Research in aspects of the Thriller Genre
(My personal Comments will be in Italic and in brackets)i) Institutions
Director: David Fincher
Production Company: New Line Cinema
Starring: Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman,
Filming Dates: 12 December 1994 – 10 March 1995
Release Date: 22 September 1995 (USA)
05 January 1995 (UK)
Box Office Returns: Budget: $30,000,000
Gross: $316,400,000 (worldwide including USA)
$100,125,000 (USA)
£ 19, 234,230 (UK)
(These BOR’s show just how big this film has become. Within just 3 months the Gross for the UK rose from £11,434,343 to £19,234,230. This shows how quickly this film grew and how it was wanted to be seen by everyone in the UK over the age of 18)
ii) Audience
Target Audience: This film is a thriller with Crime, Mystery and Drama, the target audience are those who like to solve crimes and enjoy the mystery. However many people ages 18+ can easily be attached to their sofas whilst watching this film! The certification for Se7en in the UK was an 18. Most males and females between the ages of 18 and 29 gave a high rating for this movie. As the age range increases, Se7en got a lower rating.
(Although these statistics show the preferred target audience for Se7en, but this film was very popular and it was common that many people under the age of 18 found a way to see this film)
Users Ratings: Looking on IMDB, most have rated this film 10/10. One user believes this film is a modern masterpiece. His opening quote is ‘Gothic, shocking, suspenseful, disturbing and clever’. Another user on IMDB quoted "Se7en is well crafted and ingeniously clever, making it one of the greatest films of the 90's" A User on YouTube quoted this film as ‘One of the best movies! One of my favourites!’
iii) Technology
This film was made in the 90’s where technology wasn’t relied on to advertise and promote this film as much as it does in this period of time and technology. However with advertisement most films with money to spend paid up to fill in slots on TV to promote this blockbuster. Another way in which they used technology to promote the film is by advertising the film on the internet. They set up a website for people to look at all the information on the film, synopsis, the characters and sneak peeks at clips from the film. this was when the internet had exploded throughout the world and everyone was beginning to use it, so it was a good move for the film to get advertised on the internet.
Codes/forms and Conventions of the Thriller Genre
This is from a scene in SEVEN. This is when the two detectives find one of the victims in his room chained to the bed. They discover this man has been chained to this bed for over a year, to symbolise the sin of Sloth. We can see from this shot key thriller conventions are included. The different shades of light in this shot show the darkness and horror which has been locked away and hidden from the world. The Wording on the wall is in red and in capitals. This stands out when looking at the shot and grabs the attention of the audience once they are lead into the room. The angle of the camera is at eye level but slanted down to focus on the bed. This is a great effect for the thriller as in makes you as the audience feel as if you are the person in the room witnessing the horrors in front of you. Another sign of a thriller is the lamps. In this shot the lamp is producing light for the room and it bleeds down on to the bed which is the key of this scene. The Car fresheners dangling from the roof of the room shows mystery of purpose. You have a sense of the smell in that room is repulsive. Sound is another key in the thriller genre. The diegetic sound used in the film builds tension as you can hear the panic and shock in characters voices, as well as hearing victims scream, struggle and cry for help. The non diegetic music builds on the tension of the scenes by increasing the pace, using beats as if to represent the heart and the sudden silence for the audience to take in the horror of the film. The main structure of this film is the 7 deadly sins and how all of them can cause a normal person into a sin themselves. This happens to the main character as you follow him and his partner as they try to solve the case. The use of camera angles and music make the thriller theme rise to the standards a thriller should be set at. The audience are glued to the screen right from the start with it cleverly planned plot and elements, of a thriller, which stands out in this film throughout.
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