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My chosen genre: Thriller

Thriller theories and characters

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Page 1: Thriller theories and characters

My chosen genre:Thriller

Page 2: Thriller theories and characters

Typical thriller characters

• Within a thriller there is always a protagonist he/she is usually the person who saves the day, they are also usually the main character, the film revolves around them. Some are trying to prove themselves to friends or family, and in other cases they have had a tragic background which is usually why they do what they do. They are usually stereotyped as being able to save everything but sometimes this is not the case. The protagonist is usually portrayed in a good way some people look up to him because he may have morals about life and about the way he does things. For example Dominic in fast and furious he always puts his family first. An of this would be someone like batman or James Bond. you have the antagonist who is the person who causes the majority of the problems for the protagonist, they are usually after revenge or they just want to gain power of a city or they want something that isn't theirs like an artifact. Both these characters go on quests however both for different reasons. They both eventually have to battle to see who gets this thing they are looking for. An example of antagonist would be the joker or gang. The antagonist is usually portrayed as violence and nasty. They are also usually stereotyped for being murderous. Then you have the helper these are people who help a lot however they do not have a large roll within the movie. This person is usually portrayed as vulnerable and innocent. They also care a lot about the individual that they are helping and only do it to keep them safe. They give advice usually advice that is helpful however sometimes this advice can get ignored and this can cause problems for the protagonist throughout. An example of this would be Alfred out of batman. Then you have a dispatcher the person that gives the information out sometimes it is to help and in some cases it is to waste the time of the protagonist. This depends on whether or not they are good or bad. An example of this would be an informant for the police. They are either very smart looking and wear nice expensive suits or they are someone who has very little more, mainly rich thought. Then you have the princess, see is usually the reward for the hero at the end of the movie they always fall for each other because most times she has to be saved because the antagonist kidnaps her to lure the protagonist into a trap. An example of this would be Kim from taken. She is usually stereotyped as vulnerable and many people just assume that she is a she whereas it can also be a male. Then there is the donor the person who gives the protagonist some help him correct everything that has gone wrong, to repair the tsyvetan todorov. An example of a donor would be someone like Morgan Freeman in batman. They are usually on the same side as the protagonist because they are giving them expensive things such as weapons and cars to help them on their quest.

Page 3: Thriller theories and characters

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• This theory can be added to a thriller because there is always a girl left at the end of the movie. She may not necessarily be a virgin. However is is most films the girl that uses the protagonist in a sexual encounter usually has to go up again the ‘final girl’ at the end of the film and is defeated. The final girl would be the person who the protagonist has to chase for and save at the end of the film. This character is usually very attractive and the protagonist and in some cases antagonist both fight for here affection, because they see everything as a competition. Its usually the protagonist that gets the girl after he has proved himself by defeating the antagonist. They usually have a unisex name and are a little masculine with the way they present themselves, sometimes they are not not found very attractive. Halle Berry is shown as very masculine in James Bond however she is seen as very attractive towards the end. In some cases sexual tension is shown when they use phallic symbols. However this theory is a lot more popular in horror movies it only applys sometimes to thriller movies.

Page 4: Thriller theories and characters

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• In every film there is always some kind of male dominance because they are stereotypically seen as the stronger and more powerful character in other words they are physically and mentally stronger. This is shown in all thrillers because the main character whether it been the antagonist or the protagonist are usually always men. The men play an active role whereas women usually play a passive role within the movie industry. In some cases men are shown as independent whereas women are the complete opposite. Women are portrayed to not be able to do anything without a man by their side. Also there is always a sexual attractiveness to men for example they will have a nice body and will be very good looking. The man are usually dressed in a suits and look very smart which shows the audience that they are serious whereas women wear more provocative clothing, so they may not be taken as serious.

Male dominance