THRILLER RESEARCH-Holly

 In the opening of a thriller, it usually sets up and follows the rules and conventions of the stereotypical genre. In the openings of the five films, Inception, Kill Bill, Shutter Island, The Usual Suspects and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, they all use common features and devices used in typical thriller movies.

Shutter Island 

The opening of the movie is very stereotypical of the thriller genre, the mise-en-scene uses dark colouring and lighting to set the scene, a boat is used to appear from the mist, giving an element of mystery, which would set up enigma, making the audience ask questions as to what the boat is or where it's going.A prop of chains is used which connotes ideas of being trapped. The first view we see of the character Teddy, the camera takes an objective view, using a close up of his face, to introduce the character, we see him in an obvious struggle with his mentality, Teddy is wearing a typical detective outfit from the 1950's. When he mentions the woman he was in love with, the editing frequency increases to match up with his emotional state, using straight cuts, with a high frequency. this is usually linked with thriller movies to create anticipation and give characterisation of the character.

The opening is set on a boat, which creates a sense of enigma as the audience do not know where the boat is going, however the props and setting used view it as a dangerous boat, probably a prison boat as props such as handcuffs and chains and metal objects are hanging from the ceiling, we see this with a long shot of Teddy which shows him within his surroundings. this setting is typical of a thriller as it is set in an unusual location to create mystery to the audience.

When the island is first shown the non diegetic soundtrack could suggest to the audience the dangers of the island, a low angle shot is used to make it seem slightly intimidating, along with the music creates the atmosphere of danger. this is a common technique used in thrillers, through the use of sound, can show moods such as danger or tension.

The soldiers on the island are shown carrying prop guns, to look intimidating, this is also put together with the non diegetic soundtrack using violins of instruments which creates the atmosphere of tension.

Overall the opening of shutter island creates enigma and mystery to the audience making them ask questions, using stereotypical conventions of the thriller genre, such as using unfamiliar locations and the soundtrack and dialogue to create danger or apprehension within a situation. Dull colouring and dull grey lighting creates a desolate atmosphere.

Inception

The opening of the film gives off a disorientating feel, with a slow-motion shot on the waves rolling into a beach. Straight cuts are used to jump between the main character who has been washed up on the beach, and slow motion camera shots of children playing on the beach, this also uses depth of field with the camera going in and out of focus, reflecting the main characters emotions. The coloring is a vivid realistic color, which makes it seem disorientating and almost dream-like, experiencing the main characters feelings and emotions through the camera movement and coloring. The disorientating feel to the audience is very typical of the thriller genre.

 The fast editing frequency between the children playing in the sand, to the character first waking up which is used with the faded disorientated diegetic sounds of the children, this is not typical of the usual thriller genre, as although it creates enigma as to who the man is and why he has been washed up on the beach, the children playing is a visual code of reality and connotes ideas of happiness, which is not usually used in thriller films.

We then see the main character revealed to be carrying a prop of a gun, This is the use of restricted narration, which is commonly used in thriller films, usually used to create mystery or shock, the restricted narration is used to create enigma to the audience as to why he has a gun and who he is.

Restricted narration is then used to hide the identity of a character, when we first see him, a MCU of the back of his head is shown, from his surroundings we can tell he is wealthy, and we are in a foreign country, this is usually common for thriller films, being set in unusual countries so it is unknown to the audience. By showing the back of his head it creates mystery as to who the character is and what he does, and his importance to the man from the beach. this is a common feature used in thriller films, hiding identities of characters to hide their importance and create mystery around the characters.   

One of the typical conventions of a thriller is having someone with dehumanizing features, When the man who had his facial identity hidden reveals his face, he is presented with dehumanizing features, with his body language as 'lifeless' and slow, and his eyes dull. He is characterised in this sequence as a powerful man.

The colouring and lighting in this sequence is dull while using yellow colours, to make it seem unrealistic, which is a common feature of thriller films.

Overall in the film Inception it uses common features of thriller films such as restricted narration, using the colouring and lighting to create unrealistic effects and dehumanizing characters, also the use of camerawork and editing to match the characters emotions to create a disorientating feel, while using the sound to add to the realistic or unrealistic disorientation.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The film opens with a camera pan around a snowy lake, the setting is dull and grey, which is a usual convention of a thriller film's mise-en-scene. This can suggest we are in a foreign country as the house shown is not of English house plan, along with the trees and snow, which suggests a foreign country, this a common feature used in thriller films to use a foreign location to create enigma to the audience.

A soundbridge is used of a phone ringing, which suggests to the audience, that the phone ringing is from inside the house. The camera cuts to a man picking up the phone, where he begins to talk, the volume of the phone call has been turned up and we can hear both sides of the conversation, however it uses restricted narration, a shot reverse shot is shown between the two men although the location of the man hiding the painting is unknown, this creates enigma as we do not understand the dialogue. A high angle CU is used as restricted narration, creating mystery as to what the man is looking at.

The opening is different from usual thrillers as it uses a lot of dialogue which is not common in thriller films.

The non diegetic soundtrack creates mood and atmosphere, the instruments used such as piano or a mechanical music box creates a tense atmosphere which is a common feature in thriller films. the tempo increases as the man walks away from the painting, creating tension and enigma.  The reveal of the painting creates mystery to the audience as well as the characters, as they do not know what it means.

Overall The Girl in the Dragon Tattoo uses certain aspects of stereotypical thrillers, but does not fit with the genre as it does not use fast paced editing to create emotion or mood, long takes and edits are used. the soundtrack is used to create enigma along with the camerawork, with the use of the high angle shot to cover the painting. the grey dull colouring and lighting shows typical aspects of the thriller genre, creating a dull mood.

Kill Bill

The opening of Kill Bill is very stereotypical of a thriller film. It begins with a CU of a woman covered in blood, breathing heavily in fear. The use of blood is very stereotypical in a thriller film although commonly it is used in horror, smaller injuries like facial cuts, thrillers rarely show gore, usually blood stains are shown. Kill Bill is a main example of showing minor injuries which is stereotypical of a thriller film.

The film then uses restricted narration as the identity of the male is not shown, we only see his shoes walking towards the victim, the audible diegetic sounds of his footsteps are maximized in volume which creates emphasis on her fear and creates mystery as to who is walking towards her. His shoes are the only things we see, the camera never shows his face, which is typical of a thriller, hiding the identity of the killer.

We then see his handkerchief with the name 'Bill' printed, the slow paced editing gives emphasis on his movements, the long take on her face shows us her fear. This gives the audience information on the identity of the killer but still creates the enigma of who he is. 

No sound is used apart from ambient sound and the dialogue of 'Bill' talking and the diegetic sounds of him pulling out his weapon to kill her. This can be unusual for a thriller as no music is used to create mood.

As the film is shot in black and white, the use of lighting and shadows set the tone and mood. a MCU shot is shown of the silhouette of the body, which is used to show the aftermath and her death.

Overall in the film Kill Bill, it uses a low editing frequency to show emotions and movements, and it uses restricted narration to hide the identity of the killer. the camerawork is simplistic which is common of a thriller film, the mise-en-scene shows Bill as wealthy with heeled boots, which during the time the movie was set, only wealthy men would wear them and he also owns an embroidered handkerchief which was usually owned or done by the wealthy.

The Usual Suspects

  In the opening of the Usual Suspects it starts with an Extreme Close Up of a match being lit. Fire connotes ideas of danger which sets up the scene, we see a man light up a cigarette, the camera then cuts to an petrol tank spilling out the fuel, the camerawork uses a tracking shot on the liquid, the man then drops his lit matches onto the line of fuel, The camera then tracks the movement of the flame, and reveals the bodies lying on the floor, this creates mystery in the extract and leaves the audience asking questions as to why there are dead bodies on the boat.

Using an eyeline match we are then introduced to a new character, the camerawork using restricted narration never shows his face, he is seen up to his neck, this creates enigma to the audience as the identity of the man is never revealed. This is typical of the thriller genre as it leaves mystery to the audience.

The camera work uses a lot of depth of field to focus on the character within his surroundings.

The antagonist then lights his lighter, in this film fire is used to connote the killing and the dangers of the villain. this is common in most thriller films for things to signify or have a meaning, as it usually communicates to the audience.

The lighting within the whole setting is dark and dim, with little lighting, dark misted weather is shown which uses the idea of pathetic fallacy, the personification of the weather within a situation so as an audience we expect bad things to happen in the bad weather.

The soundtrack used creates tension by the use of violins and the use of an off screen gunshot noise gives power to the faceless man, as we assume the other male is dead.

A dissolve is used and a graphic match from the ropes to a logo, and we are now in an interrogation room, we can tell this through the county state logo behind the man which sets the story back to a few weeks ago, going back in time, the relevance of the character is emphasised as there is low lighting, with a bright white light on the man in question.

The usual suspects is typical for a thriller as it uses the enigma codes, through camerawork and editing, the sound used creates tension, and the mise en scene creates or reveals characters or hides characters.