz and Torn Curtain.'
Video to the above (reference Youtube)
'American Psycho' (2000) - Mary Harron
In the 2000s obviously this is modern day and represents more or less modern day thrillers. 'American Pycho' was a film produced by Mary Harron and was released in 2000. This film was filmed in colour which gives a good effect overall and it is more inviting. The target audience for this film again would have been adults and older teenagers and the film was a psychotic thriller where the main character was insistant on killing people that he didnt like or didnt want to see. This film has some of the typical conventions of a thriller film like the fact that all the people that the main character kills were women and there was a variety of weapons and blood.
Top 10 list of Thrillers
As can be seen from the table abve it shows that most films did best a world wide gross. 'The Sixth Sence' was number 2 in the top 10 and had the highest grossing audience. Whereas 'The shining' was number six in the top 10 and didnt do thatgreat world wide but did well opening weekend. 'The Sixth Sense' was supernatural thriller leading the narrative of the story to be exciting and not real whereas 'The game' is a mystery thriller which means the narrative was more dramatic and created more of an audence that can follow a complicated story line and follow any leads and clues that the film gives away. 'The Game' probably had an audience of adult men whereas 'The Sixth Sense' may have apealed to all manor of adults and possibly older teenagers.
This was a psychological thriller of the 1940 and was one of the first films that Alfred Hitchcock produced. From watching the film trailer from 1940 for this film it shows a number of conventions of a thriller film that we even still see today, including suspicious music which creates a dramatic effect to the trailer and draws the audience in. There is also a female victim which is typical of most thriller films, it is rare that you get a male victim in a film. This film was filmed in black and white because it was before there was colour films. Other typical conventions of this film that links to thriller films include hidden identity's that conveys suspense to the audience. Mentioned is a shy and sophisticated young girl which links to the plot of the film includes a naive young woman who is in Monte Carlo working, this is a typical convention of a thriller because she is a female victim. There is a mystery within the film as to who Rebecca is and what it is that she has done. This is conventional to a thriller film because there is mystery and suspense to the audience as to what is going to happen to the rest of the charters and who Rebecca is. One of the women mention the rooms in the house and the room that she was standing in is suspicious as it looks like it is abandoned. This is a typical convention to a thriller film because there is the tension of an abandoned area for the audience.
The thrillers in 1940 compared to today are very similar but different because the props and the way that the props were introduced into a film is different and the effects of the film were very different mainly because then the films were filmed in black and white.
Thrillers in the 1950's
This was a psychological crime thriller film that was directed and produced by Alfred Hitchcock in 1951. It shows the conventions of a typical thriller film from the 2 minute trailer. The plot is aimed around the fact that there is two men looking for each others help in order to murder a number of different women. There is two typical conventions of a thriller within the plot as there is a female victim that are being hunted and murdered and there is the aim of the men who is the victim to murder the women, murdering people being the typical convention of a thriller. There is suspicious music within the trailer to show the audience that there is suspicion and the music and sounds help to keep the audiences attention. The fact that there is the dull music is conventional to a thriller because there is then tension created for the audience and makes them feel for the characters.
Within the 10 year difference of the film 'Rebecca' and 'Strangers on a train' there really isn't that much difference between them other than the fact that there is slightly more graphics and the similarities of this film is that it is still not filmed in colour as it couldn't be then.
Thrillers in the 1960
Psycho' (1960) - Alfred Hitchcock
Psycho was a film that was released in 1960 and was a revolutional thriller film by Alfred Hitchcock. The film was based on the 1959 novel of the same name Psycho. This film unlike a lot of films now didn't have a very big budget and typical to 1960 this film was shot in black and white. The typical audiece for this film would be adults but due to the nature of the film it may pull more towards men rather than women. It is obvious that this thriller film wouldnt have been suitible for children. It may have been applicable for teens.
This film was a big hit and had a scene that was marked as brilliant and has audiences questioning motives. This was a shower scene of which the villain muders the vitctim in the shower and the way that this scene was shot left the audience with a sence of shock (the main idea of a thriller film.) 'The combination of the close shots with their short duration makes the sequence feel more subjective than it would have been if the images were presented alone or in a wider angle, an example of the technique Hitchcock described as "transferring the menace from the screen into the mind of the audience'
Thrillers in the 1970's
'Frenzy' - Alfred Hitchcock
'Frenzy' is a thriller film that was releases in 1972. The plot centres on a serial killer in contemporary London. Unlike the previous films that I have written about this film was not filmed in black and white. The audiencde for this film would have been again for adults or teens and women and men would have taken a particular interest in this film.
After having released some unsuccessful films prior to 'frenzy' he decided to return to the idea of thriller films. The narrative makes use of the familiar Hitchcock theme of an innocent man overwhelmed by circumstantial evidence and wrongly assumed to be guilty.
Alfed Hitcock died in 1980 and this was one of his last projects. 'Some critics consider Frenzy the last great Hitchcock film and a return to form after his two previous works, Topaz and Torn Curtain.'
Video to the above (reference Youtube)
Thrillers in the 2000s
'American Psycho' (2000) - Mary Harron
In the 2000s obviously this is modern day and represents more or less modern day thrillers. 'American Pycho' was a film produced by Mary Harron and was released in 2000. This film was filmed in colour which gives a good effect overall and it is more inviting. The target audience for this film again would have been adults and older teenagers and the film was a psychotic thriller where the main character was insistant on killing people that he didnt like or didnt want to see. This film has some of the typical conventions of a thriller film like the fact that all the people that the main character kills were women and there was a variety of weapons and blood.
Top 10 list of Thrillers
As can be seen from the table abve it shows that most films did best a world wide gross. 'The Sixth Sence' was number 2 in the top 10 and had the highest grossing audience. Whereas 'The shining' was number six in the top 10 and didnt do thatgreat world wide but did well opening weekend. 'The Sixth Sense' was supernatural thriller leading the narrative of the story to be exciting and not real whereas 'The game' is a mystery thriller which means the narrative was more dramatic and created more of an audence that can follow a complicated story line and follow any leads and clues that the film gives away. 'The Game' probably had an audience of adult men whereas 'The Sixth Sense' may have apealed to all manor of adults and possibly older teenagers.
This post demonstrates a limited understanding of how thriller films have developed over the years. You have made a start in researching into different films to create a timeline, but you need to elaborate on the points that you have made. This is because the points are too vague and does not demonstrate enough understanding of the thriller film that you have selected.
ReplyDeleteTherefore you need to elaborate on the narrative of the film and consider the codes and conventions of a thriller sequence in more detail, which will enable you to develop your points further.
Also when you are considering the box office information you need to elaborate on the table, by referring to the narrative, audience ratings and success, to demonstrate further understanding.