RESEARCH INTO THRILLER CONVENTIONS

VLADIMIR PROPP

Vladimir Propp, a Russian critic, analysed the basic structure of 100’s of folk-tale stories and stated that they were predominantly made of the same components and characters. As well as 31 different, narrative formats and functions, he identified these 8 character profiles:

1. The Villain(s)
2. The Hero
3. The Donor ( who provides a burden or objects of magical importance)
4. The Helper ( to the hero)
5. The Princess (the reward/sought after beauty by the hero. The villain attempts to apprehend this)
6. Her Father ( who eventually celebrates and rewards the Hero)
7. The Dispatcher ( The one who sends the Hero on their quest)
8. The False Hero.


These character profiles cannot only be identified with folk stories, but every narrative and media outlet. For example, within the introductory clip of a thriller we are presented with both a hero and a villain.

In the opening sequence of the Thriller ‘Face/Off’, directed by John Woo, we are immediately presented with the Hero (John Travolta’s character, Sean Archer) and the Villain ( Nicolas Cage’s character, Castor Troy). A Common feature within Thrillers, which is present within ‘Face/Off’, is that the Hero and Villain are apt to be of a similar age, build, and sex. Both men are likely to be aged around 40, good at their jobs and equal in ability and strength, therefore creating an interesting and exciting dynamic for an audience.

Furthermore, other character types are present within Thrillers such as ‘the Dispatcher’; the Police chief’ that allocated that important, particular case to the Hero; or a victim's family that begs the hero to find their child‘s murderer. Another example of Propp’s character profiles, appears within the American Thriller ’Se7en’ where Detective Mills, is ‘the Helper’ to Detective Somerset, ‘The Hero’.

CLAUDE LEVI-STRAUSS

Claude Levi-Strauss, is the founder of the narrative structure ‘Binary Oppositions’, which is found within most films, and certainly all thrillers. 'Binary Oppositions' are couples of opposing values which form the basis of media texts. Within thrillers, this is most commonly seen in the form of GOOD vs. EVIL. Levi-Strauss was not interested in which order events occurred in a narrative, but the connections the themes had within the genre.

E.G within Thrillers:
Good  v Evil
Detective v Criminal
Hero v Villain
Rules v Chaos
Justice v Crime
Normal Characters v Psychologically damaged characters
Moral  v Corrupt

TZETAN TODOROV


Todorov was a Bulgarian philosopher who greatly influenced our perception of a narrative form within a media text. He stated that stories begin with an equilibrium, where opposing forces were balanced. This was then destroyed by a disruption; a terrible occurrence or series of events. At the end of the narrative, the disruption is resolved so that order is restored, and either the old or a new equilibrium is set in motion once more.

Within all of the thriller openings we watched as a class, an equilibrium is disrupted, and the fight to restore equilibrium, is of course, the main storyline for film. It is this sequence of change that creates tension and excitement for an audience.

‘Face\Off’ opens with a somewhat serene and idyllic image of Sean Archer playing in the park with his young son. A disruption is then indictated by the sudden music change and quickened editing pace. The columnisation of the opening is when the boy is shot, the disruption, and Archer vows to seek his revenge. A similar sequence is reiterated and mirrored throughout all thrillers, establishing it as a typical convention.