Thriller Analysis Conclusion

I have research and analysed the beginning of five thrillers. These thrillers were Sin City, Hostage, The Birds, Se7en and Cape Fear. From my research I have found many similarities between the five films.
The sound in all of the films adds a horror effect and adds tension. Out of the five films three of them use large amounts of non diegetic sounds to set the scene and to add a certain amount of adrenaline. The non diegetic sound is made up of music. The music is quite low and sudden. This effect is common because it builds up the audience for what is to come in the rest of the film and is symbolic that something bad is going to happen. The other two films use vast amounts of diegetic sounds. This is also effective because it sets the scene. In ‘The Birds’ high pitched tones are used to represent danger where as in ‘Sin City’ the tone is very quiet but the audience is aware of the danger present because of the city sounds which shows crime and violence.

The use of dark colours is also a common element in the thriller genre. Large amount of black and white are used. The black is used to highlight the white. The black is symbolic for evil and darkness. This tells the audience that the film may contain violence and bad scenarios. The colour white is symbolic for innocents and purity. This commonly shows that bad thing will happen to innocent people hence the black and white effect. The colour red is also frequently used. This is because red is associated with blood therefore with violence and death. Red is used to prepare the audience for what is to come in the film and to set the scene.

The use of titles is another common element. The titles are generally well spaced out and are positioned so they are visible. This presents a clear effect and draws the reader in. Most of the films which I analysed have white titles on a black background. This makes the titles clear and straightforward to view.

A final common element is the MES. Four out of the five films are set in a busy environment. This is symbolic for danger and crime. This tells the audience that something bad will happen in the rest of the film therefore setting them up for what is to come.