Intertextual References

In order for our film to be a success we have carried out independent research into the thriller genre. It is important that thorough research in to successful and well known thriller films, as well as other contributing material, is carried out so that certain references from other sources can be made.

Below are several references we have found during the research process that will be incorporated in to our short thriller opening.

Toilet Scene - Witness
The key part of our short thriller opening is shot inside public toilets. This idea originated from an initial interest into the scene in 'Witness' where a young boy plays witness to a murder that takes place in a public bathroom. The clever use of intriguing camera angles such as high angle shots and close-ups, merged together with an eerie light and a soundtrack creating the ultimate suspense, results in a tension throughout - the perfect thriller scene. Due to all of these contributing factors we decided it would be a good idea to use a similar setting with similar techniques and hopefully create a scene as thrilling.

Wet Street - Thelma and Louise, Jackie Brown, Essex Boys
We have considered using a dark, wet path in the lead up to the toilet scene. We wanted to make the path look a similar setting to the ones used in 'Thelma and Louise' and 'Essex Boys' etc. The wet street is explained by rain, meaning that it is a dull, gloomy day - this would therefore represent the feelings and emotions of the characters throughout the film, as well as the general, negative feel. This is known as pathetic fallacy - 'the weather is bad, therefore bad things will happen in the film'. Also, in order for rain to occur, there would have to be a break in the sky - this is perhaps symbolising or representing a break or fracture in society as a whole - a key theme of all of the above films as well as thrillers as a general genre. The wet street we will use will be in the walk leading up to the final toilet scene. We felt that the presence of a wet street will, together with other techniques used, help to portray the youth in our thriller as fractured members of society. The portrayal of certain groups is essential in thrillers - often a particular social group are given a negative representation and this often provides the film with its main content (for example Essex Boys).



'Bar effect' - Essex Boys, Jackie Brown
Several thriller films I have watched during my time researching into the thriller genre, have involved a shot I have named as the 'bar effect'. This is where either a reflection with the use of light (Essex Boys) or a projection/layer of another object (Jackie Brown) creates the illusion of bars in a shot. This effect can be seen to symbolise prison bars and therefore is perhaps portraying or maybe even foreshadowing crime and/or violence. We have decided to attempt using a shot similar to this in our own thriller opening as we feel it is a good way of presenting violent tendencies into the scene which is a key thriller convention. It will create drama and an added suspense amongst our audience because they will feel as though something bad is certain to take place.



Enigma - Kill Bill
'Enigma: An inscrutable or mysterious person.' Many thriller films contain an enigma (often a person) which results in a suspense filled story line. In Kill Bill, Bill plays the role of the bad guy and is never shown to the audience. His absence adds to the phobia of him and his presence and creates an 'edge of your seat' atmosphere when consuming the film. Concluding from independent research, an enigma produces suspense amongst the audience which is a necessity for the success of a thriller film. Incorporating this factor in to my own film was something I felt essential and it can be easily done to a high level of quality should the correct techniques be used in a productive way. The figure who will attack the main character in my thriller will never be clearly seen. Should they appear on camera I will use a low, dim light in order to disguise their identity as well as suggesting they correspond with the darkness. A blurred effect in my edit will ensure that the enigma is present and the disorientated/violent/mysterious characteristics of the figure are portrayed.

Thelma and Louise

Title: Thelma and Louise

Director: Ridley Scott

Released: 1991

Starring: Susan Sarandon, Geena Davis, Harvey Keitel

In this shot, Ridley Scott challenges stereotypes. We see Louise holding a gun to a man's head who has just tried to rape her best friend. The weapon represents her power over the man in this scenario. It also emphasises her authorative personality and shows how she strives to become omnipotent.

This shot proves key in displaying how these women, although authorative in personality, are the inferior sex. The car that they are driving is noticeably smaller than the larger vehicles on the outside of them. The vehicles in this shot are working as a personification and are symbolising both sexes, highlighting how in society, the male sex are considered dominant over the female sex. This shot is in the middle of a scene in which Thelma and Louise are attempting to escape, however, because they are portrayed as inferior within this mis-en-scene, we as an audience are lead to believe through the technique of foreboding, that the outcome will not be good for these women.

This mis-en-scene shows a wet street. This is considered as a classic thriller convention and is used in many films such as Jackie Brown and the technique has been around for over half a century, appearing in the film 'The Third Man' by Graham Greene in 1949. The sky must have been broken in some way in order for rain to occur. Ths wet street could therefore symbolise a broken/fractured society and highlight the corruption in this thriller film. Or, it could be symbolising some sort of disorientation - for example, in this film the stereotypical superiority of gender has been turned on its head because Thelma and Louise (females) tend to remain in control throughout. This shot also shows the shift in control by means of pathetic fallacy. The weather was previously very clear and hot and the scene was primarily based in a desert; whereas now the lighting is dark and the streets are wet.