section 2: research into examples of thriller opening scenes

Thriller analysis of Seven

The narrative of seven is linear and involves the seven deadly sins being portrayed through murders over seven days. The film has a natural climax and the reveal of the killer is strung out in the film.
The film uses many codes and conventions throughout for example it is set in a busy city which is always raining which creates a dreary mood. The film is set in a run down city which is busy where crime is just a daily occurrence, this is the opposite to a popular murder mystery such as midsummer murders, the setting seems ordinary and this links to G K Chesterton's theory of changing the ordinary to extraordinary. The city remains nameless in the film and this is done to give the essence of mystery to the audience. Another code of a thriller film is to keep the audience in the dark and this is done in the graphics because there are many images which do not make sense to the audience and are explained later in the film. Also in the graphic sequence there are little clues given to the audience, like the flashing images, so they can attempt to solve the crime. The graphic sequence also makes the audience ask questions because of the flashing images and other strange activities shown in the opening scenes and this makes the audience question the relevance of them. The characters are all just ordinary people and this links to Northrop Frye's theory of the hero in a thriller film.
The mise-en-scene is very implicit in the opening of Seven, the characters of detective Mills and Somerset are complete opposites. Detective Somerset is black, old, keeps himself to himself and lives alone. He is retiring at the end of the week in the film and this links to his name somerset which connotates as the sun setting and resting. whereas Detective Mills is young, white, cocky and married (which is also his weakness). Tracy Mills is his wife and she is cute, attractive which tells the audience that she could be the damsel in distress in this film. The character John Doe has connotations of being anonymous because of his name. Later in the film we find out that he
believes that he is doing gods work and that the film is based on his number one big plan. The graphics show that he is crazy and not a good person as strange images of him keep being shown, like him stitching books together. A significant prop used in the opening scenes is the metronome used by detective somerset and this connotates as time passing and that its running out.
The sound used in the opening of Seven is mainly diegetic with sounds like sirens and the rain which just enforce the connotations behind the setting. Another diegetic sound is used later in the opening when the metronome is used and this is used to show the passing of time. There is non-diegetic music used in the graphics and this is dramatic, upbeat and haunting this sets the scene for the rest of the film and makes them feel freaked out which matches the images being shown.
The editing in the opening scene is very standard with mainly using cuts but when the graphics are shown there are some ghost cuts used and this is done to give a haunting effect and to distort time.
The Graphics in this film are very significant because they give the audience clues about what is going to happen in the rest of the film. The words in the graphics appear in white writing on a black background and this links to the opposite main characters. The opening credits are written in a creepy hand written look and this links to the serial killer John Doe because he writes a lot of memoirs and it also gives the graphics an eerie feel to them. There are many quick flashing graphic images and these act like subliminal messages to the audience and prepare them for the haunting things they will see in the film, they also acts as a clue and give away a slight concept of what will happen in the film. One image is of the words "in god we trust" and this links to John Doe being very religious but it also could link to those words being on a dollar bill which tells the audience what he could be after.


Thriller analysis of Red Eye

The thriller film Red Eye has a linear narrative, however there is a lot of mystery because it is a domestic story about business.
The film does use thriller codes and conventions because it often makes the audience ask questions like right at the beginning when the wallet is shown with the initials J R and this makes the audience ask who is he? The audience is kept in the dark from the very beginning because the man who takes the wallet or J R is not shown. The setting of the film is in a rainy dark city which is a conventional setting. It is also common in thrillers for the bad people to be planning with blueprints to clearly show something is going to happen in the film. The bad people also have photos which are a conventional prop and makes the audience ask more questions about what it is in the photos. The bad people also have a big box which could be the "exotic" and this could bring the mystery to the film.
Red Eye starts with a slow track forward to a wallet and this shows that it is important. When the bad people are planning there is another slow track forward and this follows the action and also shows that what they are doing is important. Most of the titles are in the small graphic section at the start but some still are put over the action. There is finally a shallow focus shot of a man with J R's wallet and this shot is used to make the audience focus on what is happening in this mans hands.
Right at the start of the film J R's wallet is taken and this shows that the person who took it is a bad man. In the first shot there are pictures of a girl which tell the audience that this man could be a loving dad. This could be this mans weakness and the film could escalate into her being the victim.The pictures are of her with a degree which tells the audience that she is intelligent and the other picture is of her playing hockey which tells the audience that she is sporty, all these pictures are there so that the audience begins to like her and want her to stay alive. The bad people have surrounded the mysterious box with fish to disguise it from customs and this could have connotations of these bad men being involved in some fishy business. J R is then reviled to the audience when his driving licence is shown, he is from Florida and this could have a link to fish and the fishy business taking plaice. We then see the photo of the daughter and see that they are highly related, the bad person also throws away the credit cards which shows that he isn't interested in small amounts of money. The wallet seems to be lingering in this opening extract to the film and this enforces its importance to the audience.
The film starts with non-diegetic sound of a plain on a runway which shows a link to the audience and also builds up suspense for the next scene. Each setting in this extract has a different sound because when it changed to the dock the music changes to an upbeat funky song which tells the audience that it is a big operation. When the villains get out there blueprints the music changes to a cerebral soundtrack and links to them planning and the mission intensity. When a villain opens an envelope he does it very loud and dramatically which shows that he is a villain and has an aggressive personality.
The opening extract starts with quick camera changes and this shows that it is a big operation and that they are rushing it and working quickly. There are then many slow pauses and long takes and this shows that the action is all staying in one place. This then speeds up when the photos and blueprints are seen and it shows clearly the separate scenes.
The graphics in this film are very simple, there is black on white credits which connotate as opposites and good versus evil. The title Red Eye is written in red writing which connotates as danger, death and anger. The graphics zoom away from the screen which mirrors a plain taking off and also the graphics end with a plains engine sounding to link in with the title.

Thriller analysis of State of Play

The thriller State of play has a linear narrative and is a political thriller which is a bout a witness to a murder fearing for his life.
State of play abides by many codes and conventions of the thriller genre. The film is set in a dark busy city which corresponds with G K Chesterton's theory of changing the ordinary to the extraordinary. The audience are forced to ask questions from the start because they wonder who the victim is and why he is being chased. The exotic is also introduced in the opening scenes because the murderer has a briefcase with him. However, this is also unconventional in a way because the vilain already has the briefcase with him before he killed the victim.
The camerawork is very simple in the opening of State of play, the extract begins with an establishing shot of Washington. The director has used this establishing shot at the beginning of the film so that the audience know where it is set and to tell the audience that it is a political thriller. When the victim is being chased a steady cam is used and this will make the audience feel like they are in the scene, but also make the feel of panic that the victim is feeling more real to the audience. At the end of the scene there is a track forward to the witnesses face and the director did this to signify that he is alive and important.
The setting of State of Play signifies to the audience that its dangerous and full of crime because its a dark busy city. The scene starts with an old couple walking down the street and the director has chosen to use old people because they connotate as innocent, fragile. When the victim pushes them this shows his desperation and connoataes as a bull in a china shop, being scared and desperate. When you see the victims silhouette on top of political buildings this has a link with race relations and could be to do with a black man being gunned down by a white man. When you see the victims teeth you see they are broken which makes the audience question if he is a lowlife and why he is running. You can tell that the killer is a professional because of his stance and the way that he just heartlessly killed the victim.
There is mainly diegetic sounds used in the opening scene of State of Play, it starts with the sound of a helicopter and a siren which links with the connotations of the city being dangerous. The victims heavy breathing tells the audience that he has been running for a long time and this is herd throughout the scene until he is killed which is done to signify his last breath. The gun that the killer is using is silenced gun which shows that he wants to be quiet.
The editing in State of Play is very simple and there are just simple cuts between scenes, however there is a good example of match on action when the victim is running away and this is used to follow the action and put the audience in the victims shoes.
The graphics for State of Play are blue and this links to the phrase blue murder, it also could connotate as being cold or the police lights. There is also a moment in the graphics which uses the colours red, white and blue this has a link with the American flag and enforces the political thriller genre.

Thriller analysis of Strangers on a Train

The narrative structure of Strangers on a Train is linear and involves two strangers meeting on a train and discussing the idea of swapping murders, which would be flawless because there is a killer but no motive. The film starts when the two strangers touch and this sends the ball rolling as they now have a connection.
The film does abide by many codes and conventions of a thriller film, but it also does break these conventions to make it unique in true Hitchcock style. The opening of this film shows the main characters getting out of a taxi cab and this shows that the characters are normal people. The audience are also kept in the dark because all you can see is the main characters shoes and so this makes the audience want to carry on watching to find out there identity. The film does use unconventional music because it is very grand and dramatic which does not create suspense like an ordinary thriller.
The camerawork in the opening of Strangers on a Train is all low level and Alfred Hitchcock has done this so that it keeps the audience anonymous which makes the audience carry on watching to find out there identity. There is a two shot where we can see the two characters backs going down the same path which could connotate as them having the same fate. The first shot where we see the characters faces is a two shot and the audience can see that they are opposites because they are explicitly opposite each other on the train but also there body language shows one stiff and sat up and the other slouched over. While the characters are talking the camera does a shot reverse shot of the conversation between them, which establishes more of a link between the characters.
The first shot that we see there is a car in the centre of attention an it is going through an arch and this is a very grand scene. The director has done this to excite the audience from the start and so the audience will want to carry on watching. When one of the characters gets out of the cab this shows the audience that this person is anonymous and this makes the audience ask questions like who are they? When the camera shows the two characters shoes this tells the audience that they are different because one of them has smart and practical shoes and the other has shoes which look like a clowns and this could connotate as this character being very eccentric and strange. When the other character gets out of the car the audience can see tennis rackets in his hands and this makes them ask if he is a tennis player. The next shot shows a tunnel leading to the train station and this connotates as many strangers meeting, from different places funneling into one, which enforces the title. The title has a very deep meaning because it suggests that all the people we ever will meet are strangers at some point and we need to be able to meet new people in order to live. The point of view of a train is then shown and this is a very significant shot because it connotates as peoples journey through life, which can go off the rails and change in an instant. Some tracks cross over each other and they are the ones w here we meet someone and change the direction of there life.
The sound in the opening of Strangers on a Train also enforces the characters differences. When Bruno is shown the music which is child like and similar to the music in a cartoon, whereas Guys music is big, masculine and important. When Bruno is shown on the train there is spooky and thriller like music which is done to make him seem like a threat and to tell the audience that he is the bad person in the film. Bruno also says on the train "I do admire people who do things" when he says this he is saying that he wishes he had the courage to kill his father, also this links to Bruno being a loser and mothers boy.
The editing in Strangers on a Train is well done from the start because you can tell that there is a link between the characters and that they are going to meet because of the cross cutting of them walking. This connotates to the audience that they are linked from the beginning and also shows them how they are difference of there shoes, this is important because at the start of the film it gives the audience some background information to start with.
The graphics are very old fashioned because it is an old film, they are very in your face, big and loud. This is done to set the tone for the rest of the film because this then tells the audience that it will be a big exciting blockbuster which will shock you. The font of the opening credits is bold and almost clumsy because it looks handwritten and this links to the character Bruno who is eccentric and clumsy also. The music that is playing is a classical orchestra and this is unconventional in a thriller film and gives the audience the impression that the film will be an epic and depicts the serenity of the film.

Thriller analysis of The Day After Tomorow

The day after tomorow has a linear narrative which starts out resonably happy and normal but then it gradually gets worse and escalates into a global issue.
Only a few of the thriller codes and conventions are met in the day after tomorow. Suspence is definately met in the film because it keeps the audience in the dark and makes the audience ask questions. For example when the ice is cracking and the audience want to know who is doing that and why its happening. The entire film encludes excitement in an everyday situation because the crisis is global and you can see this in the opening becuse its ment to just be an enviromnetal study but it escalates into a geographic crisis. The hero in The Day After Tomorow is just an ordinary environmentalist which corresponds with Northrop Fryes theory.
The camera work in The Day After Tomorow starts with an arial shot over ice and is an establishing shot, which tells the audience where the characters are. An extreme close up of the American also is used like an establishing shot to show what country the film will be focusing on. When the character goes into the caravan a hand held camera is used and this is because the director wants the audience to feel part of the opperation and feel like they are there. This will later make them feel nervious when the environmental crisis begins. An extreme close up shows them drilling into the ice, this links with the films message which is that people are doing too much damage to the earth. There is a tilt up which follows the ice and this is to show the ice is coming straight at them and is a danger to them. A high angle shot shows that people are insignificant, vulnerable and cannot stop nature fighting back. When there is a close up of the main characters feet after he just made the jump across the canion, this tells the audeince that he only just made it across.
The environmentalists are used in the opening extracts because they are clever and have a link to the world. They also dont have experiance with danger so they are thrown out there comfort zone. When the boss of the opparation lets the inexpirianced person opparate the drill this connotates as them being calm and are more focused on their work. This also could suggest that they are drilling carelessly which could be hurting the environment. When the cracking is shown this tells the audience that danger is coming at them. When the main character jumps the canion just to get the cores this tells the audience that they must be very important because he is risking his life to get them.
The non diegetic sound used in the graphics is very slow and depressing as the film is about the end of the world so the music enforces this by being sad and depressing. The next sound used is the diegetic sound of the flag waving in the brease and this is a loud noise to show the scale of the harsh condtitons that they are in. After one of the characters says "I didn't do anything" there is a moment of silence. The director does this to build tension and to give the audience a moment where they think that everything will be ok but then the ice crashes an instant later, which makes the audience smash back down to reality.
The editing in The Day After Tomorow is very simple and just uses cuts between scenes, this is done so that the enphasis is on the scale of chaos and camera angles.
The graphic sequence in The Day After Tomorow is very long and relevant to the story line. The titles start out with a black screen with white font and this connotates as the little ice which is left on the planet. The Day After Tomorow is written in red wrighting and this conoatates destruction and danger which the world will soon be in because of nature. An arial shot then shows the little ice left in the poles which signifies the end of the world soon coming because of this reason. The director has chosen to use an arial shot because it looks down on the world and conotates as us doing wrong in our life time and ruining the world.

Thriller analysis of Saw

The graphics in the film Saw do not last for a long time, they are very simple and only involve white wrighting on a black background. The black on white could connotate as the characters involved in the film as they are innocent (white) and surrounded by darkness. The credits simply fade in and out which could signify the victims of the killer fading out of existence. When the film title is shown in the credits there is a track forward to the title which could connotate as the killer coming for you. The title then ghost cuts away which gives the impression of disorientation and dissiness of the victims. When the word Saw comes on the screen there is a quiet, eeire style of music which makes the audience feel confused and scared, the director has done this to scare the audience from the very begining.
The narrative structure in Saw is linear allthough it does involve flashbacks and plott twists so it does have influences of other narrative structures.
Saw does abide by many codes and conventions for exapmple the audience are kept in the dark literally which then causes them to ask questions and suspence is created. When the light does come on you can see that characters involved in the story are both ordinary which corresponds with Northrop Fryes theory. Saw also corresponds with John Cawellti's theory of the thriller being set in an indusrial setting.
The first shot in saw is a close up of the main characters face under water which tells the audience that this character is away and not in his normal environment. When the lights come on there is a lot of hand held camera used to show the characters disorientation and also signifies that they have been in that room for a long time. A point of view shot is used to make the audience feel like they are in the same room as the main characters which will later make them fear for there lives. The next point of view shot which tilts down to show the dead body is used to put the same feeling of shock to the audience that the characters feel. The camera spins arouns and zooms out which the director has done to shock the audience and make them feel like there head is spinning. The director has put the audience in the same position as the main characters so that the audience establish a link with them and fear for there lives later in the film. An extreme close up of the dead bodies head and hand with a gun in it clearly show the audience what happened to that person.
The opening of Saw starts with the main character in a bath filled with water. He starts to thrash around which tells the audience that he isn't there willingly, the director has chosen to the character to be in the bath because it plays with some of the audiences fears and it is a strange place for him to be and this tells the audience about how the psychopath could think. The film starts out in darkness and this plays with the audiences fear and makes them question what is happening, this also gives away the style of the film which is dark. When the lights are turned on then there is an extreme contrast from very dark to very light wich leaves both the audience and the characters feeling disorientatied which makes the audience identify with the characters. The setting used is a dirty old vandalised bathroom which also makes the audience question how the psychopath thinks. When the one of the characters sees the dead body he is sick and the director has chosen to make him do this so that the audience can see that he isn't used to seeing bodies and to show the audience that he is a weak person. The character does overplay his reaction and this could be to try and get a reaction off the audience. This person then panicks and starts pulling at his chain and this has been done to enphasise the chain which he has and to show the audience that he is an ordinary person who is not used to whats going on. However, the other person trapped is calm which makes the audience question how long he has been there for.
The sound in the opening of the Saw film is very typical of a thriller. It starts with an eerie orchestral sound when the word saw comes up in the opening titles, this is done to scare the audience from the beginnign and make them feel like that whenever they hear that name. Then there is diegetic noises of the main character thrashing around in water and of him coughing which makes the audience question what is going on because there is no lighting. You can also hear faint non diegetic sounds of more eerie music which confuses the audience, this plays throughout the extract and gets louder and quieter to build suspence. When the lights are turned on the music gets louder and helps conveys the characters disorientation. The music then stops untill the body is seen when you can hear volins playing which makes the audience feel shocked and scared. After this the eerie music gets louder and enphasises the main characters state of panic.
The editing in the film is very straight forward and just uses cuts between shots but when the main character panics there is a fast change between shots to enphasise the state he is in and make the audience feel a similar way.