Thriller/action film genre

By Billie Wilson

Background

• The breakthrough of the thriller/action genre came when Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang made films like The lodger (1926) and M (1931). These films set the standard of modern thriller/action genre. Then these film directors added Technicolor to their films, as well as casting big stars and big locations into their films. These moved the standard up a notch again. Some angles to action/thriller films changed after the assassination of President J. F. K. in 1963 and films became more political and paranoid.

• As technology increased this genre changed to action spy and violent films, examples of these in the present are Taken and Batman.

Short film - example

December • This is a short action/thriller film that lasts just over a

minute. It’s a very short thought provoking powerful film with a hint of humor.

• The camera shots are very striking and intriguing as you are seeing what's going on through the victims eyes. The camera movements are aggressive which intensifies the scene, the camera is very shaky as the ‘victim’ is being moved around a lot.

• Confusion is a big concept in the thriller genre and this short film is very confusing.

Short film - example

• The sound is very effective as the normal diegetic sounds are exaggerated and made louder to build up the suspense.

• The lighting is particularly mysterious because of the dingy shadows and darkness of the scenes. This completely juxtaposes the last scene with the intense light to show the outcome of a happy Christmas.

• The victim being dragged around and cut up actually just turns out to be a Christmas tree.

Trailer - example

Batman • The establishing shot begins with a black screen then going

continuing over to footage of batman in various of his states of action, on his bike, in his office etc, showing his power and authority.

• The word freak is emphasized to try and relate the joker and batman together.

• The first shot of the joker is a long shot of him causing an explosion which straight away shows he's evil.

• The explosion is very conventional in action thrillers. The buildings that the joker blows up our non specific showing the Joker has no reason behind his destruction. The evil laugh that follows continues to symbolize his evil as he finds it funny and has no remorse.

Trailer - example• The high angle shot of the sniper of the roof should suggest that the

gunmen are superior but as the camera cuts to lower down you know the joker will always win. This scene shows the jokers followers and the citizens of Gotham turning against their hero, Batman

• The fact the Joker has nothing shows he exists outside society making him harder to stop. The pan up of the joker behind bars shows he's in jail but this quickly cuts to him outside of jail showing he must of broke out.

• The shot of the Joker knifes signifies he is the villain. When we see his face the makeup is chilling with the scarring appearance of a smile in a medium close up shot.

• In another scene of the trailer we see Rachel wearing red, this could symbolize danger, or passion as Bruce Wayne has feelings towards her

Trailer - example• The action continues when the joker walks

down the street with a machine gun in hand. There is a scene of action between the joker and batman and you don’t know whose going to win. The trailer gives enough away to get the audience intrigued.

• In this trailer there is a lot of explosions and weapons which indicates the genre as well as it being exciting, fast paced and exhilarating.

Conventions of the thriller/action genre

• Action/thriller genres include lots of special effects so can be very high costing films

• Most are set in big cities and places where there are lots of people around like train stations or walkways.

• Low key lighting add mystery to the film as well as producing shadows and silhouettes.

• Quick cuts are very conventional to create a sense of uncertainty and rising tension.

• The music is also fast paced to get across emotion.

Conventions of the thriller/action genre

• Another convention is flashbacks to distort time and reality and put a new twist on the film.

• Fades to black our quite common in this genre. This could be to either move onto a new scene or show someone is unconscious or dying.