Notes

Four types of Narratives:

Omniscient is where the audience knows everything about the film and characters. An example of this narrative would be, Transporter as it follows the guideline of the Classic Hollywood Narrative; we know that he has to deliver parcels to the given address but we automatically know something will go wrong and that he will need to fix it. Therefore we know everything about the film and the character as the film progresses but it just keeps the tension.


Restricted is where the audience only knows what the character knows; it leaves the audience questioning a lot of the movie and trying to figure it out for themselves. An example of this narrative would be, Shutter Island as we do not understand the man's journey until the end of the film where we find out he is actually a patient at the mental institution and everything he experienced is how his brain deals with the horrible memories he carries with him every day. 


Linear is where the films have a clear start, middle and end and are usually known as the Classical hollywood narrative. An example of this narrative would be, Taken as we see that the girl is taken, the man chases the men that kidnapped her, and then she is saved by him and she gets a happy ending by being given singing lessons by her dad. 






Non-linear is where the films include flashbacks to throw audiences off track; it gives more background story to

the character usually and is more engaging for most audiences due to the fact that they are constantly surprised with the new information they are fed. An example of this narrative would be, Bourne Identity, as the main character, Bourne suffers from amnesia after a terrible accident, but then starts to remember his life before and realises he is a trained killer; this is given in small doses of information to the audience to keep them continually interested in the film but also tells the story in a way that keeps them surprised and not expecting what is to happen next.



Enigma codes and their importance in a film
An enigma code makes the audience ask themselves questions throughout the film; it entertains the audience as well as the fact that it makes them feel clever.

Different Thriller sub genres
There are many different sub genres that are in thriller films: conspiracy, crime, disaster, mystery, political, psychological, religious, techno, supernatural and action. All of these sub genres target different audiences within those that like thrillers. 

The conspiracy sub genre usually include a heroic figure set around a business location and and usually includes a powerful organisation as the main plot. An example of this type of thriller would be Inception as it includes a powerful organisation that plants ideas in the person's subconscious which influences them in the real world- they are paid alot of money for this business; the characters all wear suits/ smart clothes that enforce the fact that it is set in a business plot.


The crime sub genre usually includes some sort of criminal offence- the main character would either be a detective or some sort of murderer and the audience experiences the film through them. An example of this type of thriller would be Seven as it is based around the police investigating murders commited by a psycho-case killer that is trying to prove that people commit the seven deadly sins; brad pitt and morgan freeman are the main detectives investigating the case.




The disaster sub genre where there is usually some sort of scientist as one of the main roles- the story plots around a natural disaster where mankind are to blame. An example of this type of thriller would be the day after tomorrow where scientists in America predict global warming will increase rapidly and cause the next ice age- it is based upon university students that have connections to the scientists through family connections and help themselves and a group of civilians survive the disaster.

The mystery sub genre is usually based upon a crime where clues are revealed to keep the audience guessing. It is relatable to crime and detectives and their storylines are usually restricted. An example of this type of thriller would be The Sixth Sense as it tells a story of a man that treats people with hallucinations. A former patient hoever comes to Malcom's house and shoots him in the abdomen because he failed him. Malcom is weary about helping others but he meets an eight year old boy that suffers similar to the guy that shot him and becomes dedicated to helping him. The audience does not find out till later on in the film that Malcom is in fact a ghost himself. 



The political sub genre is based around the government and prevention of war and usually influences an opinion out of the audience. An example of this type of sub genre would be V for Vendetta as it based in a dystopian setting of London where V is trying to start a revolution to overthrow government for the freedom of the people. 

The psychological sub genre usually has a non-linear narrative and is based upon a character with an unstable mind. An example of this type of thriller would be Butterfly Effect as Evan goes back in time to fix him past, and the girl he just met at university, however this causes changes in him present day life where he returns to be an inmate, an amputee and even jailed for killing the girls's brother Tommy. All of this contains flashbacks and time warps that throw the audience off track, keeping them engaged.



The religious sub genre is usually centred around the church and the pope but mainly the catholic church. An example of this would be Angels and Demons as it is based upon the beliefs of the catholic church and how the illuminati will kill the four cardinals at four of the altars along the 'Path of Illumination' marked by the angels. Tom Hanks' character has to follow the leads and clues and hope to stop the turn of events. 




The techno sub genre is a sci-fi thriller but technology plays a major role that leads the film. An example of this type of thriller would be iRobot as humans have invented robots that do important jobs in the business world as well as doing the dirty jobs in the streets and slaving around the house and now are about to rebel led by a super computer that one robot turns against with the help of Will Smith to save the race of humans. 

The supernatural sub genre includes a main character who usually has superhuman powers that save mankind and the story is led by their actions. An example of this would be The Others as Nicole Kidman is leading a life that she believes is real but actually she is a ghost and so is everyone else she sees and talks to but we do not know this until near to the end of the film where all is slowly revealed. 






The action sub genre includes fast paced action to keep the audience engaged but adds to the storyline by showing that the hero is fighting for justice. An example of this type of thriller would be Die Hard, there is terrorists that take a group of people hostage and Bruce Willis sets out to save them all and ends up killing the villain, freeing the people and setting forth the actions for the next films.