In Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, the selfishness seems even more chilling. Henry's murder spree starts with the death of two prostitutes, and it is the lack of significance that Henry gives to those murders that is startling. It would probably be freeing to lose that connection to people, to be in a position where human life means nothing. However, it would also be alien and frightening. That is why movies like Silence of the Lambs have such a tremendous appeal; Hannibal Lecter may have killed many people, but he is clearly capable of forming some level of emotional attachment. He seems so charming and engaging that he turns into the hero of the movie, though his actions do not support that role.
Finally, serial-killer thrillers tap into the basic fear of strangers. Serial-killers are distinguished by the fact that they do not target those close to them. In Copycat, the killer actually goes after the detective in charge of the case, providing the adrenaline rush of an
In Silence of the Lambs, Clarice is only momentarily in danger, but the serial killer's victim is placed in a pit in the ground, in a dangerous and demeaned position. The fact that she turns the tables on the killer, by abducting his little dog and holding it hostage takes the vicarious scare further by showing that someone could triumph in that situation. Of course, Henry: Portrait of Serial Killer may be the scariest movie of them all, because it portrays Henry sitting in the mall, casually scanning for his next victim; most movie-goers have walked in a mall at sometime, and that scene makes it clear that they were all potential victims.
Serial-killer suspense movies evoke a wide-array of emotions. They challenge the audience to try to understand the serial killer and predict future actions, making people feel intellectually stimulated by the movie. They allow people the vicarious thrill of absolute selfishness, as well as the repulsion such selfishness engenders in a normal person. Finally, they tap into the basic human fear of strangers, and make audience members aware of their own vulnerabilities. Given how many emotions are involved in watching serial-killer suspense movies, their enduring popularity is no surprise.
Movie Critique: The Pursuit of Happyness When it comes to film making, the subject of rags to riches tales have been one of the most common subject for many filmmakers. Most film viewers have watched a number of movies that revolve around a financially broken protagonist making it big. However, in the post Y2k era, it is a common perception among many that a movie has to be high on graphics,
Film Noir The 1945 film "Mildred Pierce" is the epitome of film noir, complete with the femme fatale, theme of betrayal and hopelessness and use of flashbacks. While the 1954 "On the Waterfront" also uses the theme of betrayal and hopelessness, it breaks from the film noir genre, and rather than using flashbacks, it is told in present time and the use of the femme fatale is replaced by an unscrupulous
The spectator is unwittingly sutured into a colonialist perspective. But such techniques are not inevitably colonialist in their operation. One of the innovations of Pontocorvo's Battle of Algiers is to invert the imagery of encirclement and exploit the identificatory mechanisms of cinema in behalf of the colonized rather than the colonizer (Noble, 1977). It is from within the casbah that we see and hear the French troops and helicopters. This
Film Noir Among the various styles of producing films, it has been observed the noir style is one that has come to be recognized for its uniqueness in characterization, camera work and striking dialogue. Film Noir of the 1940s and 50s were quite well-known for their feminine characters that were the protagonists, the femme fatale. This was most common with the French, later accepted in the United States. There might have
In this area, meanings with their endless referrals evolve. These include meanings form discourses, as well as cultural systems of knowledge which structure beliefs, feelings, and values, i.e., ideologies. Language, in turn, produces these temporal "products." During the next section of this thesis, the researcher relates a number of products (terminology) the film/TV industry produced, in answer to the question: What components contribute to the linguistic aspect of a sublanguage
Film Analysis of the Patriot Colonial America For the purposes of this paper, the film of focus will the Patriot. This film was written by Robert Rodat and directed by Roland Emmerich. The film has quite a cast, including stars the late Heath Ledger, and Mel Gibson, both of which have substantial film careers and reputations both on and off the screen. The film was released in 2000 by Columbia Pictures, a
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