Thrillers.
Defenition : A thriller is a genre of fiction that attempts to thrill the audience by putting the characters at risk.
There is no clear indication as to what it should consist of .
Thriller is a problematic genre.
Thrillers can be categorised by fast paced editing, action, hero’s who must outwit the villain, devices such as red herrings and cliff hangers are visual.
Thrillers usually take place in exotic places, foreign cities, deserts etc.
The hero is usually a ’hard man’ and accustomed to danger.
The hero is usually an ordinary person.
Thrillers often overlap mystery stories however thrillers usually work on a much grander scale.
Big crimes, mass murders etc are usual.
Sub Genres.
Action Thrillers : Race against time. Usually contains violence.
Conspiracy Thriller : Hero confronts a powerful group.
Crime Thriller : Hybrid of crime films and thrillers focus on criminal rather than police.
Disaster Thriller : Conflict against natural disaster.
Drama Thriller : Slow paced, great deal of character development.
Eco Thriller : Protagonist must rectify environmental problems.
Erotic Thriller : Popular since the 1980’s, fatal attraction.
Horror Thriller : Conflict, the main character is up against a superior force.
Legal Thriller : Lawyers in danger, have to do the case to live.
Medical Thriller : Hero’s are doctors who solve a medical expanding problem.
Political Thriller : Hero must create stability for the government.
Psychological Thriller : Conflict is mental and emotional.
Spy Thriller : Generally a government agent, e.g. Bourne Identity.
Supernatural Thriller : Conflict usually involves supernatural powers.
Techno Thriller : Focus on high tech equipment.
Theories behind Thrillers.
The Transformed City. G.K Chosterton.
Where your thriller is set, usually in large urban areas in modern times. Should expose the poetry of modern life. A dull mundane place, the thriller gives the possibility of excitement in this boring place, therefore transforming it.
The Heroic Romance. Northrope Frye.
The hero is an ordinary person. The become the hero because they are in certain circumstances which makes them act extra-ordinary. The hero is Romanticised. The laws of nature are suspended. Exchanges romantic settings for a modern city (hero always ends up in a modern city)
The Exotic. John Cawelth
Something is exotic / unfamiliar / foreign e.g. a place , person or object etc. Many thrillers make use of middle east artefacts e.g. Jewels.
Mazes and Labyrinths. W.H Matthews
Mazes are full of twists and dead ends, twists and turns in the plot keep the audience confused. Has to be complex so audience can’t simply guess what’s going on. They have to identify the killer through strategy using given clues. Audience gain pleasure from proroguing the puzzling journey.
Partial Vision. Pascal Bonitze
Audience only see so much so as not to give the game away. Parts are hidden e.g. only see the eye of the killer, don’t see the whole killer keeps the audience confused and in the dark.
Concealment and Protraction. Lars de Sairberg
A suspense technique. Pulls the audience in different directions so they get confused. Deliberately hide a massive clue. Delay of suspense in the outcome, deliberately delaying an event to when you least expect it.
The Question and Answer model. Noel Carroll.
Audience is constantly kept in suspense, always asking questions, keeping them interested. Wait in suspense for the answers. To create suspense questions need to be clear so audience are thinking what you want them to think. Suspense is how you give them the answers. Set them up with wrong answers and false clues.
A moral factor what frame of mind, where we are positioned. Should the right thing happen? Probability factor and moral factor, shock the audience.
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