The history of the Thriller genre.

Thriller is a genre of film and literature which uses suspense, tension and excitement to attract the audience. I am going to reasearch into the history of the thriller genre by looking at thrillers through the decades. I will look at one film from each decade to see how each film changed the style and shape of the thriller genre.

1910 - 1920
Les Vampires (Louis Feuillade 1915)

One of the first recorded thriller films is Louis Feuillade's 'Les Vampires' - released in France on 13th November 1915. It is a story about a reporter and his friend who battle a society of vampires. The run-time on the US DVD is 399 minutes and it is a silent, black and white film.













1920 - 1930
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari (Robert Wiene 1920)

The Cabinet of Dr Caligari was released in Germany on the 27th February 1920. It is a tinted black and white thriller that runs for around 71 mintues. The story is based around Dr Caligari's predictions - involving savage murders. The film is said to be the first film to introduce 'twist' endings.












1930 - 1940
The Man who Knew too Much (Alfred Hitchcock 1934)

The Man Who Knew Too Much is an Alfred Hitchock film, released in 1934, about a young girl who is kidnapped to prevent her parents from revealing what they know about an assasination plot. It's a black and white film, with mono sounds and it runs for 75 minutes. Hitchcock remade the film in 1956 for Paramount Pictures. Alfred Hickcock was an English producer, director and screenwriter. He produced block-buster thriller films between 1920 and 1980. He was known for breaking the boundaries with his unique filming style, using framed shots to manipulate the viewer and innovative editing to demonstrate point of view.








1940 - 1950
Nightmare (Tim Whelan 1942)

Nightmare is a black and white film with mino sound and it runs for 81 minutes. Its a 'crime thriller' about an ex gambler who helps out a widow and becomes involved with murder and secret agents. The 'crime thriller' sub-genre only really came to light in the 1940's. It involves a mix of cime and thriller films that offer an account of crimes to build suspense. These films almost always focus on the criminal and central topics including robbery, chases and shootouts.









1950 - 1960
Les Espions (Henri-Georges Clouzot 1957)

'Les Espions' is a black and white film with mono sound and it runs for 125 minutes. Clouzot wrote the story, involving a doctor who is offered money to shelter a new patient. This film introduced the 'spy thriller' sub-genre.













1960 - 1970
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock 1960)

Hitchcock's 'Psycho' is a black and white film, with mono sound and it runs for 109 minutes. It has gained alot of recognition over the years, placing 1st in AFI's top 100 thrillers and being nominated for 4 oscars. It is now seen as Hitchcock's best film.













1970 - 1980
Dirty Harry (Dont Siegel 1971)

'Dirty Harry' is an American 'crime thriller' and was the first film of the 'Dirty Harry' series. The running time was 102 minutes and it was a colour film. The film caused major controversy when it was released over issues ranging from police brutality to victims rights. It was cominated for an Edgar Allen Poe award in 1972.












1980 - 1990
Blade Runner (Ridley Scott, 1982)

Blade runner is a 'sci-fi thriller' about a blade runner who has to track down and kill 4 replicants. Its a colour film that runs for 117 minutes.The film explored a world that was driven by technology and in recent years it is thought that the films version of reality is coming true.












1990 - 2000
Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)

Pulp fiction is rated the number one thriller film of all time. It's actors include John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson. It was created in the USA and is a colour film that runs for 154 minutes. It is well known for its ironic mix of humour and violence. It also uses a 'non-linear' storyline which was quite innovative for the thriller genre. It was nominated for seven oscars, won an Acadamy Award and a BAFTA.











2000 - 2010
The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, 2008)

The Dark Knight is rated number three in AFI's all time thriller films. It runs for 152 minutes and is a colour film. The film was based on the DC comics character Batman and was a sequal to Batman Begins (Christopher Nolan, 2005). The film has won and been nominated for over 30 awards, including winning an two Oscars, a BAFTA, two Critics Choice awards and a golden globe.












By looking at these 10 films, you can see that there are certain ones which really changed the shape of the thriller genre, like 'The Cabinet of Dr Caligari' which introduced twist endings and 'Pulp Fiction' which introduced humour into a thriller film.