Comparison: Rear Window v Disturbia

Comparison: 'Rear Window' v 'Disturbia'

As already mentioned in my blog, 'Disturbia' (Dist.) is a remake of 'Rear Window' (R.W). I always feel that remakes never do the original any justice, however in this case I couldn’t be further from the truth. I think Disturbia is absolutely brilliant, in my opinion, better than Rear Window. I have therefore decided to compare the two to see what it is that makes them both so successful.

The Narrative

Similarities:

• Both heroes/main characters have been forced to stay at home. -House arrest and a broken leg. Therefore the voyeurism is forced.
• They are both spying on their neighbours. -‘Jeff’ spies on the arguing couple, the musician etc. Kale spies on Turner, Ashley etc.
• Both narratives are focussed on these neighbours.
• They both suffer a distraction. Both cases this is a party.
• Both films are mainly from the main characters point of view (sometimes their friend’s point of view). This means we know only as much as this character/the hero. This also gives us an insight to events which makes it less dramatic to us, unlike their friends. (We gain info. as the main character gains it.)
• Both characters watch their neighbours’ events. In Dist. (Disturbia) kale watches Turner mow the lawn. In R.W (Rear Window) he watches the neighbours doing some gardening.
• The police/law believe neither of the main characters
• The main characters friend enters the neighbour’s/villain’s house to look for clues/evidence.
• Both the main character’s love interests also become obsessed with voyeurism (and they practically move in).
• The main characters suspicion of the villain is correct
• Women are murdered in both
• Villains catch the main character watching them
• The villains invade the heroes property
• Takes time for the main plot to surface, I.e. the murders
• Both villains also kill animals (deer, rabbit, or dog)
• Both villains kept the evidence well hidden
• Dialogue is mostly character driven but decisive events are not, about 60/40 percent ratio.
• The main characters use up to date technology to compile evidence (picture of plants which move place and video camera of Turner’s garage)
• Both use technology to bide their time. ‘Jeff’ uses the camera flash to temporarily blind the villain and Kale jumps over his perimeter of house arrest which calls the police and bides his time to find his mother.
  

Differences:

• Dist. has a more traumatic back story.
• Dist. builds up to the main plot slowly which sets the scene and introduces characters. R.W plot goes straight into voyeurism.
• There is much more dialogue in Dist. due to more characters.
• In Dist there is a high body count, where as in R.W only one person is killed.
• There is more technology used in Dist. e.g. mobile phones, computers, a video camera, etc.
• In Dist. Kale is deceived by what he believes to be proof. E.g. in Dist. Kale thinks the clubber leaves Turner’s house but really it is Turner wearing a wig.
• In Disturbia his friend investigates the villain’s house, but in R.W it is his partner
  

Iconography

Similarities:

• There are many frames within frames- e.g. binoculars/camera lens and windows. This reinforces the theme of voyeurism as we are constantly placed as onlookers.
• Shots are nearly always from the hero’s and his helpers’ POV. The POV of the villain is not used so as to heighten suspense.-his views are incomprehensible to us.
• All villainous behaviour occurs during night time. Connotation of light-good and dark-evil. At night time things are unseen.
• Domestic location is used and the disruption occurs inside the home.
• Use of knives, up to date technology and vehicles
• Animals play key roles in the films (and are killed in both)
• Other than the main characters, dress codes are up to date with the time period.
  

Differences:

• R.W is set in urban apartments, but Dist. is set in a suburban road.
• In R.W the whole film is set from one room. Dist. is set in a large house with many rooms, each showing a different house and meaning.
• diegetic sounds differ from urban cafes and traffic to lawn mowers and splashes (from the pool)
• In Disturbia there are more of his friend’s POV as there is more parallel editing.- e.g. when Kale’s friend goes into the villain’s house. In R.W the hero is more isolated and so the majority of shots are from his POV.
• Greater use of technology in Dist. e.g. mobiles, computers, cameras, games consoles, etc.
• Dist. displays a more effective use of colour. There is a range of dull, blue colouring when villainous action occurs as a connotation of coldness and lack of emotion and saturated and more reddish lighting at moments of passion. The film quality is also better, but reflects upon the time period.

Characters

Similarities:

• The hero is not worried about their appearance. They dress casually, unlike their love interests who dress to impress.
• The females are very attractive.
• The villains are bold and confident, even more so when they notice they are being watched. They are also larger and stronger than the hero.
• The female helper is very active in the plot, although they both get into trouble with the villain.
• The main characters have a helper- Ronnie, and the nurse
• Both heroes form sexual relationships.
• Among the hero and his friends there is an obsession with the plot.

Differences:

• In Dist. main characters are often teenagers whereas in R.W they are all adults. This is reflective of the time period as children would not have acted in thrillers during the 1950’s.
• The hero in Disturbia is in his situation due to being naughty and a slacker at school. In R.W the hero is a gentleman and is accidentally placed in the situation.
• The helper in Dist. is Kale’s best friend, but in R.W it is Jeff’s nurse.
• The victim in R.W is the villain’s ill wife. Disturbia his victims are numerous attractive females.
• In R.W the villain is more mysterious and the audience is not given much information about his character. This therefore acts as an enigma code. Unlike this, the Disturbia villain is charismatic and visits Kale’s mum. This is enigmatic for the act that we want to find out what the cunning villain is planning.
• Characters are more believing in Disturbia- in R.W they eventually believe him
• In R.W his friends (nurse and partner) discourage him from watching the neighbours, whereas in Dist. the friends (friend and love interest) encourage his voyeurism

Themes

Similarities:

• House arrest
• Suspense and fear
• law and order
• Suspicion of neighbours
• Useless police involvement
• claustrophobia
• Voyeurism/spying
• Right and wrong
• The role of technology
• Sexual Attraction

Differences:

• In Dist. Kale’s a father dies
• The mother and son relationship
• In R.W Jefferies has to convince his friends before they believe him, but in Dist. there is the theme of trust and they believe him from the beginning.
• Role of technology: in Dist. it is used to provide evidence, in R.W it is used to stall the villain.

What have I learnt from this comparison?

• Genre conventions are always repeated because they work/ are successful.
• Over time, remakes need to be updated for the new audience so as to play on the current fears in society.
• Remakes/similar films can be just as satisfying for film buffs (who watched the original) as they have expectations and can form a discussion/comparison between the films.
• Directors use structures/ frameworks which have lots of narrative so they can use it again and again.
  
  

Applying Syd Field’s 3 act plot structure to ‘Psycho’

Act One– The setup

The opening shows Marion (the main character at this point) and her happiness with her boyfriend, Sam. We see they desperately want to get married and when she steals $42,000, we see their renewed happiness as the equilibrium. However as an audience, we anticipate that she is going to have some troubles in keeping this money, this was far too straightforward. In the rest of this act, the audience follow Marion on her journey to Sam, when she stops in a motel.

The first plot point is that she is then killed by the villain! This moves the narrative on because now detectives are hired and her family (including the hero) begin searching for her.

Act Two– The Confrontation

Confrontations:
· The lone detective questions Norman (villain) about Marion but his answers are so vague that the lone detective is very suspicious. He therefore changes his approach and secretly enters the house behind the Motel. As a result of this we find out he is a false hero because he is killed off by the villain.

Here is the next plot point. Sam and Marion’s sister enter the Motel and go to the room which they are certain was the one Marion stayed in. They look for clues and they find a piece of paper with $40,000 on it. They know this to be Marion’s note as they are aware she stole a similar figure from her company. This moves the narrative along as they are certain she stayed there, know Norman is hiding something, and they know they have to be very cautious in their further actions.

· Sam tries talking to Norman in order for Marion’s sister to search for Marion in the house behind the Motel. Norman catches onto this and so fights with him and knocks Sam unconscious.
Act Three– The resolution

As Norman finds Marion’s sister in the basement, we think that she is going to be killed. However in a climax to the film, Sam comes into the basement, takes the knife from a cross-dressed Norman, wrestles him and the police capture Norman. The new equilibrium is set once the police recover Marion’s car, belongings and body, although this is not the outcome desired.

The Problematic of ‘Psycho’

The problem/disruption in this film is the split personality psycho that is Norman Bates. This psychotic male causes heart ache for Sam and stops Marion and Sam being happy and married (the perfect equilibrium). This main problem- killing Marion (the supposed heroine) is within the first half hour, which makes the audience very intrigued to find out what is gong to happen next especially to any one that comes near the Bates Motel. The audience’s desire for the film to end with a new equilibrium is heightened.

The ideology of ‘Psycho’

I think this film sends out a message that you must abide by the law. Marion is killed and I think this is because she committed a crime and must therefore pay the consequences…of meeting a psycho. Also I think this shows a message that psychos should not be accepted in society and need to be cared for. This is evident because without his mother, Norman commits extreme acts such as digging his mother up from her burial, spying on Marion through a hole in the wall etc. Also it shows that killers need to be locked away before they can cause any more harm.

Film review: 'Psycho'

Film review: 'Psycho'

Alfred Hitchcock's ‘Psycho’ was (after huge box office returns) known to be one of his best thrillers-such a hit that three sequels were produced, the last being a prequel (the past, when the characters were at a younger age). There was also a remake.
The 1960 ‘Psycho’ is known as a suspense/horror film. However before watching the film I had heard only of the infamous ‘shower scene’, which definitely lived up to the hype.

Main characters:

• Marion Crane (main character and false heroine), played by Janet Leigh
• Norman Bates (villain and psychopath), acted by Anthony Perkins.
• Lone Detective (donor, false hero)
• Marion’s lover (hero and confused relative)
• Marion’s sister (helper and confused relative)
• A local sheriff (donor and dispatcher)

Themes:

• a murder mystery (main theme)
  
• fear and suspense
  
• law v order
  
• right v wrong
  
• violence
  
• sexual relationships/romance
  
• distorted visions
  
• unusual activity
  
• loneliness
  
• isolation
  
• vulnerability
  
• money
  
• obsession
  

Setting:

· Marion’s hotel room and bedroom
· Marion’s office
· Marion’s car as she travels across America.
· An isolated Motel (off the beaten track which is a connotation of her vulnerability and entrapment)
· Inside a haunted/eerie house (a signifier of the characters personality)

Narrative/plot summary:

Marion and Sam, her boyfriend, are not able to marry due to debt. One day Marion is given $42,000 cash to take to the bank on behalf of her company. She realises the benefits this money could have on her situation and decides to take the money and leave the city. Marion heads for California, to meet Sam. However on the way many people are alerted by her conduct, even a police officer. He follows her and when she trades her car and pays extra cash, he is very suspicious.
Marion gets really tired due to the long distance drive and so stops in at an isolated ‘Bates Motel.’ She meets the owner, Norman Bates (villain) and becomes very chatty with him, learning of his hobbies and his caring for his mother who lives in the house behind the motel. His conversation proves rather unusual and when Norman retreats to the house we hear just how much control Norman’s mother has over him. Marion goes for a shower, where she is stabbed to death by what appears to be Norman’s mum. This is the infamous ‘shower scene’. Norman clears away all the evidence of the killing by sinking Marion, her belongings and her car in the nearby swamp.
A lone detective becomes involved as Marion and $42,000 have gone missing. He traces Marion to the Bates Motel and questions Norman. Unconvinced by Norman’s behaviour, he secretly enters Norman’s house, where he is then killed by Norman’s mother.
Sam and Marion's sister are worried as the lone detective ceases to report back to them. They enquire to a sheriff and discover Mrs. Bates had died long ago. They therefore set off to the motel in search of Marion-or at least clues. They find their clue-a note stating $40,000. Sam confronts Norman while Marion’s sister goes to the house. Norman, agitated, knocks Sam unconscious and goes to the house to look for Marion’s sister. She hides in the basement and finds a preserved corpse- Norman’s mother! Norman then bursts in dressed as a women, wearing a wig and carrying a knife. Luckily Sam enters, injures him and saves Marion’s sister. Marion and her belongings are later recovered along with the money.
At the end of the film there is key narrative. Norman is has a split personality because he killed his mother but in guilt resurrects her (physically and mentally). He acts how he thinks she would if she were alive. Then, in prison, the mother’s personality comes through and blames Norman for everything.

Opinions:

I thought ‘Psycho’ was a great film, although slightly dated. I loved Hitchcock’s twist regarding character types. Throughout the first half hour the audience was led to believe that Marion was going to be the heroine, but then she was shockingly killed. It is only later on that we discover Sam to be the hero, defeating Norman. This is a great idea and I would love to put something like this in my own thriller. In fact this gives me a great idea, -to build up the two minute opening around a hero and then kill them off! This really would create great suspense and the audience would really want to find out how the new equilibrium is made at the end of the film, if such equilibrium even exists. This causes so many questions and is therefore an ideal enigma code- I am strongly considering whether to use this break of convention!

I also really enjoyed the Norman Bates character and the reasons for his personality, and linked to this I thought the ending was outstanding! It really sums up the film and only here are some of the enigmatic questions answered. This really leaves the audience in a satisfied state when the film is over.

The only element of the film I did not like was the fact that some parts were very dated. An example of this is when the lone detective is falling but practically walking down the stairs. His action codes along with the camera work for such action was very comical to watch. To improve this he should have just fallen down the stairs and I would personally have used close ups of body parts hitting the stairs as he falls, and I think this is a more modern way of shooting this sequence. On the whole though, the film was extremely enjoyable to watch and I think this film has helped me highlight successful and less successful ideas and ways of shooting.

Film Review: 'Rear Window'

Film review: 'Rear Window'

Recently i have been watching many thrillers that have been recommended to me and thrillers that i know from the storyline that i would enjoy. Also this will help me when producing my own thriller introduction to see what has come before me that maybe is successful or not. From this i can witness the use of conventions and the breaking of conventions to see what effect they have on the audience, whilst also widening my creativity and ideas.

Alfred Hitchcock's 'Rear Window' is an absolute classic and its success led to many remakes, most recently 'Disturbia'. The voyeurism and murder mystery storyline is so simple but is clinically executed which makes the experience of watching the film so thrilling.

Characters:

• L. B. Jefferies (hero/main character) a photojournalist, is acted by James Stewart


• His fashion model girlfriend, Lisa, is played by Grace Kelly (doner and helper)


• The killer (villain), a Mr. Lars Thorwald is acted by Raymond Burr


• Jefferies' nurse, Stella (helper)


• a new couple- first time buyers


• a female dancer


• a musician


• the killer's wife

Themes:

• a murder mystery (main theme)


• voyeurism


• fear and suspense


• lack of police involvement


• law v order


• use of current technology


• right v wrong


• ethics of marriage


• relationships (sexually and between friends)


• suspicions


• home-bound
• boredom
• isolation
• obsession

Setting:

• An urbanised, high density housed area-an estate/appartments


• Film is shot from Jefferies point of view and therefore from his bedroom, as he is home-bound.
  

Narrative/plot summary:

Jefferies (main character), a photojounalist, has broken his leg and is home-bound for a number of weeks. He lives in the city in an appartment, whereby he can look out of his 'rear' window and into many other appartments, almost like an estate. He becomes extremely bored and really wants to get back to work, and so takes up his profession at home, by watching/spying on his neighour's lives through his high lens/long distance camera. The audience watch the entire film mainly through his point of view, along with his girlfrind's and nurse's.

He watches a number of appartments including characters such as; what seems to be a couple in their first home, a female dancer, a married couple and a musician (pianist).

He is drawn to the married couple's appartment as it seems the couple are in disagreement. He watches their confrontations and their time spent alone. From this intense watching he believes he has witnessed the male (husband) kill his ill wife.

Jefferies urges his nurse Stella and his girlfriend, Lisa , to agree, however they both feel he must have imagined it due to his state.

Doubts are set in their minds as they continue to watch the couple disagreeing and then the villain's behaviour, they search for clues that the villain is in fact a killer. After much turmoil, the villain catches Jefferies watching his every move through his rear window. This leads to the final confrontation whereby the villain enters Jefferies' appartment and attempts to kill him. Jefferies stalls him by using the flash on his camera, which probably saves his life as the police are moving ever nearer to the appartment. The villain is then arrested for the murder of his wife and Jefferies lives happily ever after with his girlfriend.


Opinions:

My first impressions when the film began, was that this would be the type of film i would have to sit through when visitng the grandparents or something, however soon did i realise that infact this was a film which was hard hitting to its audience and broke thriller conventions of its time by highly reflecting the society of its set time period.

I particularly enjoyed how the film was entirely shot from Jefferies bedroom, because it shows, even though only one location is used, the film remains interesting and intense to the audience. Also i liked the fact that the audience witnessed the majoriy of events through Jefferies point of view. This was signified by the camera work as, the film was filled with frames within frames (looking through the window, through the camea lens..) and over the shoulder shots. On the contrary, i specifically loved the fact that the climax was from this villain's point of view, as this made it so much more thrilling to watch. And finally, in the film i thought the lack personality given to the villain really helped carry the suspense of the film. This is rarely used nowadays but from this film we can see it used very effectively. (This could possibily be an element used in my thriller project)

The thriller genre

Definitions of 'the THRILLER genre':

Thriller:

1. an exciting, suspenseful play or story, esp. a mystery story.


2. an exciting novel or play, usually about crime, detectives etc
   http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/thriller

The 'thriller genre'

Thrillers are characterized by fast pacing, frequent action, and resourceful heroes who must thwart the plans of more-powerful and better-equipped villains. Literary devices such as suspense, red herrings, and cliffhangers are used extensively. -Wikipedia

My personal definition for a film thriller would be, 'a film whereby the narrative and imagery is full of suspense to keep the audience involved, whereby the hero is constantly in danger from the villain/undesirable outcome'.

Action thriller: e.g. The Bourne Identity/Ultimatum/Supremacy, Mission Impossible
Contain lots of violence with an obvious antagonist, usually involves a chase or race against time. Typically high budget films containing large amounts of weapons, and pyrotechnics, based on a large film set.

Conspiracy thriller: e.g. The X Files, The Da Vinci Code
The hero/heroine has a main confrontation with a powerful villain who appears harmless and innocent to the public (others).

Crime thriller: e.g. Se7en, The Transporter
Are thrillers that give an insight to successful/failed crime attempts, often from the criminal(s) POV. There are physical and illegal confrontations such as murders and robberies, rather than psychological conflicts.

Disaster thriller: e.g. Stormy Weather
The main disequilibrium is due to natural or artificial disasters. E.g. a flood or nuclear explosion.

Drama thriller: e.g. The Illusionist
A slower paced thriller involving a great deal of character and plot development

Erotic thriller: e.g. Fatal Attraction
A thriller with elements of erotic content between the protagonist and the dispatcher/princess/ even villain!

Horror thriller: e.g. The Silence of the Lambs, Saw I-IV
The main character encounters a combination of mental, emotional and physical confrontations. The villain is usually monstrous.

Legal thriller: e.g. The Pelican Brief
The hero confronts the villain both inside and outside of the courtroom. The battle is not only the win the case but also to secure the safety of their own life.

Psychological thriller: e.g. One Hour Photo, Red Dragon
The main characters confrontations are mental and emotional, rather than physical. Characters do not rely on physical strength to overcome the disequilibrium; instead they are reliant on their mental resources. It is not the character or their action codes which are necessarily thrilling, it is more about the reasoning behind their action (are they...obsessed? brought up differently? etc)

Spy thriller: e.g. The Bourne Identity
The hero is often a government agent whose confrontations are revolved around opposing agents from rival governmental groups. The Bourne Identity is a great example of this.

Supernatural thriller: e.g. What Lies Beneath
Either the protagonist or the villain has supernatural powers. The hero is usually confronted by a wicked paranormal force or is forced into a situation which is controlled by something incomprehensible.


I think I'd like my opening thriller to be a sub-genre of either; crime, psychological, action or conspiracy. (These are probably the most practical practical too!) I would love to give my thriller opening more psychological elements as i personally find this more enigmatic, which would want the audience to watch the rest of the film. Also my favourite thrillers such as, 'Memento', 'Silence of the Lambs', etc... all usually include psychological elements which makes them, in my opinion, more thrilling and enticing.

Key characteristics of the thriller genre:

Typical thriller themes:

• isolation, loneliness, entrapment, innocence, guilt, claustrophobia, stalking, voyeurism, secrets, suicide, mystery, death/murder, predetermined death, crime, gangster culture, revenge, vulnerability, anxiety, spying, stalk and slash, lawyer-courtroom, film noir, rape revenge, deception, corruption, terrorism, love/romance, sex/seduction, politics, ambiguity, power, money, obsession, torture, heists, complex relationships, danger,tension...

Typical thriller characters:

• lone detectives, confused people, psychopaths, sociopaths, moles, fugitives, assassins, victims, terrorists, a femme fetal, cops, spys, lawyers, drifters, private eyes, police chiefs, loiterers, gangsters, clowns, final girl, innocent children, evil children, hitmen, abused children, sexy tempting women, doctors...
  

Typical thriller iconography:

• shadows, street lights, guns, binoculars, smears, weapons, artificial lighting, metal, dens, attics, basements, alleyways, graveyards, knives, bars, gambling/casinos, mist, money, banks, briefcases, drugs, photos, masks, water, bridges, rain, neon lights, underwater, glass, woodland, candles, low lighting, tunnels, wells, cliff edges, derelict buildings, blinds, cars, fumes, mirrors, CCTV....
  

Typical thriller narrative events, sounds, actions:

• voyeurism, being followed, talking, car or foot chase, scamming, screaming, gunshots, dying, sex scene, sitting in bars/clubs/pubs, creeks, snapshots, polaroids, corpses, stabbing, kidnapping, heists, shouting, recording/footage/CCTV, bin rattles, wind, smashing furniture, glass smashing and tredding, money changing hands, peeping, tied up, searches, phonecalls, meeting, skidding, car engines....
  

Highlighting key characteristics of the thriller genre within 'SCREAM':

Themes in 'Scream':

• stalk and slash, spying, vulnerability, love, obsession, complex relationship, danger, murders, pleading, trickery. I'm not sure if comedy is a theme but because i have also seen 'scary movie' which is a take on this film, along with others, i couldn't help but laugh
  

Characters in 'Scream'

• policemen, victims, news correspondant, best friends, boyfriend, parents, psychotic serial killer(s), confused males, innocent people...

Iconography in 'Scream'

• knives, smears, blood, garage, suburban house, alcohol, rope, underwear, glass, action set mainly at night time, cars, CCTV/live camera, microphones, news vehicle, ducktape, a gun, school building, mobile and house telephones, speakerphone?, black gown, gloves, a mask, glass

Narrative events, sounds and actions within the thriller:

• voyeurism, false villain, foot chase, friends dying, killing victims, romance scene, stalling villains, killing villains,
• gunshots, stabbing , doors slamming, glass smashing, shouts, psychotic laughing, speakerphone voices, car crash noises, popcorn popping, glass bottles smashing and cluttering, body slicing (friend in garage door), draggin across the floor noises, news reporting, punching noises, doors breaking down, running, tripping, phone calls,

Applying narrative theories

I am going to apply the narrative theories i have researched, into two thrillers that i have recently watched. The thrillers i have chosen are 'Disturbia' and 'Fatal Attraction' as i enjoyed both these films. I am doing this so that i can make sure i can recognise and therefore use these theories successfully in my thriller.

Disturbia:
Levi-Strauss - Binary Oppositons:

There are binary oppositions in this film narrative such as..

• good v evil
• authority v anarchy
• society v situatio
• adult v youth
• fear v happiness
• light v dark
• freedom v entrapment
• deliberate v acciental death
• family v individual
• warm v cold
• conviction v casual
  

Roland Barthes - action/enigma codes:
In this film there are many action and enigma codes which is one of the reasons i thought the film carried so much suspense throughout.

Examples of action codes (we see an action and want to know what's next):

• Kale (main character) and his Dad crash. Are they still alive?


• Will Kale's bad behaviour in school lead to something?


• Why is Kale put under house arrest?


• When Kale and his friend are caught watching the girl next door, is she going to confront them?


• When Kale is caught watching Turner (the villain), is he going to be in trouble?


• When Kale's mum goes to Turner's house, what is going to happen to her?


• When Kale goes over to Turner's house, is he going to die?
  

Examples of enigma codes (raises questions in the audience's minds):

• Why is there a secret room in Turner's house?


• Why was Turner buying a shovel?
• Why was Ronnie (Kale's friend) in Kale's closet?


• Why was there blood on Turner's window?


• Why was Turner's car damaged?


• Why did Turner kill the rabbit on his lawn?
  

Tzvetan Todorov’s- narrative structure: (main examples of the narrative structure)

• a state of equilibrium (the normal) - Kale and his dad went out for a normal days fishing.
• a disruption by an event -the car crash led to the death of Kale's father
-Discovery of the killer living next door
• recognition of the disorder -Kale punched his teacher

-Kale witnesses blood splattering on the window.

• an attempt to repair the disruption -put on house arrest

-tries provide evidence of Turner's killings (technology)
• a new state of equilibrium -death of the killer

-Kale's release from house arrest

As the theory shows, the new equilibrium is very different from the first as his father has died and he has a relationship with the girl next door.

Vladimir Propp - Character types:

1. The villain -Robert Turner
2. The hero - Kale, and he is motivated because he is stripped of all of his priveleges when on house arrest and so he turns to voyeurism.
3. The donor- Kale's mum- she gets close to the villain and takes away Kale's priveleges.
4. The helper- Ronnie and Ashley
5. The princess- Ashley and Kale's mum (it was Turner's plan to kill Kale's mum but Kale saved her).
6. Her father- Kale's mum rewards him in new equilibrium
7. The dispatcher- Kale's dad and Ashley. Dad's death urges Kale to make his dad proud and Ashley encourages his voyeurism.
8. The false hero- the police officer

Fatal Attraction:

Levi-Strauss - Binary Oppositions:
There are binary oppositions in this film narrative such as...

• good v evil



• family v individual



• freedom v entrapment



• social well being v loneliness



• psycho v housewife



• guilt/fear v obsessivness



• life v death



• sex v love



• marriage v fling



• forgivness v revenge



• innocence v conscience



• light v dark



• jealousy v contentment



• responsibility v reliability
  

Roland Barthes - action/enigma codes:

Examples of action codes (we see an action and want to know what's next):

• Alex has a knife behind her back- is she going to stab him?


• Alex and Dan go back to Alex’s flat- are they going any further?


• Alex is following Dan home- is he going to see her?


• Alex takes the child home from school- is she going to kill the child?


• In the climax to the film who is going to be killed, Alex or the wife?
  
  Examples of enigma codes (raises questions in the audience's minds):
  


• When Dan is at Alex’s flat, what is she going to do to get him to stay?


• Will Dan’s wife find out about their affair?


• Is Dan going to continue with the affair?


• Why did Alex kill the bunny?


• Why was Alex following him home?


• Why did Alex want to buy Dan’s old apartment?


• Why is Alex’s bedroom so plain?


• Will the wife forgive Dan for his affair?


• Is Alex really pregnant?

Tzvetan Todorov’s- narrative structure: (main examples of the narrative structure)

· The state of equilibrium- the idyllic yet normal family life Dan possesses.
· The disruption- the introduction to a tempting female, Alex.
• Recognition of the disorder –they have an affair
• An attempt to repair the disruption – Dan tells his wife of the affair
• A new state of equilibrium –The family remain together and Alex is out of their life, although the relationship between Dan and his wife, Beth, is affected by this disruption.

Examples of thwarted attempts to try and restore the equilibrium:

• Disruption- Alex tells Dan she is pregnant


• Recognition of the disorder- Dan wants an abortion


• Attempt to repair the disruption- Dan intrudes Alex’s flat to find evidence which proves she is actually pregnant

• Disruption- Alex kills the child’s bunny


• Recognition of the disorder- the family is very upset and finds the rabbit boiling over the cooker.


• An attempt to repair the disruption- Dan finds Alex and threatens to kill her if she interferes with his life any longer.

Vladimir Propp - Character types:

1. The villain –Alex Forrest
2. The hero –Dan Gallagher, and he is motivated to stop Alex from ruining their stable family life.
3. The donor- Beth (the wife), as she meets with Alex, which highlights the severity of this affair and how dangerous Alex really is.
4. Helper -?
5. The princess- Beth (it was Alex's plan to kill her).
6. Her father- Beth – rewards him with a stable family life once more
7. The dispatcher- Alex! She is so obsessive that she drives Dan to kill her.
8. The false hero- ?

Here is a brief summary of four key narrative theories, which I’m sure will help me to improve many aspects of my own thriller:

Claude Levi-Strauss- Binary Oppositions

Levi-Strauss introduced the theory of binary oppositions, believing they were a useful way to help understand the production of meaning within narratives. He trusted that these opposite elements helped to construct meaning. To clarify, he felt that for every meaning connoted there were connotations of its opposite meaning within the film narrative.

Common examples of binary oppositions in film narratives include:

good v evil

hero v villain

rich v poor

fear v happiness

male v female

dirt v cleanliness

Binary oppositions are clearly unique to each specific film, but binary oppositions also vary within film genres . E.g. Westerns have binary oppositions such as, sheriff v outlaw and Homesteader v ‘Red Indians’.

Roland Barthes - action/enigma codes

Barthes decided that films are made up of narrative codes. He stated specifically that action and enigma codes were used to create suspense in the narrative.

Action Codes are just the actions which lead to other events. The suspense is created by the action in the film as we want to know what will happen next. In ‘Scream’, for example, we see the villain with the knife and want to know if the victim is going to escape.

Enigma codes are those elements of the film that raise questions in the audience’s mind. The suspense is created as the audience asks the reason for such an event. In ‘Memento’, for example, the main character has ‘find him and kill him’ tattooed on himself. We as an audience want to know why he wants to find and kill this person.

Tzvetan Todorov’s- narrative structure:

1. The fictional environment begins with a state of equilibrium, (the normal).

2. Then it suffers a disruption, known as the disequilibrium.

3. The end of the narrative sees a new equilibrium produced.

Below are the five stages the narrative follows, however this structure is non linear-more a circular structure:

• a state of equilibrium (the normal)

• a disruption by an event

• recognition of the disorder

• an attempt to repair the disruption

• a new state of equilibrium

The narrative of the film is driven by efforts to restore the equilibrium, (there is always more than one disruption). However, the final narrative equilibrium is much altered from that of the original equilibrium due to the impact of these disruptions. For example, the death of a character or the blossoming of a relationship will affect the final equilibrium. Todorov also states that the disruption is usually outside of the normal social framework – ‘out of the ordinary’, for example a murder or a serial killer living next door.

Vladimir Propp - Character types:

Vladimir Propp identified eight common character roles:

1. The villain

2. The hero -or character who seeks something, is motivated by a lack of something such as money. The hero doesn’t have to be conventionally heroic; they can be bold or cowardly, male or female etc.

3. The donor- provides something significant

4. The helper- aids the hero

5. The princess (not just female) - the heroes or heroines reward, and part of the villains plans.

6. Her father- rewards the hero.

7. The dispatcher- sends the hero on their way

8. The false hero

Propp’s theories provide a greater interest when these rules are broken, and this is when an audience particularly notices them. The best example that comes to mind of this rule breaking is in ‘Psycho’. We are lead to believe that Marion Crane is the heroine but she is then killed midway into the film!

Syd Field’s Three Act Plot Structure

Field explained that films were conventionally compiled by three dramatic acts/plots. These consist of; the setup, the confrontation and the resolution.

A ‘Plot point’ is the name Field gave to pieces of the plot which moved the action on. For example an event which greatly affects the lives and relationships of the characters, which in turn reflects on how we, the audience, perceive the film. Field states that there are many different points however there are two key points which fall between the acts.

Act One– The setup
Field highlights how crucial this act is to the audience, specifically the opening 10 minutes, as this will ‘set up’ the audiences expectations of the remainder of the film, and establishes there thoughts. Field believes this first ten minutes should express, an expectation for the rest of the storyline, anchor the main character and why the audience should bias towards this characters views, and some of the themes that will be displayed.

Act one is roughly 40minutes long and in this time Field suggests the audience should become aware of the heroes main problem.

Act Two– The Confrontation
Field states that this act conventionally shows the main character facing many obstacles in his/her search for a resolution and this act provides the main content of the film. In particular the hero is confronted by the villain and this hero seems the underdog.

The first plot point sees the hero beginning to show signs of the underdog that has a purpose and can maybe defeat his/her obstacles.

The second plot point is when the hero begins to form equilibrium, but becomes aware of the fact that their way of finding this resolution needs to be altered.

Act Three– The resolution
The hero defeats the villain in a dramatic climax to the film.

Applying this theory to ‘Fatal Attraction’

Act One– The setup
The opening 10 minutes shows Dan Gallagher (one of the main characters) in his idyllic family life, (with a wife and kid). We as an audience can anticipate that something is about to turn his lifestyle around. In the remainder of this act, the audience witness Dan Gallagher risking his normal life as he begins an affair with Alex Forrest.

Act Two– The Confrontation
At the end of the first act/beginning of the second, the first plot point is experienced. Dan realises the consequences of this affair when Alex slits her wrists. He has fallen for a psychopath, who will seriously hinder his lifestyle forevermore.

From here on in, the confrontations steadily unravel as Alex desperately tries to be part of Dan’s life. Alex expresses voyeurism by stalking Dan to his house, even though he has made his intentions clear-that he does not want to be with her, the affair- over. She becomes a huge obstacle and the extremity of her actions reinforce Dan’s wish to move away to the suburbs and so along with this he also changes his contact details. Alex Forrest, the villain, confronts Dan at work, meets his wife almost like an ultimatum, and even pretends to have fallen pregnant. These are all connotations of how much power this villainous character has. Dan confronts these obstacles, he tells Alex that he will come around to talk it over, warns Alex to leave his family alone, and goes to her flat to search for evidence of her pregnancy.

The second plot point follows shortly after. Once Alex Forrest has located their new home, she intrudes and boils the (child’s) bunny. From this Dan understands that his attempts to stop Alex are not severe enough and so takes further action - he threatens to kill her, and tells his wife of all his wrongdoing.

Act Three– The resolution
A resolution is made as Dan Gallagher takes matters into his own hands once more. Alex tries to kill Dan’s wife and so Dan suffocates Alex. However this ending is made more dramatic because after thinking he’d suffocated Alex in the bath; she jumps up, only to be shot by Beth, Dan’s wife.

The Problematic of ‘Fatal Attraction’
The problem/disruption in ‘Fatal Attraction’ is the appealing and tempting woman, Alex Forrest. This female will cause devastation to his normal lifestyle, as she is psychotic. This main problem in the film is introduced close to the start, and this provides the core narrative. Also by stating this problem early in the film this keeps the audience interested –“is the problem going to be solved”?

However, before the problem is established, the narrative starts in a state of equilibrium. For example we are introduced into Dan Gallagher’s idyllic home and family. This enables the audience to get a sense of life before the problem and therefore the audience can see the impact this problem causes. Even more than this, it gives the audience a desire for the good characters to reach this state of equilibrium once again.

On the contrary, some film-makers decide to go straight for the problem as this makes the film more enigmatic to watch.


The ideology of ‘Fatal Attraction’
According to Steve baker, ‘Fatal Attraction’, ‘Basic instinct’ and ‘Aliens’, all provide a very anti-women message.

In the first act of ‘Fatal Attraction’, during the films state of calm equilibrium, married life to a good housewife (Beth) is shown. The affair to the single, psychotic woman, Alex, then produces the main problem. This implies that marriage is good and affairs are bad. More than this, the problem is resolved by the villain being violently killed as a consequence of her own actions (trying to kill the wife). This therefore also suggests that unlike the married, single women are evil.

Here is just a little play around with some conventional thriller iconography:

• black shirt -connotation of evil and mysteriousness
• white overalls - signifies a clever villain as evidence can be easily thrown away
• blood smears- suggests he has just killed someone or something.
• bat- this weapon signifies he has violently injured someone or something. A very hands on approach, connoting he is psychotic or wants painful revenge for something
• direct address- causes the audience to feel the victim and they feel very much involved
• night time- implies he is being secretive and doesnt want to be seen. Also the element of surprise(although you cant miss him wearing that outfit!! haha.) Dark reflects his character, and signifies evil
• lack of background- the audience cannot see exactly where he is which adds suspense
• mask-connotation that he is trying to hide and doesnt want to reveal his identitf to teh audience-all the more freightening!!

Photo 1, due to the high angle and distancing (LS), is almost as if the audience are onlookers but are now more involved as we have caught his attention. It signifies that we should not have been watching his actions.

Photo 2 is a mid close up and at eye level. This makes the audience much more involved in the action.

Photo 3 is almost a mid long shot of a slightly high angle but as we can see he is walking towards us with a bat, it seems he is the more dominant in the photo. The shot implies that now we have alerted him he needs to kill us also.

Possible Actress

Possible Actress

Name- Lily Tello
Age- 17
Body type- 5' 5" / Slim / Slender
Ethnicity- White / Caucasian
Education- 6th form student at Kingsmead School
A-levels- Drama, Music, Dance, Media
Experience- Has been in many school productions, played Charity in the west end musical ‘Whistle down the wind’ and been an extra in countless British films.
Personality- friendly, fun, usually willing to help, co-operative, good improvisational skills, not overdramatic.
Appearance- long blonde hair, blueish green eyes, ‘baby face’, innocent looking, youthful yet her age is not strictly defined.


I think this actress would be great as a main female character in my opening of a thriller. She would play a perfect stereotypical female victim due to her appearance. Also I think she would be able to cope with the groups’ demands of filming as she has been part of much more professional productions. Also she lives very close to me, in which case there would be no problem for her to be punctual to filming sessions. I will show this picture during pre-production planning to the rest of my group. We will then take it from there…

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock

Date of Birth
13 August 1899, Leytonstone, London, England, UK

Date of Death
29 April 1980, Bel Air, California, USA (renal failure)

Began directing career
In the UK, 1922



Case study notes:

• 
  
  Regarded as one of the most iconic and highly influential directors and producers who created many techniques in the thriller genre. He is one of the most well known and successful directors of all time.


• 
  
  Moved from the UK to Hollywood.


• 
  
  He directed more than fifty feature films within his career which lasted six decades.


• 
  
  Famous for his specialist and unmatchable control of pace and suspense through his films.


• 
  
  Drew upon the society’s fears and fantasies and preferred suspense thrillers rather than surprise thrillers.


• 
  
  Usually portrayed innocent people caught up in circumstances beyond their control or understanding.


• 
  
  Hitchcock attended St. IGNATIUS COLLEGE in Enfield, London! Regarded his childhood as lonely and sheltered.


• 
  
  Pondered on personal experiences and incorporated aspects into his films. For example the idea of being harshly treated or wrongfully accused is a common feature in Hitchcock's films. As punishment his mum would make him stand at the foot of her bed for hours. This waiting upon his mum is reflected by the character Norman Bates in Psycho.


• 
  
  Often had a trademark cameo role in his films.


• 
  
  Apparently he preferred female blondes in his films.

Achievements:

• Won ‘Academy Award’ for Best Picture with Rebecca


• Four others were ‘Academy Award’ nominations


• Won ‘The Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award’ for lifetime achievement, 1967.


• Won ‘American Film Institute’ Life Achievement Award, 1979.
  
  
  http://www.imdb.com/
  http://www.wikipedia.com/

Here are just a few examples of how i think masks are used successfully in films.

Research- Disturbia Website- www.disturbia.com

The homepage is the iconic DVD cover, which is very piercing to the audience. The direct address really grabs your attention and the red colour of the binocular lenses compared to the black and white of the homepage turns our attention directly to this part of the page. –This is important as it gives generic signifiers such as, the knife, the black cloak and silhouette, the blonde haired female wearing white etc. This helps to set up the audience’s expectations of the film.

The music on the website is very eerie through the use of string instruments and gets louder and includes crescendos which heighten the audience’s suspense. This is typical of the genre. Also the fuzzy television sound is unexpected which surprises the audience and along with the technology shown in his bedroom, this suggests digital technology may be very important in the film.

The flash background is of Kai’s bedroom which suggests that this is the setting for most of the action in the film. We as an audience are looking from his point of view.

The site gives lots of information about the film through photo galleries and videos yet more importantly there is a ‘Disturbia suburbia’ section. This allows the audience to enter their own ‘zip code’ and find out dark secrets about their own neighbourhood. The audience can read about people in their neighbourhood who have committed serious crimes. This is a very unique and effective way of involving the audience and brings a sense of realism to the film’s ethics which I feel strongly adds to the success of the website.

Explore the narrative image of 'Hannibal' and the way it is constructed through the DVD cover.
Camera:
'Hannibal Lecter' acted by Anthony Hopkins, is shown on the DVD cover by a big close up of his face, shot at eye level. This distancing instantly grabs the attention of the audience and signifies that the narrative of the film is based around him. More importantly this hides the characters identity as his action codes, dress codes and surroundings are withheld from the audience, which overall makes the cover more enigmatic.

Mise en scene and characters:
Only half of Hannibal's face is visible due to the shaft of light which is a strong connotation that this character is hiding and is evil, almost as if he is on the loose. The lack of lighting, producing heavy shadowing on his face also distorts his face, signifying how unusual yet menacing this character is. This is reinforced by the slight tilt of the face which also creates a feeling of confidence which makes the audience feel more threatened by him. Hannibal Lecter’s smile signifies that he is getting pleasure from hiding and acting evil which shows the audience just how twisted his character is. Both the tilt of his face and the smile suggest that he is confident because he has planned out the forthcoming events and these combined add to the desired enigma code. The age of the character and overall facial expressions make him seem confident and very knowledgeable, therefore very enigmatic – all the more frightening for the audience.

Colour is also very prominent within this cover. Black is dominant which signifies evil and hides this unknown characters identity. More importantly this hides his setting which frightens the audience more as we do not know where this evil character is hiding. The direct address also plays on the audience’s fears as this signifies that the character is possibly coming after ‘us’. Hannibal Lecter’s iris is bright red, which provides a strong connotation of blood and suggests to the audience that this man is highly dangerous. This feeling is supported further by the predominant red text. Linked to this, the black cover also highlights the film’s official rating of 18. This along with the rest of the cover really implies that this is a great thriller. The title itself ‘HANNIBLE’ is a take on the word ‘cannibal’ which is defined as ‘one who eats human flesh’. This therefore implies that the character featured on the cover is therefore this person. This adds an element of fear, for that reason making the cover more enigmatic. Similar to other text, this word is bold and in red, signifying danger and heightening fears.

In typical American thrillers, the heroes are conventionally attractive, whereas the villains usually ‘unattractive’. Having an unattractive character on the cover (sorry Anthony!), this conventionally tells the audience that this is more than likely going to be the villain of the film. Another convention of the thriller genre is that the villain is very normal and accepted within society. Adding to the enigma codes of the cover, this character is seemingly normal (for example clean shaven and clean appearance) which makes him even more fearful, leaving the audience feeling more vulnerable as he is accepted and normal. The audience is left to ponder on what exactly this character is capable of.

Analysing my own thriller stills
Instead of jumping straight into the deep end and creating my 2 minute opening thriller sequence, i think its best to start on the stills so as to build up my knowlegde of the genre.


With this shot i, along with my group, were trying to achieve a moment of immense suspense, just before the climax to the thriller.

In this shot i imagined that…
this character is the ‘hero’/ detective, who knows the killer that he is looking for is in this house somewhere and so is forced to search the house. The shot is taken at a long distance and a high angle from the serial killer’s viewpoint. This signifies that the killer is hiding and watching the detectives every move- waiting for his chance to kill him. The high angle is a connotation of vulnerablility whilst the long shot gives teh audience much more information about the location.

This image represents thriller because this shot is very realistic. It features a normal person with a bathroom location in the background, which provides a very familiar surrounding for the viewer. Also the chain signifies a really typical thriller way of killing which helps anchor this genre. Enigma codes such as a natural beam of sunlight and the consequent shadows the provide the connotations of danger and mystery. Also the lack of lighting adds to this feeling. Along with the feeling of vulnerability, i think the black walls and tight doorway surrounding this 'detective' really help to signify this sense of being trapped and pinpointed.



The gesture codes of this character, for example, the 'detective' peering round the corner and leaning forward with one foot in the doorway suggests that this 'detective' is being very brave however he looks quite tense and wary implying he is scared of something, (that we as viewers know he is going to face).

I think this shot is successful as there is a real sense of thriller due to the gesture, lighting, prop, angle and distance, location and framing.

This shot could be made more successful if a more appropriate costume was worn by the character, if the characters shadow was present and if the chain was not directly covering the characters face. The lighting is good however the sink in the background is a slight distraction and so probably would have worked better if there was just a wall in its place or even a mirror. Also it seems the detective is quite obviously able to see the killer and so it may have worked better if there was something in the foreground to highlight the fact the killer is hiding. For example if the killer was looking out the slit in the middle of cupboard doors.

Close analysis of 'Film Noir' still





Camera Work:

• Two shot- this shows a realationship between two characters in the film.


• Over the shoulder shot- we see the view point of the character facing away from the camera. As this point of view is the 'villain's, the audience are made to feel guilt, whilst connotations of further suspense are provided for theaudience as 'we' do not know this character's appearance and facial expression.



• Low angled shot- this connotes that the chatacter whose point of view the audience are experiencing, is most dominant in the image and is shown further by the fact this makes the character look taller.



• Medium distance shot- this distance allows the audience to see the facial expression of the character involved in conversation as well as providing more information for the audience by way of dress codes.
• Focus- the camera is focussed on the character who is more in shot. This reinforces the fact it is this characters reactionswe should be observing.
  
  

Mise-en-scene:

• Black and white- connotations of the time period (1950's) and signifies it is a poorer quality early thriller. However this could also have just been an effect used by teh director so as to make the film seem more classical (but doubtful as the film is an oldie!).


• Natural stream of light- the lack of lighting adds to the enigmatic code of being very mysterious, secretive and produces negativity. The lighting reveals only one of the two characters' faces which signifies that the unrevealed character is more villainous and mysterious as the audience do not know exactly who this character is. Also this imples the unseen character has an evil side. All of these points add to the image's enigma code. The lighting looks ambiant such as the sun and the fact it is shining brightly through a small window signifies to me that this is a very cramped room, such as a prison cell.


• The strong background shadow- The long shadow on the background wall accompanied by the strong ambiant lighting contribute to the enigma code. These features highlight the dimensions of the room (boundaries), connoting a great feeling of claustrophobia.


• The plain room and lack of furnishings- these are connotations of an undercover place without character or a place with a lack of emotions.


• One character is wearing a dark
• suit.-This dress code implies superiority and authority, and connotes a clever and swarve character. The dark colour of this suit is also a connotation of evil character.


• The other character is wearing a rainmac/overalls.-In contrast to the above character this dress code signifies a normal 'down to earth' male which we as an audience can predict is probably going to 'save the day'. This could also be a sign of innocence. The rainmac is also very light-appearing white which connotes a good character. -This character is possibly the hero in the film.

People:

• Gender and race- from this image it is clear that the characters are caucasian and the character in focus and more in shot is male. The out of focus character's gender is not clear due to the lighting and camera angle which shows this characters' mysteriousness implying he/she is the 'villain' in the film. Obviously other enigma codes such as the shadows and lack of expression etc. add to the connotations of this character being villainous.
• age of characters- another enigma code is the fact the 'villains' age is unclear. The 'hero's' age is between 25-35 however the distortion from the lighting makes this harder to identify. Although this could imply he is more youthful and stronger than the 'villain' i think that this feature along with the dress codes, suggests that he does not have as much knowlegde as the 'villain'.
• The villain is taller- although this is influenced by the angle of the camera, this is a signifier of dominance and control.
• The characters appear to have no facial expressions or gestures. These gesture codes imply the relationship between the two characters is emotionless. A feeling of hatred?
• The characters are looking at each other. This connotes the seriousness of the scene and could reinforce their dislike for each other. As we see the hero staring at the villaim this could also suggest the hero is planning something and gaining information from the villain.