Monday 10 January 2011

Intertextuality

Intertextuality is a term used to describe the visual references between different thriller film.Films often borrow elements from other films that have been seen , to be used in their own film. These elements include aspects of Mise en- scene,Editing, Characters and Sound. 

A variety of films have borrowed aspects from the film " Psycho" in an attempt to keep the thriller genre within their own film and also to include their own spin on what happens throughout the film. I have looked at clips from different thriller movies that borrow aspects on the film " Psycho". 

Psycho is an American psychological thriller film. Like Psycho, "What lies Beneath" is another thriller film about the wife of a university research scientist, who believes that her lakeside Vermont home is haunted by a ghost ,or that she's losing her mind. In this clip, I watched the husband drugging his wife which makes her paralysis and carries her up to the bathroom upstairs. This is an aspect of Mise-en-scene that is borrowed from Psycho, as it borrows the same location. The use of the location follows the genre of thriller as this is where we normally see tension between the vicitim and the killer.

A narrative convention for thriller movies sterotypically protray woman as victims and men as killers/ attackers. This is another element borrowed from Psycho.In many Thriller films woman are protrayed as a defenseless victim, whereas men are protrayed as being vindictive and manipulative characters who at end upas killers. 

The stringy music is an aspect of sound borrowed from Psycho as it builds up the suspence for the audience ,leaving them wondering whats going to happen next.The sound of the water being turned on is an aspect of sound borrowed from " Psycho". The sound of water is a built up sound used to create suspense. It also creates tension as an action is being demostrated in the film. The colour "white" is another aspect borrowed from Psycho.The colour "white is used to suggest purity/innocance which could be linked to the vicitim,as they are un-aware of whats around the corner or what is going to end up happening to them.

A preview of the Film " What Lies Beneath"


Other Intertextually aspects consist of camera angles, A shiny knife, White shower curtain being pulled, Dramatic change of sound, Point of view and close up shots.

No comments:

Post a Comment