G321- Thriller scenes

Thriller: Insidious

Director: James Wan
Production company: Blumhouse Productions
Release date: 29th April 2011 (UK)
Location: United States
Worldwide Box office returns: $97, 009,150
The age rating of this film is a 15. This means that the target audience of appeal for this film would be anyone ranging from late teens onwards into adulthood. This film was rated a range of user comments and ratings on the IMDB website including;

• Scariest Movie I've Seen In Years!!!
  
• Borrows a lot from other films, yet stands out on its own..enjoyable Horror movie.
  
• Better than "Paranormal Activity" and "Saw" combined.
  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXWorkzV884

For my analysis, I have chosen the film 'Insidious'. This film falls into the thriller genre due to the anxiety suspended upon the audience. For this analysis I have chosen one particular scene from the film and am going to answer the specific question; 'How are women represented in the scene?'

Firstly when discussing this question, it should be stated that this scene mainly encompasses two characters, one being the antagonist and the other the protagonist. This means that the scene is focused on only one element. At the very start, the women in the scene is projected as emotionally unstable. This is due to her presumably waking up, startled, from a nightmare about her own flesh and blood son.

This, straight away follows thriller narratives by showing a pre determined death. In reaction, this is shown by shock, being portrayed by incredibly heavy, deep breathing. From this we can assume that this women is the protagonist due to herself being in a vulnerable position in which to be easily targeted. This is so due to the bad state of mind in which the women is represented. The next noticeable feature is the low revealing, unbuttoned top. This automatically makes the women exposed and liable to be hurt in body due to the open temptation. This temptation is greatly seen by the opposite sex making the women a stereotypical representation of a victim. With the female being the victim this fits in the femme fatality theory, being constructed from audience assumption. This is a typical convention seen through the film semiology, which falls into the thriller genre.

Another feature is the theme of loneliness. With the women being alone and unaccompanied this means that an open attack is possible due to the lack of security she holds. This usually is provided my a male character, though in this case the female has more power over the male character by making him sleep downstairs on the sofa possibly due to a recent argument. This means that the women is left to defend herself providing a sense of isolation.

The mise en scene doesn't help this character either. The mise en scene is very claustrophobic meaning there is little escape, therefore representing entrapment for the character. Not only this but having open spaces such as windows, allows easy access for the antagonist and follows the typical thriller narratives of deception, along with the victim being watched and followed. With fright being witnessed a quiet call for help it sent out. With nobody being able to hear this represents the female as a weak source. Not only does it show this physically but through the strength of the mind, also.

When contemplating the costume, this plays against the innocence of the character. With the women wearing black this would represent her as the antagonist assuming that black is a bad representation. This therefore denies the Helmet Nickel theory of white hats/ black hats, having the antagonist in a black costume and the protagonist in white, suggesting purity and innocence.
Finally, at the end of the scene the antagonist approaches the women. The letting out of a humongous scream and cry for help therefore shows the women as fragile and dependant, being in position of terror.

To conclude, this scene fits into the thriller genre due to presenting typical thriller narratives, themes and iconography. Overall the women figure is presented with the femme fatality theory, being the vulnerable victim common to the thriller genre.

Thriller: The Grey

Director: Joe Carnahan
Production company: Open Roads Film
Release date: 27th February 2012 (UK)
Location: Canada
Worldwide Box office returns: $77,278,331
The national age rating of this film is a 15. This means that the target audience is that of the elder yeared adolescent. This film though, still appeals to that of an adult audience. Specifically, the audience of thriller film fanatics is targeted, using literacy devices to create anxiety within the audience. When considering user ratings and reviews from the official IMDb website, you get a very mixed response, ranging from excellent to the extremely poor. For example;

• Totally unrealistic
  
• Survival-Action at its Best
  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLLcH0x1kwg

Here, I am going to be answering the question; 'How is sound used to create suspense and other effects in the scene?'. For this, I have chosen the thriller fitting film, 'The Grey' and the plane crash scene included within.

To start, the backing sound is of working engines, specifically of an aeroplane. This immediately sets the scene of being in a moving aircraft. Along with this, eeriness is created due to the quietness, being able to hear every small encompassed detail like that of the drawing curtain carried out by a member of cabin crew. Next, a change in pitch of the running engines occurs. The pitch becomes higher and therefore creates emphasis with the audience due to the unsettling and uneasy sound. Not only this but the mise en scene suggests a building crisis as the television becomes disfigured representing a twist in the storyline.

As the camera begins to pan out a disturbing sound is heard within the background. The sound of this appears to be a movement along the planes outer surface, something unusual and abnormal which should not be happening. This therefore indicates an occurring big event. Tension is also created by what we assume to be the protagonist. From this character, you can hear the heavy breathing of which he carries out indicating fright upon the horizon. Suddenly, a bright scene comes into play encompassing total silence.

This therefore suggests a state of peace with the symbolism of the colour white representing heaven. Not only this, but here you can apply the theory of Helmet Nickel, having the protagonist dressed in white. This peace is then immediately interrupted with a loud twisted noise, placing the protagonist back into the dreaded reality of what is happening amongst the plane. Following, distressed emotions are established, hearing sounds of panic and terror within the voices of other protagonists.

Next, a scratching sound is witnessed. This sound appears to be sharp indicating danger against the factor of entrapment within the plane. This connotes the typical thriller genre due to entrapment and the travelling, voyeurism being specific narratives.

The noise within the background slowly quietens down thought to be revealing the audience of gathered tension, although this suddenly creates the base to the crisis. Within the crisis of the scene a wide array of mixed sounds are concentrated. Here you hear the screams of protagonists, the smashing and destruction of the glass windows, along with explosive noises. This is symbolised by the red screens, representing danger.

With the man falling from the plane the sound represents the speed of movement of which he is falling, that of a very fast paste. Finally after the crash, sound represents the protagonist as weak due to the heavy breathing rate of the character. Also, wind is sounded within the scene creating a sense of lingering tension, this being a key sounding device within a typical thriller genre.

Thriller: Inception

Director: Christopher Nolan
Production company: Warner Bros. Pictures in association with Legendary Pictures
Release date: 16th July 2010 (UK)
Location: United States, United Kingdom, Canada and France
Worldwide Box office returns: $825, 532,764
The age rating for this film appears to be a 12A. This means that the younger teenager audience are targeted along with parents due to parental advisory supported by this age group. This immediately indicates to the audience that the typical thriller genre conventions, especially the themes and narratives are not as brutal as that of an older certified film. When looking upon the IMDb user ratings and reviews you see the wide spread of highly applauded views. These included some of the following;

• Insanely Brilliant ! Nolan has outdone himself !!
  
• In a Decade, "Inception" May Be A Religion
  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HM5YBXkE9s

I am going to be analysing the thriller film; 'Inception' and aspects of the dream collapsing scene. For this, I am partying it with the question; 'How has the director used claustrophobic spaces to create a scene of menace?'

Firstly, the director has situated the scene within a small room. Being surrounded by walls and having antagonists block doorways, this  immediately represents the typical thriller theme of entrapment. Not only this but including confined spaces, fits into typical iconography of the genre. The coloured screen in the background of the room is orange. This has been cleverly used by the director to symbolise danger. The room has also been given a dark hue, this creates a sense of disturbance, due to the increased chance of unknown menace creating a sense of tension with the audience.

When considering these themes, the protagonists are easily identifiable due to the surroundings of which they become central to. This therefore, backs the idea of claustrophobic spaces creating a feeling of anxiety. Also, having tight spaces allows a lot of action to happen within the scene, making characters easy and open targets when considering the thriller theme of death.

 A chilling atmosphere is therefore suspended upon the audience due to the knowledge of future fate. Within  the crisis scene, much catastrophic takes place. The collapse of the staircase allows excess menace to be established due to the key focus being taken upon the event happening rather than characters actions in the mist of the scene. This plays to the antagonists advantage due to the disguise of which is placed upon the characters actions. Not only this, but with the occurrence of mass destruction this acts an obstacle, creating a fight for menace to take place. Though, the director allows this to happen so that the broken objects hide the characters, indicating a sense of unknown to both the protagonist and the antagonist so that tension and surprise is suspended onto the audience.

Finally, a tight confined space is witnessed when a man is seen enclosed within a bath. This gives the audience a sense of drowning due to the encompassing nature of the water. In this, the water acts as bars, trapping the character within. Again, this is a typical icon within the genre, establishing this film as a thriller.

Thriller: The Dark Knight Rises

Director: Christopher Nolan
Production Company:
Release Date: 20 July 2012 (UK)
Location: United Kingdom, United States and India
Worldwide Box Office returns: $1,013,114,000
The national age rating for this The Dark Night Rises is a 12A. This aims the film specifically at the younger aged adolescents due to the 'A' indicating anyone under the age of 12 will have to have parental attendance. Though, with this certificate the film could also be targeted at adults, having to take their children to the cinema. When looking on the IMDb website, the average rating from viewers is 8.8/10. This means that the film has had a positive outcome with generally, widely spread good reviews, expect the occasional few;

• Stunning Conclusion to an Epic Trilogy

• Beautiful. Immense. Spectacular. Perfect.

• Lazy, incoherent, and unsatisfying on nearly every level.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAVzJPA30_0

Finally, I will be technically analysing the thriller film; The Dark Knight Rises, in sequence to previous Batman films. For this depiction, I will use the Joker Party Scene. When considering a question, I am going to try combining all the above questions that I have already answered as a whole with only this singular clip, these being; 'How are women represented', 'How is sound used to create suspense' and 'How are claustrophobic spaces used to create menace'.

Firstly, when breaking down the scene, sound is the first literacy device that you notice. At the very beginning of the scene, the sound is deep and powerful, dropping low beats. This is used to represent the high presence of the walking man, presuming that he is an important figure, also lent to this assumption by the way he is smartly dressed in a suit indicating stanched hierarchy.

As the joker reveals himself from inside the elevator, and gun shots are fired, a dead silence hits the scene. This immediately interlinks guns with silence due to the key feature of death.
With this silence, this shows the joker to have the most authority at the time due to silencing the rest of the characters within the scene that were once before more active in their dialogue. The silence within the scene allows the joker to have the only dialogue at this point, showing him to be the leader, having the signified key role.
Later on, within the scene, a backing sound starts to build. This construction of sound is slow and therefore builds tension upon the audience. The reason for this is due to the anticipated crisis that the audience believe to be occurring.
The sound carries on building until the highest tone is presented. Suddenly, as the literacy device alters so does the content and atmosphere of the scene. In this case, as the heavy beat comes to play, Batman makes his entry. After this, the sound alters in pitch and tempo witnessing high levels of action between the main antagonist and the hero. With this fast tempo, the fight scene suspends high intensity upon the audience.

Finally, as far as sound is concerned, silence is again witnessed so that the jokers dialogue is the key feature at the end of the scene. As the joker says "Let her go is a very poor choice of words" a heavy bass is placed replicating the depth of which the protagonist is about to fall and the impact of which it will place upon her body.

The sound within this scene is mainly diegetic because it is natural although, at the sound at the start of the scene it is non-diegetic because a soundtrack has been placed over the filming, so the suited man is represented to have presence.

Next I will be answering 'How claustrophobic spaces are used to create menace'. Going back to the start of the scene, the antagonist is able to take control of his protagonists by being confined within a small space allowing him to surround his victims. This allows the typical thriller narrative of entrapment to be present. Although the room is seen to be quite spacious, no doors or windows are clearly seen. This indicates the anonymous feature of no possible escape.

Next, the antagonist is seen circling the main protagonist. This again, entraps the women by being physically surrounded, giving no space for freedom producing feelings of anxiety. Also, when considering this, the camera is moving around the characters, completing a full circle representing again no means of escape.

Finally, a weapon is within hold of the antagonist. This immediately symbolises danger to the audience due to the sharpness of the object. This indicates to the audience that the hostage is likely to be the femme fatal of the scene.


My last question to answer is, 'How are women represented within the scene'. When considering this scene as a whole, the women sex are all represented in the same means. By this, firstly you can depict the costume of the female characters. With all, a formal event shows each character to be wearing a revealing costume, showing bare skin whether this to be arms, legs or cleavage. This means that the women sex are the optimal protagonists of the scene because they are more open to attack due to themselves having less protection and security covering their body. This therefore makes them vulnerable especially to the male sex.

Finally when considering the female characters, an opened face presumes them to be the 'good' characters. This contrasts against the character of the joker who has his face covered in disturbing make-up. This allows the character to hide his true identity, making the other characters anxious, representing him as the 'bad' character. Though, the character of batman could fit into the Verfremdungseffekt theory, describing him as good, though he carries out bad deeds to some of the other characters. This film therefore fits into the thriller genre by having the typical thriller characters of a psycho, assassin, detective, victims and criminals.

This film is also seen to have intertexual references with films such as, Superman and Spiderman, due to these films both encompassing a psycho and hero fighting over a single female protagonist. Not only this, but both are alike due to each being within typical thriller genre, playing with the typical thriller narratives of being both watched and followed.