Mock Exam and Feedback

Thriller Films I Have Watched

• The Butterfly Effect (2004)
• Phone Booth (2002)
• The Sixth Sense (1999)
• Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011)
• Taken (2008)
• A Clockwork Orange (1971)
• The Others (2001)
• Jaws (1975)
• Man On Fire (2004)
• Derailed (2005)
• Butterfly On A Wheel (2007)
• The Departed (2006)

Heavenly Creatures - Murder Scene

Title: Heavenly Creatures
Director: Peter Jackson
Year: 1994
Starring: Melanie Lynskey, Kate Winslet, Sarah Peirse

A key thriller convention is time. Often crimes revolve around time ehther it be how long befor the deed is done, or how long a punishment is etc. In this scene the camera pans and zooms in to the clock to highlight the time and to emphasise the nervousness and anxiety of the scene. It also uses the same effect later on  in the clip in a cafe, and the camera focuses on a watch later on also.

In some ways, this film challenges aspects of key thriller conventions. Usually we would associate crimes (murders) with a dark surrounding because this is, more commonly than not, the type of place that they occur. However, the setting in this film is much the opposite. There is brightness throughout the entire clip. This could be seen to highligh the ruthlesness of the crime and explains to us how psychologically damaged these girls must be in order to carry out this horrific ordeal in broad daylight. A similar technique is used by Quentin Tarantino in his film 'Jackie Brown'. The character Louis, murders a woman in a public car park, also in broad daylight, showing his ruthless attitude. This clip form 'Jackie Brown' can be seen on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYyolVOqi90

For a long period of time in this clip, the action is in slow motion. This could be seen to represent and connote a dream like feel. It allows us to see every specific element of this scene in more detail also. A clever use of cloe-ups in this slow motion phase, allows us to gain a greater understanding of the each characters feelings and emotions. In this case, we see the trauma and anxiety the two girls are going through because of the crime they are about to commit.
The slow motion come to an end which could be seen to symbolise reality. Soon after the murder is commited, perhaps showing that in reality, bad things just like this occur.

Witness - Toilet Scene

Title: Witness

Director: Peter Weir
Year: 1985

Starring: Harrison Ford, Kelly McGillis, Lukas Haas

The film 'Witness' by Peter Weir surrounds the story of a young amish boy and his traumatic encounter. He is intending to travel on a train with his mother for the first time. When using the toilet at the station, the young boy

The toilet scene in witness is the key scene in the film and has a huge impact on the audience when watching. Many different aspects of the scene give a severely intense feel to the film and create suspense throughout.

The scene begins with the boy walking towards the toilets. This is a very clever shot because it shows both the boy and the spacious area that surrounds him. He is in an isolated train station with nobody around him. The long shot puts in perspective the fact that he is a young, naive child and his innocence and inferiority are emphasised. The door of the toilet is visible in the distance and creates a vanishing point in the shot. It suggests to us that the child is going to enter what could seem like 'a whole new world'. We assume that he is about to encounter something that no boy of his age should.

The shot as the young boy walks into the toilet also proves powerful in several ways. There is a difference in lighting which emphasises the contrast between where he has come from to where he is now. The lighting is unusually bright for this type of scene. Peter Weir is challenging generic conventions from the thriller genre here, he purposely chooses the light in the bathroom to be considerably bright so that the crime that is going to be commited there seems more brutal and shocking. Many murders that take place in thrillers happen in dark, isolated places, so that nobody is around to see, however, in this case it is very different. It can be compared to the shooting of the Melanie by Louis in Jackie Brown. The murder is commited in broad daylight, which emphasises his brutality because he is not afraid to do this sort of thing, even in daylight.

The boy is dressed in all black and because of the way the light surrounds him in the mis-en-scene, it is difficult to make out any great detail on the boy. He almost looks like a silhouette or shadow. A shadow symbolises another presence which is exactly the role the boy plays in this scene. He is witness to a murder and see's every detail, although the villain is unaware of this. Shadows have been cleverly used in the past to portray another presence in many thriller films, perhaps best in Carol Reed's film 'The Third Man'.

Later on in the scene, after the boy has witnessed the murder, there is a very powerful shot which creates great impact amongst its audience. An extreme close up on only the boys eye almost forces us to show sympathy towards him which we do to an extent already. Any further sympathy allows us to relate to the boy and put ourselves in his shoes. We become increasingly nervous and tense as a result, something which all great thrillers include.

Murder of Marion Crane in 'Psycho'

Title: Psycho
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Year: 1960
Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles

This famous shower scene comes from Alfred Hitchcock's psychological thriller, Psycho. It has become so well known and recognised since because of the powerful ora it gives off to an audience when consuming. Tension, suspense and horror are all emotions that flow through your body when watching this clip, as a result of the clever use of key thriller conventions.

Close ups: Close ups in this scene prove extremely important in presenting the mis-en-scene with relentless horror. They allow the audience to see and understand, more than any other shot, the emotions of what is on their screen. In this case, it is the shear distress of Marion Crane and the knife which is used as the murder weapon which is a key aspect in many thriller films. Arguably the close-up that stimulates the most impact on the audience is of Marion Crane's eye after she has been brutally murdered. This close-up reinforces and emphasises the fact that this femme fatale character has just had her life taken from her, which proved shocking at the time considering the murder occurs surprisingly close to the beginning of the film.

Location: The scene is set in a shower throughout. We instinctively assume that something important and of relevance to the movie is about to take place because we would not expect to just see a woman in a shower for an entire scene - it would be unnecessary. The confined space connotes chlaustrophobia which suggests that the character in the shower, Marion Crane, would not have the option of escape, should something bad occur. The ending to the scene is very ironic due to the location. We see Marion's blood run with the water, along the surface of the bath tub and eventually plunging down the drain. This could be seen to symbolise the life of Marion dissapearing from the world. This technique of using small, confined spaces for the mis-en-scene had previously been used by Carol Reed in her film, 'The Third Man' in 1949. The sewers created a claustrophobic feel to the scene, much like the shower in 'Psycho'. It was also later used by Peter Weir in a much more similar way. In his film, 'Witness' a young, amish boy enters a public bathroom and accidentally plays witness to a brutal murder scene.



Enigma: Many thriller films use an enigmatic object or character so that we do not know any characteristics of this figure or what is going to happen in terms of this. Suspense is therefore sustained throughout this enigmatic period. In psycho, the enigma comes with the silhouette of a figure who appears behind the shower curtain. Even after the climax has been reached, the face of who we now know to be a murderer, is still not revealed. This allows the story to continue with the audience still intrigued. This technique is used in many thriller films because of the dramatic effect it has on the audience. The best example would be in the opening of 'Kill Bill' by Quentin Tarantino. Main character Beatrix has been violently attacked by a man who stands above her although out of view of the camera.We only hear Bill's voice, his hand and a reaction to him, but not actually him in his whole being.

Sympathy: Several things occur in this scene which automatically allow us to put ourselves in the perspective of Marion Crane and thus sympathise with her. For example, the fact that she is undressing in front of our eyes as an audience, leads us to believe that she is ok with us joining her in this private experience and makes us think that we are close as a result. Soon we hear the diegetic sound of water gushing from the shower head. This drowns out any other noise previously heard, and because this sound is the sole noise we are consuming as an audience also, we do not know what else could be going on, much like Marion. We do however, see the shadow behind the curtain coming, and although we are not entirely sure what it is, we are more alert than the character. When the audience knows more than the character in the film, like the example stated, it is known as dramatic irony.

All in all, this scene is arguably the most successful of all time in creating suspense amongst the audience with a clever use of: close-ups, location and enigma. All these classic thriller techniques are used to perfecion by Hitchcock so that timing for the climax is just right, causing shock amongst any who watch.

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.

The Third Man

Title: The Third Man
Director: Graham Greene
Year: 1946
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten

At the start of the film we hear a zither playing in the background. This non-ambient sound sets the mood of the film and attempts to give us an idea of what kind of character Harry Lime is. Based on this music we can assume that Harry Lime is a bit mischievous and plays around with people, alike the zither being 'played'. The background of the credits correlate with the instrument. The lines going horizontally across the screen are meant to represent the zither and it's strings. The music is surprisingly cheerful which challenges the conventional, stereotypical music associated with thriller films.

Soon after the opening credits we are introduced to many aspects of the thriller convention which do not fail in explaining to us the exact theme of the film and the environment it is set in. For example there are different shots of the black market that appear. These immediately give us the impression of a corrupt environment which is often associated with the thriller genre. In this case the man is selling watches; time is another key thriller convention. It often proves essential in creating suspense because it makes us feel as though we are rushed or in a hurry. This technique of referring back to time has been later used in the film 'Heavenly Creatures' by director Peter Jackson (1994). We see a body floating in the water which to many people is extremely shocking. However it is ignored in the film and simply passed over. This explains how this image is one that doesn't prove at all shocking to this city and displays therefore, how the city as a society is seriously disturbed and fractured.

We see a steam train from a low-angle shot. This means that the train fills the vast majority of the shot and creates a sense of journey as a result - another key theme that is present in many thrillers.
We then see a man getting off of the train. He is dressed in a suit with a trilby hat on his head. This is a typical outfit for a thriller film and is used most notably in ‘Once upon a time in America’ and ‘The Godfather’. The trilby hat often covers the face slightly which means that the person wearing it is sometimes enigmatic; mystery is created as a result of this - another key theme throughout the thriller genre that Graham Greene is attempting to establish in his work. 

We then follow the man on his walk to his destination. Along the way he walks under a ladder. This is a known form of bad luck and as a result we are lead to believe that something bad will happen to this man. This symbolic negativity juxtaposes with the happiness that the man is showing in his expression and the light hearted non-diegetic music playing in the scene, creating again, a fractured feel to the environment in which the film is set.

Staircases are often used in a symbolic way in thriller films. Walking up stairs can sometimes be hard work and might be seen (as a bigger picture) to represent a struggle in life for the character walking up them. These are used regularly throughout this film. We see the mans shadow as he walks up the stairs. This suggests another presence although we do not know what it is just yet. This arises the theme of mystery which is present in the film throughout as well as being a conventional thriller film. A tilt shot is used - this suggests disorientation, perhaps not just of the shot but of the country as a whole. Again, a recurring theme throughout that is adressed in numerous ways by Greene.

A man begins to talk in a foreign language which we believe to be German. At the time, this would have immediately forced the audience into anxiety as the film was released shortly after the second world war and so the shouts of the German opposition would still be ringing in mosts ears. It comes as a surprise that the speech is not supported with subtitles and proves somewhat frustrating to consume as an audience. This also creates further mystery about the film because we have no idea what the man has just said and whether it was significant or not. It also allows us to position ourselves and sympathise with the character we were earlier introduced to as he also is clueless as to what has been said, just like the audience. The technique of association with characters in thriller films is very often used in order to make the audience more involved in the film and feel more on edge as a result. It is most notably used by Quentin Tarantino in his film, Kill Bill (2003). This gives us the idea that he is going to be the main character throughout the rest of the film.

The shot we see next is a high angle shot from the perspective of the foreign man. The fact that he is up high and looking down on the other character suggest his superiority over him and puts the character we met earlier on in a position of weakness. Because we have already associated with the, now inferior, character, we begin to feel vulnerable and uneasy as an audience.

We are soon introduced to Anna. Her face proves extremely hard to read, meaning we are not able to tell much about her character, thus creating her as an enigmatic figure. Her ‘hard to read’ face could be associated with the face of ‘The Mona Lisa’. We soon find out that Anna is an actress. Her job is very important to her and she takes it very seriously. Because she is an actress it means that she is not always herself. Perhaps not only when she is acting but also in real life. Mystery is emphasised here again.

Here we see two men striking a relationship. This kind of relationship is very often present in the thriller genre, for example in Jackie Brown with Louis (De Niro) and Ordell (L. Jackson). This relationship could stimulate a constant contrast throughout the film.

We see a man whose first action is to smile. However, it is not an ordinary smile. This smile strikes the viewers as that of a villain. A somewhat evil smile. A villain is usually present in most thriller films and so we can immediately assume that this is the role that this character might play. When talking to who we assume to be the villain, the man interrogates him and takes on the role of detective. This again is a key thriller convention which is used in many other films. Usually, the detective is successful in determining the outcome of the dilemma and is a heroic character as a result. This further emphasises the fact that this man is going to be the main character who we are expected to empathise with. The man we assume to be the villain gets closer and closer as the scene progresses. This portrays him as a threatening character and adds to his stereotype of a villain. He is also wearing fur which is often directly associated with death, thus, further emphasising the negativity of his character.

There is a shot which involves a key thriller convention - a wet street. This can be associated with films made post to this one such as Thelma and Louise and Jackie Brown. Props can also prove key in emphasising the conventional themes of thrillers, in this case, the prop is a die. Just by seeing dice we assume that gambling is taking place which is often associated within the same field as other things that are also present in this film such as violence.

We see a young child watching what is going on here. This brings back our sense of reality as we begin to understand that what has happened has affected a young innocent little boy. This can be referenced to the film ‘Witness’ in which a young amish boy witnesses a murder and is mentally scarred as a result. The next shot is from the childs perspective. This shifts our sympathy from the main character to the young boy.

There is an arch that appears in the film which can be related to one similar from ‘Once upon a time in America’ by Sergio Leone. This is one of several references to this film, another key one would be the costume - the suit and trilby hat.

Jackie Brown

Title: Jackie Brown
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Year: 1997
Starring: Pam Grier, Samuel L Jackson, Robert De Niro

The opening scene of Jackie Brown proves very important in explaining to the audience who the woman is throughout the scene and emphasises her moral superiority. 2 minutes and 7 seconds into this clip there is a very clever, low, medium close-up, follow shot. The camera follows the woman we assume to be Jackie Brown and she remains in focus throughout, suggesting her power and dominance.

After 2 minutes and 15 seconds in this clip, there is another clever shot which further emphasises Jackie Brown's authoritative manner. The low shot sees her straight in the dead centre of the shot suggesting she is centre of attention. The fact that the shot is low-angle and is looking up on her, displays her as a very important figure who we should look up to. These aspects successfully denote Jackie Brown as a hugely important and influential character.

This shot, although at first glimpse may not seem significant, proves extremely symbolic towards the overall message of the play. The Statue of Liberty is arguably the most iconic symbol in America, and for it to be portrayed in such a violent way with a gun coming from it, puts across the message of how America as a country is corrupt and acts as a violent environment. This displays the USA as a fractured society - a key theme often addressed in thriller films, e.g. 'The Third Man' and more recently 'Essex Boys'. 

The following shot strikes a contrast between characters. De Niro and Jackson are not dressed to impress like the woman we have seen earlier in the film. They both look unhappy which is different to how the woman seemed. Samuel L Jackson makes several comments about the guns that he is watching on television, opposed to the good looking women on the screen. This emphasises the fact that the men of America seem more interested in violence than love. The obvious juxtaposition of race in this shot allows us to consider how the stereotype of gangs and violence, is no longer specific to the African American race but has now been adopted by all - again highlighting a demoralising downfall to a fractured society. On a more positive note, the fact that two men of contrasting ethnicities perhaps shows how the issue of racism is no longer present in a modern day society. 

This shot sees one of the main characters, Ordell, meet Beaumont. There is a clear and important contrast here which symbolises the social position of each of these men. The contrast is in the way that they dress. Beaumont is half naked, perhaps portraying him as more vulnerable and giving us the impression that he will suffer as a result of this susceptibility. This is further emphasised by the fact that there is nobody else in the scene, displaying no sense of community in the environment these people are living in and portraying Beaumont as an isolated, lonely character.

This shot is very clever again in foreshadowing to the audience what could potentially happen. We see Ordell and Beaumont walking past some rails on the side-walk. Although at first this may not seem like anything symbolic, it in fact displays the idea of a prison cell as the rails look very much like cell bars. This could be referenced to a shot in Essex Boys where light is reflected on to a car window to also look similar to cell bars.

This shot is a typical thriller shot. From a low angle to show power and dominance of the men standing over the camera, dark lighting so that a mysterious feel is given to the shot and a gun being held is an extremely violent object and is a key thriller convention. This shot is similar to one in Pulp Fiction which is a hugely successful thriller film by the same director, Quentin Tarantino.

          There is also a clear contrast in the colour of each character's clothes. Ordell is dressed in black, the darkest colour, symbolising evil. On the other hand, Beaumont is dressed in light colours which could perhaps be seen to portray him as a somewhat innocent and naive character, just a young boy.
          At one point in this clip, Ordell loads the gun. This sound is associated as extremely powerful and immediately presents the person performing the action as the superior. This is also highlighted in the film, Phone Booth. Another classic thriller where a gun and its sound plays a key role in determining who is in control.

Here we see Ordell putting on some leather gloves. This again is a key thriller convention. It connotes to death and is strongly associated with crime, which this play surrounds. 

Ordell then drives the car to the place where he is going to kill Beaumont. The car is personified here to play the role of 'angel of death' because it is leading him to the place where his life will end. The car drives slowly on a dark, wet street. This is a key thriller convention again and is also present in the film Thelma and Louise. The car soon disappears into the vanishing point, creating an enigmatic feel as we are not sure what is about to happen. A vanishing point is used throughout many thriller films such as Essex Boys. This is a very clever technique which creates tension amongst viewers, thus emphasising the thriller genre and its generic features.

This shot, also from Jackie Brown, is very differently shot to any other scenes in this film and strikes controversy to the key generic features of mis-en-scene within the thriller genre. The ambient lighting is extremely bright - broad daylight. This is a big contrast to the other dark shots we have previously seen. This scene can be seen as a direct comparison to the murder of Beaumont by Ordell earlier on in the film. Perhaps because of the fact that Ordell had to plan his crime and do it in a dark, deserted place it shows that he is more wary of what might happen to him as a consequence. Conversely, Louis commits his murder in broad daylight in a shopping mall car park where anybody can see. This portrays him as the more ruthless character of the two and thus, a more powerful man. The competition for alpha-male could be seen as a key thriller convention as it is used throughout many other successful thriller films, most notably, Essex Boys.