Thriller Signifiers

The thriller 'Sin City' uses a variety of thriller signifiers. The one that stands out most to me is the use of light and dark (chiaroscuro lighting). The film is all in black and white; there is a strong contrast between light and dark throughout the film. Also, certain objects are in red, yellow and other bright colours. This is to help show different meanings and give different connotations to the shots. A thriller signifier that uses a bright colour in the film is a 'femme-fatal'/'lady in red'. This is common in thrillers, and in this particular film, the color red is used very well to show lust and danger.
A 'femme-fatal' is also used in other thrillers i have watched. Such as the film, China Town. There is a mysterious woman in the film that we do not know much about, which the hero falls in love with, and she could possible affect his actions.

The most common signifier I have noticed is 'twists' in the plot. This is true in Sin City, Vertigo, Chinatown, The Lucky Number Slevin and many others. Plot twists are used in all these films to shock people and make them confused and have to think about the story. Thrillers are all about mystery and twists. e.g. A plot twist in a film is when the main character in The Lucky Number Slevin turns out to have set a large trap for the other characters. The audience only finds this out at the end, which shocks people.

Another signifier is spirals. These represent how the plot can twist and turn back on its self. Spirals are used in the film 'Vertigo' in the credits, and also by using a spiral staircase.

There are also 'flawed heroes' in many thrillers. This is true in Vertigo where the hero has a fear of heights; in Chinatown where the hero smokes and drinks a lot; and in The Lucky Number Slevin where the hero seems to be unlucky and weak.

In some thrillers, the use small enclosed spaces and vast open areas is used to give the feeling of claustrophobia. This signifier and many others, are used to help build mystery and tension.

Thrillers commonly have quite a bit of tension building and making the audience think fast.

The narrative of thrillers, as well as having twists in the plot, is also told in most thrillers to be mysterious in different ways. One common way (which is used in Layer Cake and Sin City) of telling the story in thrillers is by using an internal monologue. In Sin City this is said well, as gives more than one characters views via an internal monologue. In the introduction in Sin City the internal monologue is poetic and mysterious and helps give the film a certain thriller 'feel' to it.

Watching other thrillers and learning about thriller signifiers has really helped me understand more about what thrillers are and how I could make my own thriller. I can use my knowledge on thriller signifiers to try and include them in my own film.