4 thrillers textual anaylsis

1)      The open door http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWHeOsHUd9Q

At the start we see a panel of the female that is unknown and the setting. The setting is paced on the house and the female walking home. This would symbolise a normal relaxing day. We hear this from the non digetic sound that is playing in the background. The instrument is a piano that is playing at a slow tempo to create a calm environment, all the pitch of the sound is high as well so this doesn’t see threatening.  When the female reaches for the door and turns her key, we get a close up. This i thought was interesting because i thought the director was linking to the title of the film. However what we see is another close up on the door not being shut. This i feel would make the audience nervous and out of their seats because the female doesn’t know that the door is still open. This then links to the title. Another key moment was when she had her dressing gown on and laying on the bed with cucumber and a facial mask still unaware of what’s happened. What i feel the director done fantastically was when the female was drifting of to sleep they used continuity editing by using a bluer vision to the next scene of the man seeing the door opening. This again will make the audience care for the character safety and suck them in. We then get a close up on the man’s feet walking up stairs towards the women who is still unaware. However we hear as a audience a kettle being done over the stove (this is what it sounds like). This is non digetic so only the audience can hear. Therefore is a warning that she is in trouble and she needs to get out of there as soon as possible. Overall i think this is a really good opening because it grabs your attrition straight away.

2)      Till death do us part  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yhfxn6zTQKQ

At the start there is a recording taking place with dialogue throughout. There is a boy who goes to school and gets bullied. As a audience we feel sorry for him however he says he wants to be recognised. We see footage of a female as a audience we guess its from him. I think he likes her however i think its still creepy to film someone without knowing. This would suggest he lives in his own mind. By the end of the opening he says to the recording “she is the sun” they use a close up on the female face with then a fade to his face then saying” I’m the plant” therefore would suggest they are partners or meant to be.  The atmosphere then changes with a ghostly soundtrack (non digetic) and this then starts to make enema for the audience. By having this enigma it drags the audience in to find out what this boy has done.  We see the female in the chair tired up by rope by her hands and feet so that there is no chance for her to escape. Even though as a audience we don’t know the female character (we don’t have a bond with her) we still have our heart pumping of her for her because of her diegetic scream. At the end the boy is still having his big speech he says “we can finally be together forever” straight away there is a close up on the face then it ends!!  This is a really good opening thriller because then this makes us as a audience jump out of our seats. This then makes us want to watch more to see what happens.

 

3)       Amnesia  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ebrMpQ5lU8

We start off with the setting in a cottage with a teenager girl lying on the bed sleeping.  The female is wearing casual clothes when sleeping. We as a audience hear a sound (sounds like stormy wind) in her mind.  Her eyes then open and worry starts to emerge.  This is a good start of a film because they director is trying to make me and the audience watching guessing on what’s happening. However some people could also link this to the title.  We also start to hear whispers and voices in her mind. This is digetic sound because we as a audience can hear it but also she can hear it as well. The whispers in her mind creates enigma and that brings added tension.  At 1.57 we see a eyline match, when she looks to her right and goes over to the curtains. I think by having the cameras follow her every moment this shows she’s alone and sacred.  At the end of the opening scene we see a lonely cottage with loads of trees surrounding it.  I think therefore shows that she is all alone and trapped. By having the trees surrounding the cottage could symbolize her feel this away because of the disease that she has.

 

4)      Audition http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwR-3AzzoXE

 

At the start the setting Is presented in a car with the women rushing because she is late for the audition at a house. We also hear non digetic sound and its a high pitch alarming sound. However it does not contrast to the mood she is feeling or the atmosphere. The camera is in the back seat so we can see as an audience her facial expression in the mirror and her leaving her phone.  As a audience we see her do this but the actor is unaware. I think from this it has some indication of something bad is going to happen.

However by watching this it’s not exciting at the start there is no indication something is going to go wrong for her point of view. When she and the man who is giving her the audition sit down, the camera is faced on the side of the room so that we as a audience see them both.  However i feel when the man is in the kitchen away from the women who is having the audition enigma is starting to build. When he says “where on schedule... Where are u?” this creates a negative vibe of mystery. This carries on with the creepy music getting louder and louder, on top with the kettle boiling. This now gets us as a audience worried for our female character who is in the other room. At 4.28 of the clip there is also 4 quick editing cuts. This with the non digetic soundtrack creates in my opinion nervousness for the audience because they don’t know what’s going to happen next.

 

 

Overall: after watching the clips I would say that the open door is the best one out of the four because it got my heart going from the very start and for my thriller ill be looking to do the same.