Editing is a key part of the thriller film-making process, and it is important that it is invisible to the viewer. It allows the director to manipulate the pacing and the tone of the film, to remove any mistakes, and to join individual shots together to create a full sequence. Different types of editing styles include montage, wipe, dissolve and the 180 rule. I have chosen to analyse the editing styles that are used in this dream sequence from the thriller film Shutter Island to see how and what effects they create within the scene.
An editing technique that appears towards the middle of the sequence from Shutter Island is a shot reverse shot, which is used to show a conversation that is taking place between two of the characters. The technique will ensure that the transitions between the shot changes are smooth which will help to make the conversation between the characters flow. A shot reverse shot is needed in order to show both sides of the conversation so that the audience can see how the characters are reacting to each other. Also, this technique will make it look as though the characters are talking directly to the audience which is conventional to the thriller genre as it will make them feel more involved in the scene.
An editing technique that reoccurs in this sequence from Shutter Island is a straight cut, this is when the shot will quickly change from one viewpoint or location to another. A straight cut is used at the very beginning of the clip when the audience can see the character Teddy drifting in and out of consciousness, implying that he is struggling to fall asleep. The shot begins hovering over the character and then changes to show the audience the dream that is going on inside of his head. The use of this straight cut gives the audience a bigger insight into what is going on inside of the characters head, which builds on the narrative. In the sequence, the audience are introduced to a new character who they do not know much about which will create an enigma as they will want to know more about her, and why she is in Teddy's dream. The sudden change in shot is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates suspense due to it prolonging the sequence meaning the audience have to wait longer to see what happens next.
Another editing technique that is used in the sequence from Shutter Island is a reaction shot, which is when a subject (character) reacts to the previous shot. A reaction shot is used when Teddy is conversing with his wife towards the middle of the sequence, in order to show the audience how Teddy feels about what the other character is saying. The use of this reaction shot is conventional to the thriller genre as it will give the audience a bigger insight into how Teddy is feeling which will make the audience feel more involved in what they are watching as the character is opening up with them in a way, and allowing them to see his true emotions.
In conclusion, editing techniques are important when ensuring that a film runs smoothly from beginning to end. If used efficiently, the different editing techniques will create a consistent flow throughout the film when the shot transitions from one to another. There are also many sounds in thriller films that are added in during the editing stage and so it is important that the sound is played at the right time and corresponds with the correct action.
Sound is an important part of the filmmaking process, needed in order to bring the narrative to life by giving the characters their own thoughts and feelings, and giving their emotions more meaning, who can then use their dialogue to tell a story. The background music is often used to add tone to a film or even foreshadow a change within the mood of the narrative. The clip that I have chosen to analyse comes from the thriller film Psycho, and is arguably one of the most famous scenes from an Alfred Hitchcock film as it shows the brutal stabbing of the female lead, Marion.
The first example of a sound that can heard within a film is parallel, which is when the sound that the audience can hear is what they expect to. An example of a parallel sound that occurs in the clip from Psycho happens when Marion is being stabbed to death (1.42). The killer pulls the shower curtain back and reveals that he is holding a knife, which causes Marion to scream. The audience expect this reaction from her due to the fact that she had believed that she was alone in the bathroom, therefore she would have been shocked and frightened by the silent arrival of another character. This parallel sound is conventional to the thriller genre as it emphasises the fear that she is feeling and makes the scene look and sound more realistic. The audience will feel sympathetic towards Marion due to the fact that she is in pain and defenceless which ultimately suggests that she is going to die.
An example of a non diegetic sound is the two beat, high pitched noise that begins to sound when the killer pulls back the shower curtain with the knife held high in the air (1.37). This sound, along with the dramatic actions that the killer performs creates shock for both the character and the audience. The killer is purposely quiet as he enters the bathroom, which results in Marion being unaware that she is not alone until she is being stabbed, at which point there is nothing she can do to avoid her inevitable death. For the audience, the scene before the killer enters the room is calm and natural, and so the sound causes them to suddenly feel on edge. The audience will sympathise with Marion who was completely unaware of what was going to happen to her. They will also want for the killer to be caught at some point in the film before he has the chance to kill another, which therefore creates suspense as the audience do not know if he will or not. The sound itself is played at a painfully loud volume and pitch, which arguably mirrors the pain that Marion is feeling due to the fact that she is being killed. The sound begins when the killer first makes himself noticeable to Marion, and then finishes when she is finally dead, implying that the sound is a signal for danger and will occur when one of the characters is going to die.
Diegetic sound is when the sound that the audience can hear is part of the film, for example, in the sequence from Psycho, a diegetic sound is the sound that the water makes as it pours down from the shower after Marion has been killed (2.38). The audience focus on the water that is washing away the blood, emphasising the fact that she is dead. This creates an enigma due to the audience not knowing who the killer was or why she was killed; the element of hidden identity is conventional to the thriller genre. The fact that Marion is dead but the audience do not know who the killer is will build suspense within the sequence due to the possibility that someone else may be killed further on in the film, therefore none of the characters are safe. The sound of the water washing away the blood implies that the evidence of her death is being washed away also, which emphasises the enigma of the audience not knowing who the killer is. The audience will feel sympathetic towards Marion who was innocent and had no way of stopping the killer.
Another type of sound that occurs in the sequence from Psycho is silence (1.24), used in thriller films to create suspense and shock. This lack of sound begins when Marion is in the shower and the audience, who are facing the door during the sequence, can see the shadow of the door being opened, but due to the positioning of the character, Marion cannot. This creates suspense as the audience are aware that she is no longer the only character in the scene or what is going to happen to her character. The suspense in the sequence is what leads to the creation of shock, firstly from Marion, due to her not knowing that there was another person in the bathroom with her, but also at the sight of a knife being held towards her. The audience will be shocked by the high pitch sound that breaks the silence in the sequence (1.37), the silence now seen as 'the quiet before the storm'. The silence will cause the audience to view the killer as creepy and slightly mentally unstable. They will sympathise with Marion who was completely oblivious to the killer being there and gave him no reason to kill her.
In conclusion, researching the different types of sounds that can be used in a film has given me a better understanding of what each sound means. An on screen sound is when the audience can see exactly where the sound is coming from within the frame, for example, music from a radio. I now know that the six main types of sounds in films are on screen, off screen, diegetic, non diegetic, parallel and contrapuntal, and the definition of each. I now understand that sound can be used to help the audience understand how a character is feeling or what their emotions are. For example, dialogue is an obvious way for a character to express their emotions. It is likely that if they are angry their voice will be harsh and loud, whereas if the character is sad their voice will be quiet, or they will be crying. It is important to use sound correctly when creating our thriller sequence as we want to create suspense, shock and tension in order to make the audience feel a certain way. For example, contrapuntal sounds, which are sounds that are not what the audience expect to hear, could potentially be mistaken as humorous if used wrong which defeats the purpose of a thriller film.
Cinematography is the photography and camerawork that is involved in the filmmaking process, which is arguably one of the most important jobs within the film industry as the cinematography will ultimately bring the film to life if done effectively. Examples of cinematography are low angle, high angle and extreme close up. The clip that I have chosen to analyse comes from the thriller film House of the End of the Street. This scene in particular shows the attempted escape of one of the characters, Carrie Anne, who throughout the film has been portrayed as mentally unstable and dangerous. There are many different camera techniques that have been used in the sequence that I have identified as conventional to the thriller genre.
The first camera technique that I identified was a long shot, used in the sequence when Carrie Anne finally escapes from the room that she had been trapped in. A long shot is used in film to show the audience a larger object or a large amount of the background in the scene. In this particular case, the audience are able to see both, a full body view of Carrie Anne, and a large amount of her surroundings, which look to be in horrible conditions, similar to a boiler room. The audience will sympathise with Carrie Anne as the way she was kept suggests that her brother, Ryan, does not care about her in the way a brother should. This creates an enigma as the audience will be curious to find out what Carrie Anne has done to deserve this treatment. Also, the audience may consequently view her brother as the antagonist of the film. The use of a long shot could involve the audience into the scene more as both them and Carrie Anne are for the first time seeing more than just the inside of her small room. This technique is conventional to the thriller genre as it gives the audience a bigger insight to what is happening around and behind the characters in the frame.
Another camera technique used in the sequence was a point of view shot (POV), which is when the audience can see the same thing as one of the characters in the scene. This technique can be used to build a relationship between that character and the audience who will also feel more involved in the scene. In the scene that I have chosen, the point of view that the audience see is Carrie Anne's as she looks around the corridor from outside her room to make sure that her brother isn't around to stop her from escaping. The audience will see that she is desperate to leave, but the knowledge that she has been locked up for such a long time will suggest that she is a dangerous character and that if she does escape, other characters will be in danger. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it builds up suspense as the audience do not know whether she is going to escape or what will happen if she does. To start with, the camera focuses on the door in front of her, and then the black stairs that she can see up ahead. Both the door and the stairs connote the idea of freedom and Carrie Anne's escape. The audience see her character hesitate before running towards the stairs, which suggests that she is scared that her brother is going to jump out at her and stop her from leaving. The audience will feel sympathetic towards Carrie Anne due to the way she has been kept hidden away in her own home, similar to the way a prisoner is. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates an enigma due to the audience wanting to know why Ryan has kept Carrie Anne locked away, or why Carrie Anne is so afraid of her brother. The audience will achieve a sense of hidden identity due to them not knowing the true depth of both Carrie Anne and Ryan, who the audience know are clearly hiding something.
The handheld camera technique is when the cameraman does not use a tripod when filming to keep the camera steady, instead they themselves will hold the camera in order to create jerky and unsteady images. In the scene from House at the End of the Street, handheld is used when the character Carrie Anne is being chased through the forest by her brother Ryan after escaping from the room that she had been locked in. This technique is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates a sense of panic and urgency that one of the characters has, in this case, the panic and urgency comes from Ryan who desperately wants to catch his sister before she is seen by anyone else. The technique further creates suspense within the sequence due to the audience having to wait to find out whether Ryan is going to find her in time. In the sequence, it is difficult for the audience to build a relationship with either of the characters due to the secrecy that they both have, which results in the audience not trusting either of them.
A two shot, as it sounds, is when there are only two characters featured in a frame. This can be used to attract the audience's attention to the most important characters in the scene, which also creates a more intimate feel to the scene, making the audience feel more involved. A two shot is used at the end of the sequence when the audience see Ryan and Carrie Anne hiding under the house after she had been caught. This clearly tells the audience that Ryan does not want Carrie Anne to be seen by anyone else, which is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates an enigma due to the audience being curious to find out why. It will also create suspense as both the audience and Ryan now realise that Carrie Anne is capable of escaping and that she could potentially try to escape again, which may foreshadow the dangerous events that are to follow further on in the film. The audience do not know what measures Ryan will go to in order to keep Carrie Anne hidden away from everyone else, therefore they may soon see his true self.
Another technique that is used in the sequence from House at the End of the Street was a high angle, which can be seen when the camera is positioned outside of the house window while Elissa is in the kitchen washing up. High angles are used in thriller films to show the audience the power and superiority that one character has over another, usually the killer over their victim. In the sequence, the use of this high angle shows Elissa in the light of a victim, which creates suspense due to the audience having the idea that she could be in danger. It also implies stalker behaviour on behalf of the killer who looks as if they are watching Elissa but does not want her to see them. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it could potentially lead to a jump scare, or build suspense within the audience who do not know what is going to happen to Elissa. The audience will feel sympathetic towards her as she is completely oblivious to what is going on outside of her house, or that she could be in serious danger.
In conclusion, cinematography is clearly one of the most important aspects of the filmmaking process. By researching the different techniques and analysing them through watching clips from well known thriller films, we now know what the shots are meant to look like which will make filming easier as we will have a rough idea of how our sequence is meant to look. The cinematography that I identified after watching the sequence from House at the End of the Street all contribute to creating a conventional thriller sequence. The use of handheld helped to create a conventional thriller sequence as it built a sense of panic within the sequence, which then created suspense within the audience as they did not know the background of the two characters therefore they were in the dark about why the characters were panicked. Also, the use of point of view (POV) in the sequence helped to involve the audience more by giving them more of an insight into the character of Carrie Anne.
The arrangement of everything that appears in the frame of a scene is called the Mise-en-scene, this includes the setting and iconography (props), costume, hair and makeup, facial expressions and body language, lighting and colour and the positioning of the characters within the frame. I have analysed this clip from The Woman in Black to see how it incorporates the different elements of Mise-en-scene. Arthur Kipps, portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe, is the only character featured in the clip. This alone creates tension as throughout the clip his character can hear noises coming from different rooms in the house, which suggests that he is not alone after all.
The setting of a thriller film can make important contributions to creating suspense and making the audience feel more involved in the scene. For example, a house connotes the idea of family and safety, which will result in the audience feeling more relaxed. In the clip from the film, Daniel Radcliffe is alone in a remote house that is surrounded by a graveyard, dead trees, both of which will make the audience think of death and the possibility that this is foreshadow the fate of Daniel Radcliffe. Therefore, instead of feeling relaxed, this choice of setting will make the audience feel on edge and tense. This is conventional to the thriller genre as the audience will be constantly anticipating what is going to happen to him and whether he is going to survive the night.
Certain camera shots used in the clip allow the audience to see that Daniel Radcliffe is holding an axe as he makes his way through this house. This is the most important piece of iconography that is used in the scene. This choice of weapon is more physical compared to a gun, for example, which makes the idea of death more personal. Usually, it is the antagonist who carries around a weapon and so the audience may see Daniel Radcliffe as a potential killer, therefore feeling less sympathetic towards his current situation. The iconography is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates tension due to the audience not knowing why he is going to need a weapon, they will be waiting on edge and waiting anticipation to see what is going to happen.
Usually in thriller films, the antagonist will be male and the victim female, however, this clip from The Woman in Black is completely the opposite to this. The costume that the characters in a film wear usually gives the audience an idea of what the era of the film is, or what type of society the character comes from. In this clip, Daniel Radcliffe's outfit consists of a suit and bow tie, both of which suggest professionalism, which is supported by the audience knowing that his character is a lawyer who is trying to sell the house that he is in. On one hand, the audience may see his character as wealthy and intelligent, therefore smart enough to protect himself and survive the events that are going to happen in the scene. Although, they may also view him as someone who has never been in a situation like this before and they will therefore sympathise with his character.
At the beginning of the scene, the camera zooms in on Daniel Radcliffe's face to give the audience a more detailed view of his facial expressions. By doing this, the audience can no longer see what is going on in the background or if there is someone else there. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates tension due to the audience His heavy breathing and panicked expression continue to build tension as it tells the audience that he is frightened and in a dangerous situation that they do not know if he will get out of.
Directors use specific lighting to emphasise the most important aspects of the scene that they want the audience to focus on. For example, towards the end of the clip from The Woman in Black, the audience see a death like figure rise up from the graveyard and walk towards the house. In order to make the viewers aware of this new character, the surrounding background is a deliberate white foggy colour. This is known as low key lighting, an effect that allows the director to form distinct shadows and to create sharp contrasts of light and dark colours. Low key lighting is the most conventional to the thriller genre as it creates a darkness that will make the atmosphere more eerie, and will make the audience feel tense and aware when danger is present.
By analysing the elements of Mise-en-scene used in the clip from The Woman in Black, I have been able to develop a better understanding of what makes up each of the elements and how they are used effectively in order to make the audience feel a certain way, or to build up tension in a scene. This will be helpful when I am planning my opening sequence as I now know what I will need to include to make sure the Mise-en-scene in my sequence is complete. For starters, I will need to choose a setting that is relevant to my narrative, and use the different types of lighting to show a change in setting or character emotion. For example, natural lighting, or high key lighting will create a homely, relaxed feel, whereas low key lighting is more eerie, and will make the audience feel more on edge. By using different costumes I will be able to show the audience the age of a certain character, or what social situation they are in, or if they are the antagonist or victim. Mise-en-scene is an important part of any film as it helps to set the tone, emotion and value of a shot.
BBFC The BBFC stands for the British Board of Film Classification. They are an organisation that watch over all of the different films before they can be sent off and shown to the public in the cinema. They give each of the films an age classification that will give the viewers an insight about the film before they watch it as public protection, especially of the younger viewers, is one of the most important aims that the BBFC have, the six possible age classifications are U, PG, 12, 12A, 15 and 18. They want to make sure that young children are protected from any content in a film that may cause them to feel upset, or that parents may consider too inappropriate, such as violence or the use of drugs and bad language. Without the BBFC, viewers will not know anything about a film before they sit down to watch it, which could result in them not enjoying the film or not understanding the narrative.
U (universal) is the only age rating that the BBFC believe means the film will be suitable for everyone, but more specifically four years or older. U rated films are seen to be targeted for the younger audience, which includes one of many childhood favourites Monsters Inc (2001). Monsters are stereotypically seen to little children as scary creatures that live under the bed, but Monsters Inc explores the idea that not all monsters are big and scary. The narrative of the film follows the characters 'Sully' and 'Mike', two monsters that live in a city that gets it power through scaring little children and collecting the screams. They suddenly find their lives turned upside down when Sully accidentally meets 'Boo', a young girl who enters the city one day and wants Sully to look after her. The two monsters attempt to continue with their everyday lives whilst keeping Boo hidden from all the other monsters who view children as being dangerous. It is unlikely that a film rated U will include any language that can be considered mild bad language, such as 'hell' but if it does the characters will not say them very often. It is certain that the film will not promote the use of drugs and alcohol to their young viewers, nor will it include any characters that behave in dangerous ways that young children will see and want to copy. Characters in the film may be seen kissing or cuddling but there will be no detailed references to sexual behaviour. Monsters Inc contains no sexual references within the film as this would clearly be too age inappropriate and irrelevant to the narrative. Films rated U are considered family friendly and are watched and enjoyed by viewers of all ages. Monsters Inc is a Disney Pixar film, which is one that is well known for being children orientated, therefore this alone will comfort parents and they will feel safe and happy allowing their children to watch the film. There are moments within Monsters Inc that some young children may find scary to watch, especially when they see the monsters scaring the children on screen through the use of loud noises. But these scary moments are usually accompanied by funnier moments, especially ones that involve the character Mike who uses singing and dancing in the film to make Boo laugh and to calm her down if she is ever upset. In a way, the younger viewers represent the character of Boo in the film, who sometimes finds Sully scary but is then made to laugh by Mike.
PG (parental guidance) is when the film is suitable for children of eight years or older, but parents can still take children younger than this age to see the film. Not all PG films are made specifically for the younger audience (Saving Mr Banks), but the BBFC believe that the material in the film should not upset the younger audience which is why they are still allowed to watch the film. Madagascar 3 (2012) is an example of a film that was rated PG. The narrative follows Alex, Marty, Gloria and Melman; four zoo animals that decide to join a travelling circus in order to return to their home in New York without getting captured by animal control. Most PG films are generally seen as ones that can be enjoyed by all of the family. PG films are allowed to focus on themes such as bullying and racism as long as they emphasise that they are both bad things to do. Any violence within the film will only be seen in mild detail, meaning the audience will not see how the character got hurt, only how they look after it has happen, for example, they may be covered in a little bit of blood. Weapons that are considered easily accessible to the younger viewers, usually ones that they may find in their houses (knives) will not be dwelled upon when they appear in the film or made to look cool in any way. In Madagascar 3, the leader of the animal control team is sometimes seen holding a sedation gun that she plans on using to capture Alex the lion, this is a weapon will not be accessible to the younger viewers and could not actually be used to kill the animal. As for smoking, drugs and alcohol, if for some reason they do appear in the film, the characters will usually put a clear message across to the audience or to another character in the scene that those are bad things to do and it will be emphasised that they can be very harmful. Madagascar 3 does not show the characters using drugs or drinking alcohol at any point in the film, but if they had the alcohol could have been passed off as any other drink. Also, if the characters are heard using mild bad language, such as 'shit' it will not be very often or spoken with any aggression as the BBFC will not want the younger viewers repeating those words outside of the cinema. Any sex references will be undetailed, but usually there will be no reason for them in films rated PG. If the BBFC believe that a young child will not understand one of the references anyway, they will allow it to remain in the film.
Films rated 12 are fairly similar to those rated 12A, but the main difference between the two is that anyone under the age of 12 who wishes to view a film rated 12A has to be accompanied by an adult who is over the age of 18, who will be asked for ID when buying tickets at the cinema. 12A is the newest derived age rating for a film, and was created so that it could be given to films that the BBFC thought weren't quite 15 material, but were not a 12 either. In order to prevent a 12A film from being rated 15 there needs to be moments within the film that the audience will either find funny or reassuring if ever something scary or serious happens. The material within a film that is rated 12A may be considered too inappropriate for the younger viewers to watch, which is why it is advised that parents go along with their children to watch these films. Mean Girls (2004) is a 12A rated film that deals with the subject of homosexuality, sex and the social groups and statuses within a high school. The narrative follows the life of a girl named Kady, who moves with her parents from Africa to America and begins high school for the first time where she is unintentionally befriended by the 'plastics', three of the most popular and meanest girls in the school. The three girls teach her to dos and don'ts of high school and begin to turn her into one of them. The film as a whole is quiet light-hearted and easy going, but one of the most shocking scenes within the film happen towards the very end when Regina George, the leader of the plastics, is hit by a bus after a confession session between all of the girls in the school goes wrong, and Janice Ian reveals to Regina that Kady was only pretending to be her friend and had drunk kissed her boyfriend, Erin Samuels. The audience do not see the body after it has been hit by the bus, but the scene is sudden and unexpected. The reason Mean Girls was rated 12A and not 15 was, first of all, due to the character being completely fine, but also due to the same incident being made comical at the very end of the film when the audience see three girls in the year below the plastics, walking and dressed in a similar way to the way the plastics had before the bus incident. The voiceover of Kady makes a comment about there no longer being anyone to cause trouble in the school now that the plastics had gone their separate ways, but that if someone was to come along, they knew exactly what to do. The audience then saw the same school bus hit all of the three girls at once. This - joke
The Woman In Black (2012) is an example of a film that was rated 12 by the BBFC. In order for the BBFC to give a film the rating of 12 they will consider the nature or plot of the film unsettling for a child of under the age of 12 to watch. There are many scenes in The Woman In Black that are set in dark and eerie places, such as the graveyard, that could potentially frighten the younger audience. In The Woman In Black, the , main character 'Arthur Kipps', portrayed by Daniel Radcliffe is a young lawyer that is sent away from his son to a remote village to try and sell the house of a woman who recently passed away. Actors will be allowed to use both moderate (bitch/twat) and bad language (shit), but the latter should not come across as aggressive in the way that it being spoken. Also, if the language is being used too often it may be taken out of the film as well. If any of the characters are acting in a dangerous way, for example, hanging themselves, that viewers who are watching the film could copy, the footage can be shown but the images of the event should not be seen on screen for too long. The characters are allowed to be seen using weapons during any action sequences, but if those weapons, outside of the cinema world, are within the reach of the younger viewers, for example, a knife that they may find in their kitchen, their use should not be made to look appealing or glamorous to the viewers. In The Woman in Black, the characters are rarely seen with harmful weapons as the majority of the film narrative is based on a ghost story, therefore weapons would be useless anyway. If there are any sex scenes in a film rated 12, they will only be shown to the viewer in minimal detail and for a short amount of time. Also, any sex references will usually be followed by a comedic moment between the characters on screen in order to lessen the impact that it has on the younger audience. The film will contain no material that can be classed as discriminating in any way (racist/homophobic).
In one of the scenes from The Woman In Black, Arthur Kipps pays a visit to the town centre police station after seeing the woman in black for the first time. He goes to report it to the policeman on duty but while he is at the station, a young girl and her two brothers stumble in. The boys tell Arthur Kipps that the girl drank lye (poison), who then falls into Arthur Kipps arms after coughing up blood. In the end, the little girl dies leaving the audience shocked and emotional due to the young age of the girl. Some of the younger viewers especially may find this scene frightening, and may not fully understand what has happened to the little girl.
Films rated 15 are unsuitable for anyone under the age of 15. There are no prohibited themes for a 15, so long as the treatment is suitable for 15 year olds. Films rated 15 are likely to include strong violence that is not sadistic, frequent use of bad language, sexual references and nudity in limited detail, discriminatory language and behaviour and the characters may be seen using drugs. However the film must not promote or encourage the use of drugs. Any sexual violence, such as rape, must be discreet and justified by the context of the film. The film must not linger on any dangerous behaviour, such as suicide, that could potentially be copied by teenagers who are easily influenced by what they watch. The Breakfast Club is an example of a film that was rated 15. The film follows five high school students from completely different social groups who find themselves together in detention one Saturday. They each have different reasons for being there and as the film goes on, they begin to reveal what they did wrong. As the film progresses, they begin to open up to each other about their home lives and their problems, and they start to realise that they have a lot more in common with each other then they expected. This clip appears towards the end of the film when one of the boys, Brian Johnson, tells the others that the reason he was given a detention was due to a teacher finding a gun in his locker. Seeing as the rest of the film is mostly light hearted and comical, this scene is very unexpected, and therefore shocking to watch. Also, younger viewers may not appreciate just how serious the scene is. The sequence is once again made comical when he finally reveals that the gun was a flare gun that exploded in his locker. When the audience see the other characters laughing they immediately relax back into the scene and enjoy the dance sequence that follows. This comical moment is what prevents this sequence from falling into the age rating 18. The Breakfast Club was rated 15 due to the characters often using bad language, for example, when the teacher watching over them threatens to give John Bender extra detentions and then when he finally leaves the room, Bender screams 'f*** you' at him. Also, in one of the scenes that characters can be seen taking drugs after retrieving them from Bender's locker.
The Godfather films are all considered classics, exploring themes of violence and rivalry, they were rated 18 for good reason. The BBFC believe that adults over the age of 18 should be free to choose their own source of entertainment; to watch whatever they want to, which is why there is arguably no limit to what films rated 18 can and cannot show their viewers. These films will explore difficult themes, such as racism and prejudice that if shown to, may disturb the younger audience or may be difficult to understand. They may also include scenes of strong gore and horror that will scare young children and keep them awake at night. The main concern that the BBFC have when deciding what the public should be allowed to see if whether or not the film will cause the viewer any harm. For example, if the material is illegal or encourages illegal behaviour, if the use of drugs is promoted or encouraged, or if explicit images of sexual activity cannot be justified by the context the BBFC will make some cuts. The BBFC do not want viewers to take dangerous influences from films that could get them into serious trouble outside of the cinema world.
The clip I have chosen follows on from the scene in the second Godfather film in which Sonny receives a call from his pregnant sister who is distraught over the fact that, in anger, her husband has once again beaten her. Sonny leaves his house without protection, concerned only for his sister and her baby's safety. On his way to collect her, Sonny is set up by one of his rival gangs who meet him at a toll booth and open fire on him, shooting a defenceless Sonny to death. Even after he is dead, one of the men stands over his body to shoot him twice more. The death of Sonny is brutal and unexpected, and the finishing sight of his body covered in blood and bullet holes makes it difficult for anyone to watch the scene without wanting to cover their eyes or look away. This scene is one of the best examples of why the Godfather was rated 18 by the BBFC. The overall film is described most often as brutal and graphic in the way that the scenes of violence occur. 'The violence is startling and abrupt, and the horrific expressions on the faces of the victims make the images difficult to forget.' The Godfather has a very detailed plot that some believe will only be understood and appreciated by those over the age of 18.
In conclusion, age certificates are important as they give parents and film viewers a rough idea of what they can expect to see in the film. If they were going to see a film that was rated PG, they will not expect to see violence and gore they may been seen in a film rated 18. After researching the different age certificates that a film can fall into, I think that our thriller sequence is most likely to be given the age rating of 15. This means that in our opening sequence we will be able to include some violence, which will appear when the mother is being stabbed to death. Also, the characters may be heard using bad language, again in the scene where the mother is being killed, as a way for her to express her pain. Our scene will not tackle a difficult theme that a film rated 18 might have, and it will not include strong gore or explicit images as this would be irrelevant to our narrative.
Over the years, many different thriller films have been produced and brought to the cinema for audiences to enjoy. No two thriller films are the same, but they all have the purpose of engaging their audiences by providing them with thriller and keeping them on the edge of their seats constantly as the narrative builds up towards its climax. It is usually the when the character(s) are placed in impossible situations that tension within the audience begins to build, and an enigma of whether the character(s) is going to escape beings to surface. The most common sub themes in the thriller genre are crime, psychological, erotic and mystery and revolve around building tension and suspense to keep the audience anticipated and alert while they are watching the film. Thriller films have often been described as disturbing and paranoiac, which is why they tend to be targeted at the older audience. Through the years, thriller films have been developed due to the advancement in the filmmaking equipment, special effects and the overall narratives. Notorious The 1940s were a time of war and crisis for Britain, which ultimately led to a change in the British film industry itself. Thriller films were brought to the big screen to show the audience, some of whom had lived through the war, reflections and adaptations of those tragic events that had taken place in Britain. The thriller genre gave directors a chance to take the tragic events that had happened in Britain and turn them into an interesting and enjoyable film for people to watch. Notorious (1946) is an example of a war based film from the 1940s, that wasdirected and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, and tells the story of Alicia Huberman, a woman who is sent to spy on a group of her father's Nazi friends, following his conviction for treason against the U.S. The film itself was made just as the Cold War was beginning and contains some of Hitchcock's most effective camera shots. In the clip from Notorious the age of the film can be seen purely by the fact that the footage is in black and white. The lack of colour in the clip tells the audience straight away that the film is old, and that it was made during a period in time that was less technologically advanced compared to nowadays. The clip that I have chosen from Notorious is the final scene from the film, in which Mr Devlin finds Alicia Huberman in bed, looking as if she is about to die. When he finds her, she then reveals to him that she had been poisoned by another character, Alex Sebastian. The black and white footage naturally creates a low key lighting and dark shadows that most current thriller films purposely try to achieve in order to create an eerie, mysterious atmosphere. The audience cannot see if there is anyone lurking in the shadows, which creates suspense. The clip is conventional to the thriller genre as the suspense created when the character of Alex Sebastian tries to stop Mr Devlin from taking Alicia Huberman to the hospital leaves the audience wondering whether she is going to survive or whether there will be conflict between the two men. This suspense is heightened when Mr Devlin places one of his hands in his pocket and threatens to use his gun on Alex Sebastian if he does not let them leave, which portrays Mr Devlin as the protagonist of the film who is trying to save the female character. In the sequence, sound is used in order to create tension as the eerie background sound that constantly plays, gradually becomes louder as the clip goes on, reaching its peak when the film comes to an end. The audience will react to the change in volume due to it suggesting that something climactic is going to happen but they do not yet know what.
Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock, a British director, has directed and produced some of the most well known thriller films of all time, including his first thriller film The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927). This silent thriller became the basis for all thriller films. He was undeniably a big influence in the thriller genre, introducing many of the conventions that film directors still use today. Psycho (1960) is considered to be one of Hitchcock's best works, described as a 'powerful and complex psychological thriller'. The film was made famous for its brutal shower scene in which the main female character, Marion, is stabbed to death by Norman Bates. It is a typical convention of the thriller genre for the victim to be a female. There are also many thriller films that have disturbing names, a category in which Psycho falls. On the poster for the film we can see an obscured face in the background, this connotes the idea that the character is mentally unstable, and so possibly the antagonist. He looks as if he is lurking behind the female character that is also featured, which suggests that she is his victim but that she does not know who he is. The idea of the antagonists identity being hidden is a convention that is typical to the thriller genre. Psycho was made during a period where directors were not allowed to show nudity on screen, and in this case, the audience were not allowed to be shown the knife stabbing the victims skin. In order to follow these censorship rules, the film also had to break the 180 rule which states that the director must imagine there is a line drawn between two or more actors and the camera cannot pass it. I have chosen to analyse the shower scene from Psycho, as it is arguably one of the most memorable scenes from within the film. The audience cannot see the identity of the antagonist, which is conventional to the thriller genre as it helps to build tension and also an enigma due to the audience wanting to know who the killer is. Also, the knife is the most important piece of iconography in the scene and is conventional to the thriller genre as stabbing is more physical compared to shooting someone, therefore the scene engages the audience more and becomes more personal.
The Silence of the Lambs
The 1990s are described as the era of mainstream films and 'indie' cinema. The rise of computer generated imagery began and some of the most well known thriller films were produced. An example of this was The Silence of the Lambs (1991), a manipulative, chilling and suspenseful psychological thriller. The narrative follows a young FBI agent who is forced to work with the disturbed serial killer 'Hannibal Lector' in order to find another psychopathic serial killer 'Buffalo Bill'. The film title is unusual, and similar to the film, it makes the audience think. The poster shows us a woman with a butterfly covering her mouth which connotes the idea of mystery and silence, implying that she is the 'lamb'. Lambs can be seen as an easy target, in the way that there is not always a lot they can do to protect themselves from predators, which further implies that the woman on the poster is the victim within the film, a typical convention of the thriller genre as they are usually more vulnerable characters and an easier target for the male antagonist.
In this clip from The Silence of the Lambs, Anthony Hopkins (Hannibal Lector) is sitting alone in his cell, being closely watched by two security guards. The setting itself is enough to suggest that Hopkins' character is a dangerous man, and the sight of him talking to himself implies that he is mentally unstable. The use of a close up can make the audience feel tense and on edge as they will physically feel closer to the antagonist and will feel as though he is talking directly to them. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it builds tension within the sequence due to the audience believing that they are part of the scene and that they are a possible target for the killer. Also, the way that Hannibal Lector kills the two security guards is brutal and violent, and the use of blood emphasises the pain that they are feeling and the force that the killer is using. This is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates shock due to the rapid change in pace within the sequence as Hannibal suddenly goes from being calm to violent, which the audience will find unexpected.
Shutter Island
Thriller films often borrow themes and elements of the narrative from those in the past decades. Many thriller films from the early period of cinema are great influences on those that are being created today. However, in order to prevent repetitiveness, 21st century thriller films incorporate more aspects of the horror genre such as gore, violence and terror to help them create a reaction from the audience. The film Shutter Island (2010) is an example of a 21st century thriller film that has succumb slightly to the horror genre, as shown by the main character, Teddy, who occasionally behaves in a violent manner and lashes out on the characters around him. The film is described as 'one of the most well crafted psychological thrillers since The Silence of the Lambs'. This statement itself tells us that 21st century thrillers are living up to the standards that were set by the thriller films from previous decades.
This clip from Shutter Island happens towards the middle of the film, following the scene where the patients from the most dangerous prison centre on the island escape. The character Teddy is walking through the empty prison cells, holding a match stick as his only source of light. This helps to produce a Low Key Lighting, which is used throughout the clip and is conventional to the thriller genre due to it creating suspense as the audience do not know if he is alone or what is going on in the background. Also, the audience can see that the lights in the prison are faulty, due to them continuously flickering on and off. Typically, this indicates that there is a dangerous presence around which creates tension within the sequence as the only character that the audience can see is Teddy. As Teddy walks further into the prison cell, the audience can hear the sound of water hitting the ground, which is gradually emphasised more as the clip goes on. The sound is used to show the audience how empty and silent the prison is, which implies that he is alone. This further creates shock towards the end of the sequence when Teddy walks past the cells that still have patients in them. One of these patients begins screaming, which is unexpected and therefore causes a jump scare within the audience. This is conventional to the thriller genre as directors want to keep their audience on the edge of their seats, and in the dark about what is going to happen.
The four thriller films that I chose to analyse clearly show that no two thriller films are the same, and that as the years have gone on, the thriller genre has developed and has begun to incorporate more elements from the action and horror genre to make the narrative more detailed and twisted, the characters more deceiving and the films themselves more appealing to watch. The Silence of the Lambs and Shutter Island show the audience much more violence, which alone tells us that censorship eased off after the 1960's and that the development in camera equipment and computers allowed directors to produce their films in colour.
Hannibal was the highest ranked thriller film and received $58,003,121 on its opening night. The Silence of the Lambs was the second highest ranked film and only received $13,766,814 on its opening night. These statistics prove that the success of a thriller film cannot be determined by how much money it makes on the opening night, but whether an audience will still want to watch it decades after its release date. The film Hannibal is the follow on from The Silence of the Lambs, suggesting that Hannibal was so successful so quickly due to the popularity that The Silence of the Lambs had already picked up over the years. Having said that, another contributing factor to the success of Hannibal could have been due to the well known actors, such as Anthony Hopkins and Gary Oldman, who played key roles within the film. Red Dragon received $36,540,945 on its opening night, which was the second highest amount out of the ten films on the list. However, Red Dragon only ranked fifth overall. It is clear from looking at the table that some of the thriller films are more adaptable to the new taste of modern viewers and will continue to thrive as time goes on.
An editing technique that appears towards the middle of the sequence from Shutter Island is a shot reverse shot, which is used to show a conversation that is taking place between two of the characters. The technique will ensure that the transitions between the shot changes are smooth which will help to make the conversation between the characters flow. A shot reverse shot is needed in order to show both sides of the conversation so that the audience can see how the characters are reacting to each other. Also, this technique will make it look as though the characters are talking directly to the audience which is conventional to the thriller genre as it will make them feel more involved in the scene.
An editing technique that reoccurs in this sequence from Shutter Island is a straight cut, this is when the shot will quickly change from one viewpoint or location to another. A straight cut is used at the very beginning of the clip when the audience can see the character Teddy drifting in and out of consciousness, implying that he is struggling to fall asleep. The shot begins hovering over the character and then changes to show the audience the dream that is going on inside of his head. The use of this straight cut gives the audience a bigger insight into what is going on inside of the characters head, which builds on the narrative. In the sequence, the audience are introduced to a new character who they do not know much about which will create an enigma as they will want to know more about her, and why she is in Teddy's dream. The sudden change in shot is conventional to the thriller genre as it creates suspense due to it prolonging the sequence meaning the audience have to wait longer to see what happens next.
Another editing technique that is used in the sequence from Shutter Island is a reaction shot, which is when a subject (character) reacts to the previous shot. A reaction shot is used when Teddy is conversing with his wife towards the middle of the sequence, in order to show the audience how Teddy feels about what the other character is saying. The use of this reaction shot is conventional to the thriller genre as it will give the audience a bigger insight into how Teddy is feeling which will make the audience feel more involved in what they are watching as the character is opening up with them in a way, and allowing them to see his true emotions.
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