Iconic
Sounds of Psychological Thriller Films
In this clip, the non-diegetic
music begins when the camera is underneath the water focusing on the female
swimmer from a low angle shot which could also be seen as the shark’s point of
view and at this moment, the camera is quite far away from the swimmer. The
instruments used are string instruments which are what instruments are commonly
used in psychological thriller movies. The non-diegetic music begins with a
peaceful opening to represent the serenity of the ocean; also, the music is not
so intense here because the shark (antagonist) is not close to the swimmer yet.
Also, it makes the audience wonder what is going to happen next to the
protagonist. However, once the camera (the shark) gets closer to the swimmer
and there is a low angle shot from beneath the swimmer, this is when the iconic
music of Jaws begins. The non-diegetic music changes from a low pitch violin to
a lower pitched string instrument starting quietly then gradually increasing
the volume as the shark gets closer. This increases the tension within the
audience and tells the audience that an attack is about to happen. In Jaws
films when the shark is about to attack, this music will always play. As the
shark gets closer to the swimmer, the tempo of the music increases and when a
sudden movement happens, the high-pitch violin plays above of the constant
melody. This makes the audience jump, which puts them in the protagonists
position of their heart rate increasing and feeling scared.
The Shining
The Shining (1980) is also
another film that includes iconic music and sounds. In this clip, the
non-diegetic music matches the action and the genre of the film as the music
used would contrast to a film with the genre of romantic comedy for example.
The non-diegetic music starts
with a slower tempo and then builds up throughout this scene as the antagonist
is braking through the door with the axe trying to get to the protagonist. This
is a key element to music in psychological thriller movies as it builds tension
within the audience. String instruments are used and are high pitched to make
the audience feel uncomfortable as it is quite unpleasant and piercing to
listen to which adds to the uneasiness of the action taking place. As well as
the non-diegetic music, there is also diegetic sounds in this clip. For
example, when the antagonist is breaking the bathroom door with the axe, there
is the sudden sounds of the axe hitting the door, which alongside the
increasing intensity of the music, makes the audience fear for the safety of
the protagonist. The diegetic sound of the female victim screaming “NO!” is
once again; high pitched and piercing for the audience to listen to, this makes
the audience feel uncomfortable about the situation and fearful. The diegetic sound
of the antagonist’s act hitting the door is also powerful compared to the
protagonist holding the knife which seems small and harmful compared to the
axe. This is a key element to psychological thrillers as the victim is always
presented as less physically strong. Like Jaws, as the antagonist gets closer
to the victim, the music intensifies and becomes lower in pitch; however, the
high pitched string instruments continue to play in the background. This
increases the fear and tension within the audience as it shows that something
dangerous is about to happen.
Overall, I think that in our
film opening, we will take all these point into consideration about the music
and sound of a psychological thriller as we aim to make the audience feel
uncomfortable, tense and scared when watching. We also want them to question
what will happen next in the film and we think that the building of tension
within the music will contribute to this.
By Melissa Owen
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