Mise-en-Scene is used throughout thriller films, it includes: costume, lighting, hair and makeup, props and setting. Here are the common ones used for thriller films.
Costume:
Many of the protagonists in thriller films are seen to be dressed in black, this shows that they are dark and dangerous characters and that they're no necessarily all good even though they are seen to be the 'good guy'.
The male protagonists are usually seen wearing suits, this goes back to when thriller films were first made and mainly based on police detectives solving murder mysteries, here they were always dressed smart as part of their job. This has become a convention because it makes the protagonist look like and important person, many of the other characters are also dressed in suits as well (usually the antagonist) to show how they are also important.
Stereotypically women in thrillers are dress in elegant dresses which depict them as sexy and an objects of lust.This helps show the danger of the femme fatale character as they are seen to be just innocent and not a danger whereas they're always the major downfall of the male protagonist.
Hair and makeup:
This is usually done to fit in with the costume the character is wearing, like for example women will have their makeup done to match whatever colour their dress is.
However in some cases makeup is used to make a character look scary and menacing. They use this in The Dark Knight by giving the Joker clown makeup, this scares the audience because many people are afraid of clowns so this draws on the phobia. The makeup also partly hides the Jokers identity and his scars which create a mystery about him and make him a more ominous character.
Lighting:
Dark and ominous lighting is used often throughout thrillers as it creates a mysterious and dangerous vibe to the setting as the audience can't clearly see what is going on and it also cast the characters in dark lights making them too look mysterious and dangerous.
Props:
Weapons:
Common weapons used are guns, knives, explosives, etc. These all help create tension and danger throughout, and therefore keep the audience on the edge.
Other:
Props like briefcases are also used, these create a mystery as the audience want to know what's in them and why they are being kept so secretive. These can also be used as a good red-herring to confuse and mislead the audience.
briefcases: mysterious
Setting:
Many Thriller films are set in ominous and conspicuous places, although some are set in more common places that the audience would know.
Action based thrillers are usually set in big cities as narrative events like heists and hostage situations can take place. They're done here as it makes the scene more tense and dangerous as more peoples lives can be at risk. People can also relate to this therefore making them feel a sense of danger as it could happen to them.
Many of the protagonists in thriller films are seen to be dressed in black, this shows that they are dark and dangerous characters and that they're no necessarily all good even though they are seen to be the 'good guy'.
The male protagonists are usually seen wearing suits, this goes back to when thriller films were first made and mainly based on police detectives solving murder mysteries, here they were always dressed smart as part of their job. This has become a convention because it makes the protagonist look like and important person, many of the other characters are also dressed in suits as well (usually the antagonist) to show how they are also important.
For eg. in Shutter Island Teddy and his assistant are police detectives and the main protagonists and are both seen dressed smart in suits.
Stereotypically women in thrillers are dress in elegant dresses which depict them as sexy and an objects of lust.This helps show the danger of the femme fatale character as they are seen to be just innocent and not a danger whereas they're always the major downfall of the male protagonist.
For eg. The character Vesper in Casino Royale is the femme fatale and here is seen in an elegant and sexy dress, showing her to be lustrous and an object of desire not danger.
Hair and makeup:
This is usually done to fit in with the costume the character is wearing, like for example women will have their makeup done to match whatever colour their dress is.
However in some cases makeup is used to make a character look scary and menacing. They use this in The Dark Knight by giving the Joker clown makeup, this scares the audience because many people are afraid of clowns so this draws on the phobia. The makeup also partly hides the Jokers identity and his scars which create a mystery about him and make him a more ominous character.
Lighting:
Dark and ominous lighting is used often throughout thrillers as it creates a mysterious and dangerous vibe to the setting as the audience can't clearly see what is going on and it also cast the characters in dark lights making them too look mysterious and dangerous.
For eg. In the opening scene of Casino Royale part of it is set in an office, this place is shown in dark lighting to help show the mystery about the setting and the characters.
Props:
Weapons:
Common weapons used are guns, knives, explosives, etc. These all help create tension and danger throughout, and therefore keep the audience on the edge.
Other:
Props like briefcases are also used, these create a mystery as the audience want to know what's in them and why they are being kept so secretive. These can also be used as a good red-herring to confuse and mislead the audience.
briefcases: mysterious
Setting:
Many Thriller films are set in ominous and conspicuous places, although some are set in more common places that the audience would know.
Action based thrillers are usually set in big cities as narrative events like heists and hostage situations can take place. They're done here as it makes the scene more tense and dangerous as more peoples lives can be at risk. People can also relate to this therefore making them feel a sense of danger as it could happen to them.
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| For eg. Gotham Ciy - Batman Begin, The Dark Knight, The Dark Knight Rises |
In psychological based thrillers more remote and eerie locations are used. This is to create a tense atmosphere making the audience feel perhaps apprehensive and see there's danger in the location. Scary atmospheres also help thrill people, fitting in with the main aim of the genre.
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| For eg. Shutter Island, set on a remote and desolate island away from everything |
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