Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Sophie Herzing: FILM GENRE (Thriller)
Many genre-specific terms and characteristics were discovered this week through Sophie's week-long presentation on Thriller-type of films. With the application of this genre to The Spiral Staircase, we have a realistic sense of some of the complexity involved in the film industry. Creating a film certainly consists of more than a few actors and a realistic setting. Using any of the material you learned this week from the presentation, focus on one or two elements and develop a blog that extends the definition of "thriller" movies. You may have a favorite thriller film that you may mention and apply some of the elements of this genre to that film. Finally, explain how Sophie's presentation has enabled you to review thriller films in a perspective you have not done previously.
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There are many different types of genres out there. They each have their own characteristics that make them special and unique. Thrillers are no exception. Sophie gave a great presentation on a movie that really fit the bill. I enjoyed it just as I do many other thrillers. It may be one of my favorite genres simply for the adrenaline-pumping effect it has on me. I have so much fun never knowing what will happen next.
ReplyDeleteSophie's movie was a great example of it. For it's time, the movie was extremely well made and even fits the criteria of the movies we see today that are classified as thrillers. It was a mystery and it played on suspicions and fears. Even at the very end, it was still vague enough to get a cloudy picture of what happened.
One of the most surprising things I learned from Sophie's presentation was that there is more than one type of thrillers. In fact, her presentation focused on the less used one. I was highly impressed to see how well the "psychological thriller" delved into the minds of those involved in the movie. It gave new meaning to the genre for me and I was thoroughly able to enjoy it and stay captivated.
I also loved the guessing involved in the determining of the culprit. I found that, for some reason, I simply couldn't bring myself to trust Doctor Perry. I also doubted Professor Warren because he was far too perfect a character and far too concerned with Helen to simply be an observer. I never thought of Steven though because he was too obvious. Maybe in the day it was made, though, obvious traits were big.
I always pictured thrillers as a terrifying experience but due to Sophie's presentation I was able to view them as a very internal experience as well. I will take into consideration everything I have learned from her in my future endeavors with watching thrillers. Sophie, if you are reading this, thanks for a great presentation and a great movie.
Thank you Alex, I'm glad that you were able to receive something out of the presentation and film. "The Spiral Staircase" will always be a classic for me, and number one in my heart. I am glad you were able to enjoy it as well.
ReplyDeleteSophie did a great job teaching us about the thriller genre. I enjoyed The Spiral Staircase even though I have not been a huge fan of black and white film in the past. In my opinion, the movie never had a boring moment and always kept me guessing.
ReplyDeleteBesides watching The Spiral Staircase, I learned about the difference between thriller and it’s close relative, horror. Thriller films focus on dangerous or suspenseful events, as we saw in the obviously dangerous murders in the hotel in the opening scene and the murder of Blanche in the mansion basement late in the film. The mystery of who committed the murders built suspense until the very end of the film. After it was revealed that Professor Warren was the killer it made sense, but I had not suspected him. I suspected Dr. Parry for a majority of the film, as I thought he was trying to take Helen away to kill her. In thriller cinema overall, the plots are very relatable and real. Horror on the other hand specifically bases its plot on repulsive or horrific events that are meant to frighten the audience. The characters could also be supernatural such as vampires or zombies.
I was also intrigued, like Alexandra, on the characteristics of the two different subtypes of thriller, those being suspense and psychological that Sophie brought to our attention. Even though one may think The Spiral Staircase may fit into the suspense subtype, it is actually considered psychological. A psychological thriller focuses on the character’s inner-self. In other words, “What are they thinking?” Wikipedia said these types of film are “An effort to understand something that has happened to them.” Suspense thrillers keep emphasis on the growing danger and tension within the film, and less on the “crime” and “detective” aspects.
Sophie gave me an entire new image on thriller, especially since I didn’t have a clear image on thriller films before. I now realize the entertainment they provide. Sophie’s presentation put into perspective for me on what has to happen to make these films work and what the directors and producers do to create the essential suspense in the audience. Great job Sophie!
The genre of thriller dips into the realms of other genres such as horror, but Sophie corrected the points that can distinguish between these genres. The film, the Spiral Staircase was a thriller, but more in depth it was a psychological thriller. A psychological thriller focuses on the characters rather than what is happening. This is direct opposite of the traditional thriller. The film had everything Sophie defined about the genre and the film. From what I know about classic cinema, thrillers always have a plot twist. The Spiral Staircase indeed had a plot twist, which was the killer being Professor Warren, when his benevolence and generosity was comforting. One could have assumed him as innocent due to this nature. The film made it suggestive of others as the killer even Dr. Perry over Professo Warren. Another thriller/horror film that utilizes the plot twist is any of the Scream movies. Take Scream 4 for example, the girl who seems to be the hunted turns out to be the murderer, thus a massive plot twist the audience does not suspect unless they know that characteristic of thriller films. When looking into the psychology of the film, you can see what one event cam have a crucial effect on someone's life. Two of examples of this were shown in Sophie's movie. First, was Helen's tragic experience of watching her parents being burned alive. This carnage led her to disease of the mind(pysche) that afflicted speech. The second stems from Professor Warren's father showing disappointment in his son for not being a man. Tormenting Warren throughout his life, we see that event in his childhood led him into the murder of the cripple with the rationale of being a man, thus trying to appeal to his father. The psychology in this film, I feel, has its significance from the notion the child is the father of the man as seen by the two example above. All in all the archaic film was quite interesting for showing how the film genre has evolved throughout the decades. Good job Sophie.
ReplyDeleteThank you Ryan, I'm glad you enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteSophie you did really well with this presentation, and of course, I love thriller films so I was really fascinated by your choice of genre.
ReplyDeleteThriller movies are films designed to play your mind like a piano keyboard. I feel that in a thriller, every little word has to be exact and that the actors have more pressure on them to convey the correct emotions. Suspense is the key element in a thriller film, so each event within the film must keep you thinking, and, in the case of "The Spiral Staircase" keep you wondering who the murderer is. This film did a great job with keeping you guessing. Like Dr. Pam once mentioned, after seeing the pinstriped pants of the murderer, she examined the men in the room for pants of the same type. I did the same, as well as watching to see if any of the other men walked like the murder did, or stood with similar posture. The lines were quite important, such as when Stephen would not tell that he had left the house.
So, great job Soph, and great movie pick!!
Alex-
Like you, I was interested in the fact that there was more than one type of thriller. The psychological kind was very cool to watch, I enjoyed that focus on character development.
Ryan-
I agree with what you said- "Suspense thrillers keep emphasis on the growing danger and tension within the film, and less on the “crime” and “detective” aspects." That was a good point. This film was not about the actual illegality of the murder or finding out who it was for the purpose of locking them up, it was about figuring out who was in the house. The suspense was all based on the fact that there was someone in the safety of the household who was ready to kill.
The Thriller genre has always been something of intrigue to me. I enjoy watching anything that keeps me on the edge of my seat and raises my adrenaline, which is exactly what Sophie’s film “The Spiral Staircase” did for me. She presented a wonderful slideshow about her genre that kept my attention and provided a thorough instruction about the facts. After learning about Thriller and how it relates to Horror (another genre that I enjoy), I now know more about a genre that interests me.
ReplyDeleteThe film itself was amazing, and I can see why Sophie thinks of it as one of her favorites! Every day at lunch my friends and I would discuss our speculations as to the identity of the killer and what would happen next (much to the chagrin of everyone else at our table who had no clue what was going on). Personally, I suspected the Constable at the beginning of the film but after the second day I really thought it was Professor Warren. He was just too nice and his actions were suspicious at times, and using the logic of my own Mystery genre I knew it had to be him! The film was very thrilling, holding true to its genre, and pretty unpredictable.
In conclusion, Sophie did a great job presenting her genre and choosing an accurate movie to represent it. It was enjoyable as well as educational. Thanks for showing us this great movie, Sophie!