Initial Ideas

Two themes featured prominently in our planning process. First we looked at two thrillers, Fight Club and Se7en which are both set for the most part in urban areas.

There is a certain bleakness associated with that of industrial areas which translates well to the thriller genre, as it provides a feeling of stark eeriness regardless of plot. In particular Se7en plays on the bleak backdrop to provide a more monochromatic environment which at parts almost appears to be shot in black and white.

'The urban streets filled with crowded, noisy denizens and an oppressive rain that always seems to fall without respite was an integral part of the film' translate into a film which explores a city, corrupt, dirty, ruthless and depressing.

We initially thought that our thriller could be shot in an industrial environment, as we thought initially of approaching our piece from the perspective of the killer.

However another point of interest was how well the thriller genre translates to rural, countryside areas. Most of the thrillers set out 'in the middle of nowhere' follow the path of a killer from the perspective of a police officer or official.

'No Country for Old Men' achieves this very effectively, and the shots of endless landscape provide a completely neutral background but also helps to emphasise the desperation of the sheriff trying to catch the killer across vast open wasteland.

This 'genre' of thriller was very influential in the planning of our piece. The opening voice over being a point of interest. However what I find really attractive about the wild west - cum - thriller is the completely implacable costume. A film set in the early 60s could carry the same connotations as one set today where costume is concerned.

The officers are kitted out in a dusty beige with signature spurs and hats, which allows the audience to be pulled into what could, in effect, be an unknown time.

We used 'No Country' as a strong point of reference in planning our thriller, and in the end decided on filming on a cornfield which acted as a completely neutral backdrop for our murder to be committed. However due to problems with this location we moved our piece to an area of woodland close by, which would make our piece appear more English, but would also be very practical as our plot suggests the body is not found straight away.

CASE STUDY: Taxi Driver

Insight into the Psychological Thriller:

Generally the formula for thrillers favours plot over character development, and tend to 'emphasize intense, physical action over the character's psyche'. However the typical conventions of a psychological thriller reverse this formula, 'emphasizing the characters just as much if not more so than the plot'. A typical example of a psychological thriller include:

Taxi Driver, 1976

Through the eyes of the central protagonist, Travis Bickle (Robert Di Nero) the audience is able to witness the self destruction and mental deterioration as the film progresses. Bickle becomes more and more disgusted with the feats he witnesses as a taxi driver, and the audience is let into his thoughts through careful narrative where Travis Bickle declares that 'someday a real rain will come and wash all the scum of the streets.' Scorsese excercises a continuous build up of tension, where the audience is aware that Bickle is to commit some pinicle act, yet the only glimpse into such act is through Bickle's diary entries which are read allowed via voiceover. Taxi Driver stands unique as a film, as the audience bears witness to the world only through the eyes of one character. It is through this singular window into Travis Bickle's psyche that suspense is built up. It is even arguable that due to this technique the audience falls in tune with Bickle's outlook and thus is aware of some formidable event to come.

The question at the end of the film that remains is, is Travis a hero? Taxi Driver isn't a film which romanticises violence or even promotes it, therefore, unlike most psychological thrillers Bickle does not emerge a hero. The feat of hideous violence that occurs, although graphic, is not suprising given the build up of suspense within Bickle's inner thoughts. There is a theory to suggest that Travis Bickle died the day he first went into the Brothel, and the events from then on were that of a man, who has lost all sense of normality and being, and the self destruction causes him to do something 'heroic', that leaves him a subsequent 'hero' where Iris' (Jodie Foster) parents and Betsey (Cybill Shepherd) are concerned.

All quotes courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychological_thriller