Researching Thriller Films - 'Vertigo' (1958)

'Vertigo' (1958)
Originally uploaded by Adam9309

'Vertigo' (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958)

Dark, shadowy atmosphere - A light, airy appartment - happiness?
Creation of suspense using soundtrack music - Violins in background, horns at action
Morally ambiguous central character - Character who asks Scotty to follow his wife
Murder encouraging a suspecting audience - Man falling from roof?
Realistic settings to create a sense of the 'unusual' occuring within a normal setting - Man still working with ex-fiancee
Flashbacks - Making out that man 'killed' man on roof
Hero in situation of threat or struggle - Flashback - 'saving' the man on the building
Twists and unexpected turns - They were engaged 
Other notes - I didn't really like the film, and for that reason, I don't want to use any of the elements in my thriller. It seemed too thoughful to bring any drama to the viewer.

Researching Thriller Films - Directors

Quentin Tarantino

Tarantino is a well-known director, specialising in thrillers. He is known for his very violent films, and was named the 12th best director of all time by 'Total Film' magazine in 2007.

Thrillers directed include:

- Reservoir Dogs (1992)

- Kill Bill franchise (2003-04)

- Death Proof (2007)

Alfred Hitchcock 
Hitchcock is the 'Godfather of Film'. He is known for his quirky films, with most being psychological thrillers. In the 'Total Film' list, Hitchcock was listed as the best director of all time.

Thrillers directed include:

- The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956; 1 Academy Award)

- North by Northwest (1959)

- Psycho (1960; 1 Golden Globe)

Christopher Nolan

Nolan is only 39, but has created two of the best thrillers of all time - reviving the Batman saga. His achievements as a director have led to him being named as 32nd best director of all time in 'Total Film.

Thrillers directed include:

- Batman Begins (2005)

- The Prestige (2006)

- The Dark Knight (2008; 2 Academy Awards, 1 Golden Globe)

Martin Scorsese

Scorsese is one of the most renowned directors of all time. He was listed as the 2nd greatest director of all time by 'Total Film', and his work has included some of the great films of the last century.

Thrillers directed include:

- Goodfellas (1990; 1 Academy Award)

- Cape Fear (1991)

- Gangs of New York (2002; 2 Golden Globes)

Stephen Spielberg

Spielberg is one of the best directors of the last decade or so, and has made billions of dollars in revenue from his films. The 'Total Film' list named him as the 3rd best director of all time.

Thrillers directed include:

- Jurassic Park (1993; 3 Academy Awards)

- Minority Report (2002)

- Munich (2005)

 











(clockwise from top left: Tarantino, Hitchcock, Nolan, Spielberg, Scorsese)


The 'Total Film' director list can be found here.