Props evaluation

Props within Thriller Films

The Props generally used in many Thriller films consist of weapons such as guns, explosives, knives etc. These contribute to adding suspense and a lot of tension in a thriller film , especially in particular scenes. The use of weapons can establish to an audience who is the Antagonist or Protagonist, depending on the narrative.

Many other props within a thriller film uses aspects from other thriller films such as the shiny knife, the white shower curtain, the dripping bathroom/kitchen tap and blood (fake blood). Thriller films such as ' Psycho' , ' The Stepfather' and ' What Lies Beneath' borrow these aspects of from each other.

Cigarettes will be used within our film as firstly, it links to what Joseph Damien is against within the film, he believes in 'your body is a temple' therefore smoking would be going against the religious teaching he follows. Secondly we are going to have our Victim within the opening smoking as it links to why Joseph would want to murder her, showing her abusing her body. Furthermore it links the victim to her age range as a teenage girl who is trying to be 'cool' and fit in with others her age.

A gun is commonly shown within thriller films as  they are always being used to show importance to a character and are typical of any gangster/mafia man to be carrying around. Guns also have a way of showing empowerment of a character and are used to help create tension and fear. They also symbolize murder, crime and death which we wanted within our opening, however we decided to not use a gun as a prop this time. We did this because our use of a knife symbolizes what a doctor commonly uses inside a operating theater to save people, yet is also using the same sort of instrument to commit a murder.

A crucifix was a good prop to use within our film as it linked to our religious theme we wanted and showed that he believed in God. It also was a question to the audience of why is he committing murder if he believes in God? The prop was used several times throughout our opening, firstly when Joseph got out the photographs of his victim murdered, then hanging over his computer screen and then in the car it appeared hanging from the inside car mirror. This also shows the audience that he must find some comfort in this item as he appears to take it everywhere with him. Maybe it is to ask for forgiveness for sinning or he is doing what God wants him to do. A crucifix is common in psycho-thrillers such as Se7en, as there is always an underlying religious theme throughout.

A knife is yet again common in thriller films, as it represents death, murder and crime. We decided to use a knife within Doctor 6:19 as our use of a knife symbolizes what a doctor commonly uses inside a operating theater to save people, yet is also using the same sort of instrument to commit a murder, showing his dark sided character as well. We also used this is a prop because it takes a more physical and emotional act of violence with a knife to hurt and kill someone rather than a gun which could be used at a distance without a physical act. 

We used a bible within our opening as it portrays our religious aspect we wanted within our film, which most psycho-thrillers have. We showed Joseph scribbling onto the bible, which is abnormal to the audience and other people within the film. It also shows that his profession is closely connected to God, as he saves people for a living, until the audience sees that he in fact is not the hero in the film.

We used a rope within our film because within a thriller film it can symbolize death and murder. We used this prop within the scene when Joseph gets out the photographs of Sara, his victim and shows the rope laid over her. This shows that she could also have been tied up before she was murdered, adding to the tension of Joseph as a character.

Another prop used within films is fake blood, with represents themes of murder, death, punishment and crime. We used blood within our opening as it would portray these themes that we wanted. We used it within our titles, so linked with Josephs writing on the bible through the use of messy hand writing as well.

Particularly what we used as well in our opening

We showed Joseph in a dark black hoodie, which appears very mysterious as he walks out of the hospital and then in the night time scenes that follow. We did this as it contrasts with his suit and tie he was wearing while in his office and shows his two personalities. He is a well-educated doctor in the beginning and then appears to look like a gangsta-type thug in the next. 

Fast cars are usually seen within thriller films, in this case as ours was a psycho-thriller, we went more for what type of car our character would have, rather than the speed at which it would go. As Joseph is a doctor and would have quite a bit of money, I decided that he would have a bigger car than others. One of my parents has this car shown within the picture so we all decided it was a perfect match. The color black also looked mysterious in the night time scenes of our opening.

Rhianna Henson-Smith