'Jurassic Park' (Steven Spielberg, 1993)
A build up to the action - the start of the film shows a man being killed by a dinosaur while working on the island. This is a very small piece that shwos what the film will all be about
Creation of fear/apprehension/anticipation/unsettling feeling/confusion/doubt over a character - there isn't one single main character, as it is a team of people - the film surrounds these people, rather than the other way round
Dark, shadowy atmosphere (use of light and dark images) - it is shot in a lot of undergrowth and in a park, so naturally, it is very dark
Establishing mood and atmosphere throughout the film - the film delves into the lives of each of the main characters
Delay in showing the face of a significant character, or the action of an important event by first showing the hand of a character for instance or a reaction of someone watching the event - as each character is introduced before the main action, there is no delay in character identification
Creation of suspense using soundtrack music - John Williams composed the soundtrack to the film, and it fits the action perfectly
Morally ambiguous central character - there is no central character
Murder encouraging a suspecting audience - there is very little murder, but there is a sense of inquisity into the whole idea of the island
Realistic settings to create a sense of the 'unusual' occuring within a normal setting - it is a fictional island based in the real world - and is commonly referred against real countries
Flashbacks - there are few flashbacks that have little significance to the main plots
Red herrings - there aren't any red herrings, but there are setbacks.
Twists and unexpected turns - there are few twists, which give them more 'power' to the film when used
Making and keeping the audience tense and on the edge of our seats - the film seems to go on and on, but each piece of action is another piece of the jigsaw - and once you are at the end of the film everything seems to make sense
Showing posts with label Spielberg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spielberg. Show all posts
Thursday, 18 February 2010
Wednesday, 11 November 2009
Researching Thriller Films - Directors
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.
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)
- 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.
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