Rubin, Martin, 1947- . Thrillers / Martin Rubin. 0521581834 series Cambridge, U.K. ; New York, NY : Cambridge University Press, 1999.
Call#: Van Pelt Library PN1995.9.S87 R83 1999

    The first chapter of this book describes ‘thriller' as a genre that is inherently different from other genres. Usually genres have specific themes and iconography (i.e. saloons, cowboy hats etc.) and a level of general relationships, patterns and structural elements. Thrillers however can take widely varying forms and thus conventional iconographic elements are far from universal in the genre. Thus, to define a thriller one must concentrate on conceptual, relational and structural elements. Playing with visceral emotions rather than cognitive ones, the thriller emphasizes suspense, fright, mystery, exhilaration, excitement, speed and movement. Because there is little standardized convention, the filmmaker is given a large degree of freedom.

    Hitchcock has gained acclaim due to his skill for creating thrillers. He is known for his ability to create suspense and shock when the viewer least expects it. While it is true that Hitchcock's thrillers do defy expectation by relying on emotion, it is ambiguous whether the thriller completely ignores specific themes and iconography. For example, one could argue that a dark alley represents a shady endeavor, and that something bad is about to transpire. Hitchcock is famous for ignoring these canned situations. While the average thriller relies on the rising suspense as a character walks down a dark alley, Hitchcock creates excitement by masterminding plot twists during the audience's period of emotional security, for example during a conversation in the U.N.'s general assembly. By creating a false sense of security and then destroying the illusion, Hitchcock commands an unusually high level of control over his audience. These techniques employed by Hitchcock are considered to be the standard by which other Thrillers should be made, however only a highly skilled director is able to captivate his audience and avoid cliché scenarios while still utilizing the same repertoire (murders, kidnappings etc.) that are often required in this genre.