For more research on thrillers, especially psychological ones since our initial ideas have a similar feel to them, I decided to analyse another thriller film, Secret Window (Dir. David Koepp, 2004).
Before any shots are even shown on screen, there is a faint sound of clunking, or something knocking against something else. This sound already pulls the viewer in, as they wonder who or what could be making it and where it is coming from. As the first shot is shown, the sound is revealed to be windscreen wipers on a car. A man is staring almost into the camera. Through the use of mise-en-scene, he looks tired, with bags under his eyes and ruffled hair. He has a dedicated look on his face. This immediately gives the audience enigmas. They wonder what he is staring at and why he looks so tired, and possibly angry? This man is later found out to be called ‘Mort’.
The next piece of sound heard is of a man speaking slowly. At first, the audience does not know whether this is the voice of someone else, or is inside Mort’s head. This gives people the impression that he may not be completely sane and makes them have connotations of what insane people are capable of. The manner in which these words are spoken are very calm, yet they almost sound like orders, as if the voice is insisting that Mort does what he says. “Do not go back there” is one phrase that is said. The voice is not asking, it is telling. This makes the audience feel on edge and wonder what he is planning to do, or what he may have just escaped from.
As Mort reverses in his car and moves away from the camera, he is shown to be surrounded by snow. This gives the audience connotations that he may be isolated or stuck where he is and that he may not be able to escape.
As he steps out of the car and walks into the lobby of the motel building, the camera is placed outside the lobby window. With the window almost frosted over and Mort inside, this particular camera shot gives the audience the impression that he is being watched by someone. After taking a key and getting back in the car, he quickly drives up to a motel room door. The camera is replaced behind him here, again giving the feeling that someone may be with Mort, and that he doesn’t know he’s being watched. The quick driving for only a few seconds also show the importance of what is inside this particular room.
As he steps out of the car, the doors are shown to be red, a colour usually associated with danger in thriller films. As Mort unlocks the door and opens it, a non-diegetic soundtrack begins. It is almost a whooshing sound. This is not only signifying the opening of the door, but also the revelation as he sees a woman and another man in bed together. This gives the audience connotations that this woman may be associated with Mort, and that he was not expecting to see her here with someone else.
The soundtrack in the background has a feeling of eeriness, and is very creepy. The sound of the people shouting at each other are drowned out by it, until Mort screams at them both. The scream is not completely diegetic though, as a non-diegetic, almost death-like howl accompanies the scream. As Mort leaves the room flustered, a slight musical sting is heard. This may indicated that his life has just gone down in flames and that he may not be able to regroup. As he walks back to his car, a slightly different non-diegetic soundtrack begins, this time with more of a heartbeat-like tone, and sounding very much like a ticking clock. This gives the audience connotations that time may be running out for someone, or that something is going to go wrong with someone very soon.
Overall, this is a very intriguing start to a psychological thriller, and has given us many ideas of how to begin ours, and how to create tension from the word go.
- Taylor Gladwin
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