Independent Research Into The Thriller Genre

Analysis Of The Opening Scenes In One Upon A Time in America (1984)

The concealment of the majority of her face highlights the parts that are visible while the light reflecting off the pearl necklace is a good use of chiaroscuro.

The light of the lamp is the same colour as her clothing, this connotes that there is some kind of symbiosis between the woman and the lamp. This is further implied when the light is turned out after she is killed. The rule of thirds is also used effectively.

The angle of the shot connotes that the men are in a much more powerful position. Also, her prone body at the bottom of the shot frames the rest of the scene very well, emphasising the importance of the men. Examples of typical noir style clothing are present, as this wass the most common type of clothing at the time the film is set.

A shot of the elevator shaft with the elevator descending connotes a sense of claustrophobia. This shows that the general outlook of the film is negative as several tragic events take place in a short time at the beginning of the film.

A canted worm’s eye first person view connotes several things. For example, the canted angle of the shot shows that the person from whom the view is being taken is disoriented. Also, the very low worm’s eye shot shows the man to be much stronger and more powerful.

Briefcases are a typical aspect of thrillers, especially noir, as they connote mystery. It is impossible to know what is in a briefcase without opening it and an entire story can be based on wanting to know what is in a suitcase alone.

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Analysis of The Third Man (1949)

The opening title sequence of The Third Man is very unique in its establishment of the location of the film. The credits are shown in front of an Austrian instrument, a Zither. This shows that the film is set in Austria. The long running time of the opening credits is because people, at the time, used them to settle down for the film by taking off their outdoor jackets or hats. If is was not evident to the viewer that the film was set in Austria, a voiceover talks about how much the location, Vienna, has changed since the beginning of the war. The bombed out and destroyed buildings highlight the feeling of hopelessness that was felt in the city at the time. The ruins of Vienna also provide some very original shots throughout the film. The voiceover describes pre-war Vienna as “glamorous” and “full of easy charm”. As the film progresses, we see that the main antagonist, Harry Lime (Orson Welles), could also be described in this way.

The film starts with the main protagonist, Holly Martin (Joseph Cotton), arriving in Vienna, knowing very little about why he is there or what he is supposed to be doing. As he goes to where he has been told to by his old friend, Lime, he casually walks under a ladder. While this connotes that the film will be full of bad luck for him, it as it the first case of a series of black comedy moments that pop up through the entire film. When Holly arrives at his destination, a hotel, he meets the caretaker. As Holly doesn’t speak German, and the caretaker has only a limited grasp of English, their conversation is very confused. This sense of confusion becomes a key theme in the film and correctly represents post-war Vienna, which was being policed by multiple nations, speaking several different languages.

The tilted shots used for most of the film add to the confusion and give a surreal sense to what is happening. The repetition of low-angle shots connote that Holly doesn’t really know what is going on and that he is powerless. Character introduction is another key aspect of the film. When Holly is arguing with the caretaker, a ball randomly bounces past them, then the camera switches to a shot of the stairway. A hand appears in the door before the small boy is shown peeking round the corner of the door. This creepy way of introducing the character gives an indication that the character will later become an annoyance. The child later becomes a sprite-like character, leading a mob of people after Holly in a chase through Vienna. The use of lighting to make the boy’s shadow appear on large walls also adds to the devilishness of the boy. Another character introduction is the introduction of Harry Lime. He is shown hiding in the shadows, only revealed when Holly sees a cat rubbing against his legs. When Holly shines a light on him it only reveals his legs, leaving the rest of his body in shadows. This connotes that Lime is a very shady character, capable of slipping away into the darkness.

There are several chase scenes throughout the film and it is implied that the ruined city of Vienna and its sewer system are similar to labyrinths with their long, winding, dark alleyways and roads. This continued use of case scenes can bring the film together to show that everything is somehow linked. Another use of repetition is the funeral scene at the end of the film. Much like the beginning of the film, it is Harry Lime’s funeral. The second funeral follows the first almost identically which shows that the story has come full circle and that no one is any better of than they were at the beginning.

Analysis of Essex Boys (2000)

The beginning of Essex Boys is primarily about showing the audience where it is set. It also gives an indication as to what the main characters are like and who they should associate themselves with. This character alignment is achieved by a short voiceover by the main character, Billy (Charlie Creed-Miles). This allows the audience to connect with him and see this world through his eyes. This character is shown to be relatively innocent and naïve, at least in contrast to other characters in the film. The second character introduced in shown to be completely by debuting him through a dirty car window. This connotes the bad guy image of Jason (Sean Bean) which if further highlighted by his attire, slightly extravagant, and his actions, kidnapping a man, beating him up, and ditching him in the middle of nowhere. This location also serves as a window into the life of Jason, morally vacant and desolate.

The general location of the film, Essex, is established by several cultural signifiers, i.e. roads and signs. The accents of the characters are also used to show where the film is set. The white van adds to the mysterious quality of Jason as it implies that anything could happen in the back and no one would know. This compliments Bean’s character’s unpredictable nature. The dreariness of the locations and implied behaviour of the characters shows that the film is a crime thriller in just the opening scenes.

Analysis Of Aspects Of The Thriller Genre In Peter Weir's Witness (1985)

The Amish boy's naivety is shown when he asks his mother what the water fountain is. His mother then shows her relative naivety by allowing him to wander off in a large public place. The boy sees a man that is wearing clothes similar to him and approaches. When he realises that the man is not part of his culture he seems confused and slightly out of his depth.

In a new scene the mother allows her son to go into the men's bathroom alone. This is another example of naivety/innocence. The bathroom is very dirty which connotes the corruption in the city. The Amish boy then witnesses the murder of a man in the bathroom by two others. The shot of his eye through the crack in the door connotes claustrophobia. When the boy makes an involuntary noise, one of the murders hears it and checks the cubicles. A sense of desperation overwhelms the boy as the murderer gets nearer. The boy manages to crawl under the wall just in time. The expression on the boys face is one of fear. The next scene opens with a shot of some handcuffs on a policewoman's belt. This tells us that the law has arrived. The use of low angled shots may connote that the film is from the boys perspective.

We then go to the mother and son being taken to a suspect by the police. The streets are very dark and wet which is another common aspect of noir thrillers. Chiaroscuro is also used. The location of the subject is a packed bar. This is another use of claustrophobia and little lighting. When the they are taken to the Inspectors sisters house to make sure they stay in the city, we find out that she has a man with her. This contrast of rigid Amish beliefs about sex and marriage and an unmarried women spending the night with a man highlight the differences between the two cultures. The Inspectors sister also shows some dislike for the Amish culture through her response to the mother acknowledging their beliefs.

The boy is asked to look at a lineup through a very dirty window which is a thired example of using dirt to connote the corruption present in the city. A second example of the differences between the Amish culture and everyone else is shown when they pray before eating while Harrison Fords character just eats it. When in the police station, a closeup shot is used to establish that the murderer is actually a police officer. Another key aspect of thriller films used is the underground car park scene. The loneliness of the the cark park and the elevator show that something bad is probably going to happen. The shootout with the corrupt police officer confirms this. This scene also indicates that the corruption runs deeper in the department as Book (Harrison Ford) had only told his superior. The barren landscapes in the Amish community enhances the feeling of emptiness and desolation.

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Film Noir and Femme Fatale

Film Noir, or Black Cinema, is a term coined by French critics to refer to the films coming out of America after the Second World War when films became a lot darker and rarely had an optimistic ending. The films reflected the tension and insecurity felt by many in that time period.

It is not technically a genre but is a tone of film. It also refers to the films made in the decade after the Second World War and the name didn’t become known until the period had ended.

Noir films were usually centred on a cynical, disillusioned male who encountered a beautiful and seductive femme fatale. She would use her feminine wiles to manipulate him, usually into becoming a fall guy for a crime. After a betrayal, she would frequently be destroyed, but often at the cost of the hero’s life.

Primary Characteristics and Conventions of Film Noir: Themes and Styles

The primary moods portrayed in noir films were melancholy, pessimism, moral corruption, paranoia and guilt. Heroes were usually conflicted detectives, gangsters, government agents or killers. They were often morally-ambiguous low-lifes from the dark and gloomy underworld of violent crime and corruption. They may also have been cynical, obsessive, menacing, disillusioned, struggling to survive – and in the end, ultimately losing.

Storylines tended to be non-linear and twisting. Narratives were maze-like and complex, witty and using flashbacks. Amnesia suffered by the protagonist was a common plot device, as was the downfall of an innocent Everyman who fell victim to temptation or was framed. Revelations regarding the hero were made to explain/justify the hero’s own cynical perspective on life.

Film Noir films typically showed the dark and inhumane side of human nature and emphasises the brutal, shadowy and sadistic sides of human experience. An oppressive atmosphere on dingy realism and fatalistic expectation of defeat and entrapment were also stylised characteristics of Film Noir.

Film Noir films were visually marked by disorienting visual schemes, jarring editing and circling cigarette smoke. Settings were often interiors with low-key lighting, Venetian-blinded windows with claustrophobic and gloomy appearances. Exteriors were often urban night scenes with deep shadows, wet asphalt and dark alleyways.

Femme Fatales in Film Noir:

The females in film noir were either of two types (or archetypes) - dutiful, reliable, trustworthy and loving women; or femmes fatales - mysterious, duplicitous, double-crossing, gorgeous, unloving, predatory, tough-sweet, unreliable, irresponsible, manipulative and desperate women. Usually, the male protagonist in film noir wished to elude his mysterious past, and had to choose what path to take (or have the fateful choice made for him).
Invariably, the choice would be an overly ambitious one, to follow the dangerous but desirable wishes of these dames. It would be to pursue the goadings of a traitorous, self-destructive femme fatale who would lead the struggling, disillusioned, and doomed hero into committing murder or some other crime of passion coupled with twisted love. When the major character was a detective or private eye, he would become embroiled and trapped in an increasingly-complex, convoluted case that would lead to fatalistic, suffocating evidences of corruption, irresistible love and death. The femme fatale, who had also transgressed societal norms with her independent and smart, menacing actions, would bring both of them to a downfall.