Research into the history of thriller films - Miss Georgiou

The thriller genre is a very famous one that uses suspense and tension as the main elements. Thrillers thrive off of the audiences anticipation to what is going to happen and use this to keep them interested in the film. Thrillers will often use hidden identities to create a mysterious atmosphere. Common sub genres are psychological thrillers, crime thrillers and mystery thrillers. I will take a look back at the history of thrillers in this blog.

Thriller timeline:

1920s/30s:
The famous Alfred Hitchcock created his third silent thriller film called 'The Lodger', this was based on Jack The Ripper and was filled with suspense. In 1929 he then released the first thriller film which contained sound, this was called 'Blackmail', and also created history as it was the first sound film that was produced in Britain. Many other directors created thriller films in this time period such as Walter Forde who made nine thriller films.

1940s:
In the 40s Alfred Hitchcock continued to create more thriller films in this era, such as 'Foreign Correspondant' and 'Rebecca'. In 1946 films about peoplem being terrorised began to be released.

1950s:
These were the years when Alfred Hitchcock fluorished most and were the high points of his career, he released his most noteable films such as 'Strangers on a train' and 'Rear Window'. Other directors such as Charles Loughton and Henry Hathaway began to release thriller films.

1960s:
Possibly the most famous thriller of all time was released in 1961, Psycho, it was certainly Alfred Hitchcocks most well known creation and it was also labelled as the film which saved his career. This film was shocking and engrossing and featured things the thriller genre had never before seen.

1970s/80s:
The decade saw a violent start in the thriller genre, with Frenzy (1972), Hitchcock's first British film in almost two decades, being given an R rating for its vicious and explicit strangulation scene. Steven Speilberg's low-budget early TV movie Duel (1971), which got a cult following, was about road rage between a hapless traveling salesman and the unseen, relentless driver of a truck. Spy and conspiracy films were scattered throughout the two decades.

1990s - Present:
The decade started with a film called Misery by Rob Reiner, this was based on a book by Stephen King. Notable films of the 90s included Silence of the Lambs and Se7en, which both did very well. Obsession in thrillers was a common theme in the 90s, as well as detectives hunting down serial killers, which features in the two films i just mentioned. Until today, thrillers do borrow themes and elements from those in the past decades. However, to cut the repetitiveness, there are a number of recent thrillers that maintain the aspects of the horror genre; having more gore/sadistic violence, brutality, terror and body counts. Films such as Eden Lake and The Last House on the Left took this approach.

The audience are extremely important in the history of thrillers, they have enabled the genre to come so far as they have been watching the films over the years. The audience have also changed over the years, this mirrors how the genre has changed and modernised to what it is today.


Notable Thriller Actors:
Janet Leigh - She was the main character in one of the most famous thriller films, Psycho and she was involved in the most memorable scene in film history. Her career spans right through from the 40s all the way to the 00s. She also featured in A Touch of Evil.

Leonardo DiCaprio - DiCaprio has been in many of the best thriller films over the last two decades, including The Departed, Inception and Shutter Island. 

Famous Thriller Directors:
Alfred Hitchcock - He was the king of the thriller genre and for sure the most prominent individual in the history the thriller genre. His career spanned through from the 20s to the 70s. However it wasn't always so good for Hitchcock and at one point it looked as though his career would go down the drain. But he created many classic films including Psycho, Rear Window and Vertigo.

Christopher Nolan - One of the more recent famous thriller directors, Nolan has created many of the most famous thriller films of the past decade, including Batman The Dark Knight, Inception, Memento and Insomnia.  He is best known for his cerebral, often non-linear storytelling.

Notable Narratives:
Psycho - 1961 (Hitchcock) 
Pulp Fiction - 1994 (Tarantino)
Se7en - 1995 (David Fincher)


This research of the thriller genre will be very helpful in the planning for my narrative, this is because it has allowed me to see the different aspects needed to go into a thriller that have featured throughout the last century. It has also allowed me to see the prominent narratives in the thriller genre and I can use features of these narratives to help build mine. 


Box Office:



Seven:
The film Seven is one of the most notable thrillers over the last 20 years, as you can see it is 4th in the all time thriller box office and it has generated over $100,000,000 in its lifetime gross. The film was reeleased in 1995 and its about two detectives who hunt a mass serial killer who uses deadly sins as his modus operandi. The film is one of the more gruesome thrillers about and there as some very graphic scenes, this is what had the audience so hooked. The film stars two big hollywood actors in Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman, this again being one of the things that attracted so many people to watch the film.

This is a very conventional film of the thriller genre simply because of the enigma and mystery that is created throughout; the detectives are forever chasing an unknown serial killer who is leaving clues behind.




Saw II:
This is the second film in the Saw sequel and its the one that was most successful generating over $30,000,00 in its opening in the cinema. This film is one of the more modern thrillers featuring the much more gruesome and graphic scenes that we are seeing now a days. The film was released in 2005 and is about a masked antagonist in the name of Jigsaw who enjoys playing twisted games with people. The film portrays the typical features of the thriller genre, for example the name Jigsaw represents a puzzle and a mystery. Saw is a good example as how thrillers have adapted over the years but it also how it has kept the typical original conventions of the thriller genre, such as enigma and low key lighting.







Psycho II:
Psycho II is a 1983 American psychological horror slasher film directed by Richard Franklin and written by Tom Holland. The film generated nearly $35,000,000 in its overall time in the cinema. Although its not as well known as the first Psycho, it still was a good success in terms of the box office.  Psycho II takes place 22 years after the first film; Norman Bates is released from the mental institution and returns to the house and Bates Motel to continue a normal life.