Intertextuality in films is where one film has a particularly famous and popular scene in it that writers take, modify and add into their films. For example, the famous shower scene from 'Psycho' has inspired many other films including 'What Lies Beneath', 'The Stepfather', 'Fatal Attraction' and even a student made film 'Succubus'.
All of these films copy one or more of the main elements of the scene in 'Psycho': a murderer, the knife, the setting of a bathroom. Each film adapts the scene to fit the plot of the film, therefore making necessary changes.
'What Lies Beneath' copies the Mise en Scene of 'Psycho's' shower scene. The scene is still set in the bathroom with the element of the shower being turned on. The camera focuses on the water, similar to the shots from 'Psycho'. Again, there are only two characters, the victim and the attacker. Like in 'Psycho' the victim is female and the attacker is male. The difference between 'What Lies Beneath' and 'Psycho' is that in 'What Lies Beneath' there is no element of the knife and the victim has been placed in the bath by the attacker to drown to death.
'Succubus' is a student made film that also uses the scene from 'Psycho'. Again, this film uses the setting of a bathroom, though this time, its a shower in a locker room. The roles of the victim and attacker are reversed in this film, this time the victim is male and the attacker is female. At first, it seems that the attacker wants to get in the shower with the man but then she produces a knife - another main element from 'Psycho'. This scene copies many of the camera angles that were used in 'Psycho': close-ups of the shower, the knife being used and the victim himself. There is also a close-up of the victims last movement, this was also in 'Psycho'.
'The Stepfather'. Again, this film has the original male attacker and female victim, although this time there are two other people in the house. The victim is chased upstairs into the bathroom by the attacker who is clutching a knife. Here we know that the knife and bathroom element have been 'borrowed' from 'Psycho'. As the man kicks the door, a mirror breaks and shatters on the floor. The woman then picks up a shard of mirror and holds it as a weapon to defend herself. As the man raises the knife to stab her, she stabs him in the neck with the shard of mirror. This is a twist that wasn't used in 'Psycho'. He ends up falling backwards into the bath, pulling down the shower curtain in the process. This is another element from 'Psycho'. Originally, in 'Psycho' the victim breaks the curtain, but this time its the attacker who pulls it down.
All these films have taken the shower scene from 'Psycho' and made it their own, only keeping the one or two of the main elements in their 'shower scene'.
The term ‘Thriller’ is a very broad name for a genre of film that uses tension and suspense to create excitement for the audience. As it is such a broad genre, there are many different sub-genres, which each one featuring specific elements in addition to the standard features of a thriller.
One of the main sub-genres is crime. Crime thrillers feature the account of a crime (or crimes) that were carried out either successfully or unsuccessfully, and are usually told from the side of the criminal rather than the law/police or victims. The main crimes featured in these types films are murders and robberies, and usually feature action over psychological aspects. Murders and killings are usually depicted in a dark, gritty tone while crimes such as robberies and heists are portrayed as being cool and trendy, as in Ocean’s 11. Examples include: No Country For Old Men, Reservoir Dogs, Ocean’s 11, Silence of the Lambs.
Another type of thriller is a Mystery, which feature characters either involved in or trying to solve a mystery, which is the main plot of the film. The audience is often also left trying to solve the mystery as the characters are, creating a feeling of suspense. Many mystery thrillers also end with dramatic twists, to ensure that none of the audience could predict what was going to happen. Examples include: Shutter Island, Vertigo, Memento, and The Number 23.
Psychological thrillers are also a common type of thriller, which feature less physical action than other types of thrillers, instead showing mental and emotional conflict between the characters. Many often end with a very physical (and often violent) final confrontation between the characters. Examples include: Panic Room, Red Eye, Phone Booth and The Talented Mr Ripley.
Other types of thrillers include Supernatural thrillers, which involve paranormal elements used to create suspense, such as psychic powers, as seen in The Others and What Lies Beneath. Conspiracy Thrillers feature a main character who must expose/defeat a powerful group of people, and are often the only person who knows the truth or full extent of the wrong/evil activities the group is conducting. Examples include Flight Plan and In The Line Of Fire. Another sub-genre is Disaster Thrillers, which revolve around natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanoes, as seen in The Day After Tomorrow, 2012, and Deep Impact. Technological Thrillers (or techno-thrillers) feature the manipulation of technology, which results in danger, creating suspense and tension, as seen in films such as I Robot, Terminator, and Jurassic Park.
Personally, I think the most effective sub-genre is Psychological thrillers, because they rely more on the mise en scene, sound, and editing to create suspense, and shock, rather than action and violence, as in other types of thrillers.
Suspense is created in the opening scene of Memento by the use of a technique that reverses the film. Suspense is created because you don't yet know why the film is in reverse. It was an interesting way to start the film and it created the right atmosphere for a Psychological Thriller.
Suspense was also created with the flashbacks. Each flashback held the answer or showed a vital clue to the story. The flashbacks created suspense because they kept going back to crucial points in the story, though at the time you're not sure why they are so important.
This 1 minute, 55 second long clip from What lies Beneath starts with the main woman walking up the stairs. When the clip starts there is traditional 'spooky' music that fades, almost, into the sounds that you might hear at a lake.
Whilst the music is playing, the camera has moved away from the actress, who is paused on the middle of the stair case looking up at something. The camera stays in the same place, height wise, as it turns to capture what the actress is looking at. Now, the camera seems to 'be on the floor, focused on the bottom of the bathroom door. We now know why the woman was staring at the door - there is steam leaking through the crack between the bottom of the door and the floor.
Whilst the camera has been turning towards the bathroom door, the woman has made it all the way up the stairs. The door opens as her feet come into view. The camera is then on the inside of the bathroom door using the match cut technique. When she opens the door, the camera is her height and facing her. The shot is then switched to face into the bathroom, still at her height. Throughout this, the music is still going, with the added 'creaking' sound for when the door opens. When the camera focuses on the bathroom, we see that it is full of steam. The actress' facial expression shows that she has no idea why the bathroom is full of steam which makes us want to shout ''Don't go in there!''
The camera moves forward - being her eyes. The focus then switches to her and then back to the room, showing the layout of the bathroom. It switches to her again, then back to the bath. As the camera gets closer to the bath, the woman comes into the shot and the camera is filming from over her shoulder. The camera is then beneath her as she looks into the bath. As she leans forward to remove the plug and let the water out of the bath, we see her reflection. When she starts to straighten up, we see the reflection of a woman who is not there in person. The woman screams when she notices and wakes her husband, he runs into bathroom to find her shocked and staring at the bath. The clip ends with the last of the water going down the plugwhole in the bath.
This clip shows suspense right from beginning to end. Where the woman goes into the bathroom which is full of steam and has a look of terror on her face, you can clearly see that she doesn't know why there is all the steam and that she doesn't know who is in her bathroom. When the reflection of the other woman appears out of nowhere, it is clear that the main woman is completely terrified by this appearance.
Sub-genres are different categories which can classify under a particular genre, they can also be other genres combined.
Thriller Sub-genres:
Crime Thriller- Associated with mainstream fiction, typical story line include criminal motives/ detective work.
Example (Takers 2010)
Psychological Thriller- Thrillers which cause suspense psychologically rather than physically, involves mystery and engages the audience on an inquistitive level. Example(Inception 2010)
Supernatural Thriller- Supernatural Thrillers include the paranormal world. Typical conventions include alien abduction, ghost and unexplained mystery.
Example(The Unborn 2009)
Mystery Thriller- A thriller where suspense is caused by mystery. Conventions include a detective character, mystery and false plateau.
Example(Shutter Island 2010)
Legal thriller- Legal Thrillers are similar to crime thrillers, yet legal thrillers always include legal forces hence the conventions are, police force, heros/heroines, the law and criminals.
Example(Runaway Dury 2003)
Disaster Thriller- Disaster Thrillers involve natural disasters, or the world disasters (something taking over the world). Conventions include, earth quakes, floods, volcanoes and other causes that can destroy the world.
Example(The Day After Tomorrow 2004)
Sci-Fi Thriller- Sci-fi includes science fiction, things that aren't real (fantasy) the typical conventions of sci-fi thrillersinclude, spaceships, other life fourms and monsters.
Example(Skyline 2010)
Conspiracy Thriller- Includes a conspricacy typical conventions are investigation and a hero confronting a large group of enemies.
Example(Edge of Darkness 2010)
INCEPTION (Psychological Thriller)
‘Inception’ A thriller released in July 2010, it inspired me to look into its sub-genre (Psychological thriller) reason being is because ‘Inception’ hinted subtle clues to the phenomenon and engaged the audience by making them feel they had to work out the mystery and question reality. Inception had an ambiguous ending, leaving you thinking for days after you’ve watched it. A movie you can’t get off your mind must be a brilliant movie or overly terrible, in this case it was brilliant! This movie caught my interest into Psychological thrillers, and is the reason this sub-genre inspires me at this moment in time.
Being inspired by this sub-genre I researched what makes a good ‘Psychological Thriller’?
I found that the best Psychological Thrillers include: Suspense, unpredictability and a mind-bending plot.
A sub-genre is a subcategory within a particular genre. Thriller is the genre we are looking at and there are many sub-genres to go with it.
Here are some examples:
Sci-fi Thriller - I Am Legend
Psychological Thriller - Memento
Crime Thriller - Reservoir Dogs
Supernatural Thriller - What Lies Beneath
Action Thriller - Deja Vu
Supernatural and psychological thrillers inspire me the most at the moment because you have to watch the films closely to really understand what is happening. Films that are based on other genres are easier to understand so its not necessary to follow every minute of the film.
