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Lesson 4
Reply to post your assignment.
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27 Replies
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Maggie Tsavaris’s BI Stacking Suspense
My list of everything I learned:
1) The gradual reveal—over the course of a number of scenes, like slowly peeling away the layers of an onion—of both Nick’s and Catherine’s characters’ flaws and past histories and M.I.S.
2) Beth’s reveal of her psychopathic nature doesn’t happen until much further on when Nick discovers that Beth is Lisa Hoberman. That was a good, eerie wow moment. I kind of wish it had been sooner because that for me was when the movie started getting really exciting. Before that, everything felt a bit too predictable and almost boring (but perhaps that was because the movie came out in 1992, which is 31 years ago). Holy cow, time flies. But audiences expect more now.
3) That said, I definitely noticed how essential every scene was because every scene had a purpose, a reveal of some sort, for the mystery of whether Catherine is the killer of her lovers and husband(s) and whether her books are meant as covers for her murders.
4) I do like the ice pick under the bed at the very end because we don’t know if she’ll kill him with it sometime in the future. But I guess not today. Although the day ain’t over yet. And she did say to Nick, several scenes before that, “Somebody has to die” in the story or the books won’t sell.
5) I like that we don’t get to figure out some things until later, like who killed Nilsan, after Beth’s character starts unraveling.
6) Near the end, when the cops are all looking at Beth’s stalking photos of Catherine, I like that one of them says to Nick (who has recently shot and killed Beth), “You just can’t tell about people, can you?” And then more pointedly to Nick, he adds, “Even the ones you think you know inside and out.”
7) I wish Nick has been a slightly more likeable character so that I could have cared whether he lived or died. Even when someone is a “problem detective” and has all of Nick’s other flaws (and he has many), I absolutely can empathize and care about what happens to him when he has something—anything—nice or likeable in his character or in a moment somewhere that he shows us, but Nick did not show me anything, so I didn’t really care about him, which reduced some of the potential intrigue and suspense for me.
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Brendan Guerin’s BI Stacking suspense
1. This assignment gave me a deep insight into just how much suspense is baked into every scene of a great thriller. Not a moment is wasted.
2. Having watched this thriller now for the second time in a week (baring decades ago), i was amazed how much of the subtle detail i missed the first time around; eg how many misleading cues/signals Catherine sends to Nick. This led me to suspect for quite a while that she was most likely the villain, certainly not Beth.
3. I was also surprised to see how often Nick would take the opportunity to mimic Catherine, which i barely registered the first time around when i just let the story wash over me. No doubt it was probably working on a subconscious level.
4. At times, in the scene analysis, i felt that the mystery and intrigue were almost interchangeable which i guess doesn’t really matter, so long as there is MIS of some kind in every scene.
5. I found it interesting that the element of Intrigue appears in every scene bar 24 and even there, one could say “how alike Nick and Catherine?” is an element of intrigue as much as Mystery. Elements of Mystery and Suspense where perhaps used more judiciously, especially later in the film.
6. As for Red Herrings, i felt the characters of Catherine and Roxy had a double whammy effect in terms of sending viewers false cues and distracting us from thinking more deeply about other possible villains.
7. I found the model really inspiring and motivating, despite coming to the realisation that i need far more advanced skills in applying the Stacked Suspense model in thriller story development.
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NORENE SMILEY’S ASSIGNMENT 1: BASIC INSTINCT
What I learned doing this assignment:
1. Every scene dealt with MIS from beginning to end.
2. Every character seems damaged.
3. Every scene challenged the protagonist and made life worse for him.
4. The story kept us guessing right until the very end, and beyond.
5. Doubt was cast on the protagonist’s character, leaving him vulnerable, full of human weaknesses and lying to himself. On top of that he lost his best friend, Gus, and was in love with the killer. We have to question his judgement.
6. The viewer is led to hope for a happy ending for these two conflicted characters BUT then we are hit with the secreted ice pick!
Yikes!
7. I had forgotten about the power of the classic scene of Catherine being interviewed by a roomful of policemen. The dynamics and manipulation were stunning and made her a formidable adversary.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Norene Smiley.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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Rachel’s Basic Instinct Stacking Suspense
Through the action and dialogue, each scene raises questions in the viewers’ minds – Who exactly is each character (they may not be who they seem to be); Why are they behaving in this way at this moment; What are their deeper motivations; What will happen next; Will the protagonist survive and solve the mystery?
These questions create the MIS of the scene and the characters. Unless the scene raises questions, there is no MIS created.
Some scenes raise many questions, touching on all aspects of mystery, intrigue and suspense. These scenes most successfully use the stacking suspense chart.
Other scenes may not raise all of the questions, but to keep the viewer interested, they must touch on at least one aspect of mystery, intrigue or suspense.
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Mariannjely’s BI Stacking Suspense
1. This assignment helped me understand how each scene can create suspense and keep viewers engaged.
2. Basic Instinct is a film where every scene matters and has a goal. I enjoyed how they kept me questioning things along the way and the twists and turns it had.
3. The relationship and tension-building between Cat and Nick were very interesting to watch.
4. Even though it seemed that a lot was going on with Nick’s questionable past and Cat’s suspicious past, it was okay to follow along.
5. Beth and Roxy both functioned as red herrings.
6. Gus was Nick’s confidant, and he gave information about Nick and Beth.
7. I liked how the opening and closing scenes mirrored each other.
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Assignment 1: Tina’s BI Stacking Suspense
List of the things I learned about Thrillers:
– Nothing is subtle as far as what people say and what they want. It’s in your face all of the time. There’s actually not a lot in the way of subtext. Maybe it’s because in the early ‘90s subtext wasn’t as big a requirement in a script?
– Every scene needs questions for the audience to pursue the answers too, whether it be something about a character, a mystery, a set-up, a pay-off that leads to another question, etc. I can see where the table will help come up with the thriller components.
– The story needs to get started quickly and let pertinent backstory come out over time through escalations, new mysteries, etc.
– The story needs to hold the viewer’s interest from start to finish, which this did.
– The end needs to satisfy the journey of this story. This ending gave us a bonus, as it left the future hanging which was interesting and also made you continue to worry about the hero. Or, maybe Catherine just likes the thrill of knowing the ice pick was under the bed, adding to her thrill of sex in that she holds his life in her hands.
Assignment 2: Tina’s SOTL Stacking Suspense
List of the things I learned about Thrillers:
– Precautions and rules given to the hero gives direction to the reader/ audience and a heads-up to what’s coming which is the breaking of those rules by either the hero or villain, probably both.
– Question after question arises that the hero must figure out.
– The hero and villain are flip-sides of the same coin.
– The character makes some progress but usually faces overwhelming odds that they must find a way out of.
– Misleads equal twists in character or story which invite participation by the reader/audience as they try to think ahead to figure out what comes next or the “who done it”. When things don’t work out the way the reader thinks they will, and it’s a good twist, they’re delighted that the writer was able to stay one step ahead of them.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Tina Howe.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Tina Howe.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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Assignment 1: John’s Basic Instinct Stacking Suspense.
I realized how dense the story is. It’s chock full of MIS. The mystery and intrigue are compelling and drive the story forward in large part because it’s so tough to conclude who the villains are and who or what can be trusted. Part of the enjoyment for the audience is evaluating what information is true, vital, distorted, trustworthy of false.
Much of the mystery is conveyed quickly in dialogue. Whether it’s a fact that is being stated or an opinion raised or argued by Nick, his partner, other cops, or the various suspects. Information must always be weighed in light of the character who provides it. The MIS map is extremely intricate and layered regarding the breadth of the questions raised and how and when they are paid off.
Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the story is that the leads as characters are worthy adversaries. Neither one retreats from the challenge the other presents. My favorite scenes involve their rivalry, their game play, and their chemistry. Nick admits he’s in love with Catherine, but as a professional crime investigator, he still intends to nail her for the crime he believes she committed.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by John Woodward.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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John Stimson’s BI Stacking Suspense
Throughout the film images in scenes are repeated from the images we see in the first, at first it ratches up the tension and suspense in the film, but after midway the repeated images become a tease without a payoff.
An interesting payoff of suspense was, having seen this more before (although many many years ago) and knowing who the killer was it was interesting to watch Jeanne Tripplehorn’s actions and reactions. She was unhinged, but you don’t know if it’s Beth’s feelings for Nick or if she’s the killer or she’s mentally fragile.
Suspense is stacked by Catherine’s showing of mental fragility after Roxy’s death, a new dimension to Catherine’s character.
Nick’s mental fragility is a part of the suspense stacking, too. He has a destructive personality more than a death wish. Riggs in Lethal Weapon gave up his desire to live, but Nick is reckless; he makes mistakes, he’s clumsy in the investigators’ scene after the first murder.
Nick’s recklessness is stacked. At the mid-point, Nick goes to the dance club to pursue Catherine because he wants her sexually. Nick taunts Roxy, which proves reckless. And having sex with Catherine after the dance club is reckless since he believes that she is the killer. Nick and Catherine’s sex scene is a replay of the murder images, as mentioned above.
Foreshadowing is used to stack the suspense. Late in the film, Nick reads Catherine’s galleys he reads a scene describing Shooter’s death scene which turns out to be the same body placement of Gus when Nick finds him a the elevator.
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John Duvall: What I learned from watching Basic Instinct
1. Having several suspects helps build mystery, intrigue and suspense.
2. All major characters display a complex mix of positive and negative character traits, and all of them are in some way not honest with themselves
3. Each set-up is followed by a reversal
4. Each character has a line of dialogue (or several) that define their inner conflict
5. Characters’ backstories are revealed through action
6. “Who can you trust?” is a theme that runs throughout the story
7. It’s okay to end on an ambiguous note
8. It’s always about sex and death
9. Almost every scene contains elements of intrigue and character MIS,, but not every scene contains elements of mystery or suspense, and only about half the scenes address major stakes.
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Mariannjely’s SOTL Stacking Suspense
1. With this assignment I learned to dissect and analyze scenes so I can create my own with the level of suspense, intrigue, and mystery that a good thriller demands.
2. Silence of the lambs keeps the story going in a very engaging way, allowing the viewer to discovery new things with every scene. The stakes are high, and I noticed I barely left any blank square in the chart. The movie is full of MIS, stakes, and twists even at the very end!
3. The lead characters in the silence of the lambs have a backstory we are discovering with each scene, just at the right time.
4. Clarice is a wonderful character who constantly has to probe to others and to herself to be valuable to the team, especially when looked down as one of the few women in the FBI.
5. Clarice’s confidant seems to be Jack and even Hannibal. She is a student wanting to prove herself so much Hannibal even acts as a mentor.
6. Hannibal is such a complete character because even though he’s insane, he’s extremely smart.
7. Buffalo Bill takes the saying “not comfortable in your own skin” to the next level. The theme along the storyline is cohesive and interesting.
8. The cinematography work is beautiful in highlighting every detail. A subtle message was in the close of the character’s eyes, used during the scenes as revelations of truth.
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Maggie Tsavaris’s SOTL Stacking Suspense
My list of everything I learned:
1) Wow! This movie is so solid. It came out in 1991, 32 years ago (where in heaven’s name did the time go???!!!), yet it’s just as tightly and soundly structured as the best of them today.
2) Every scene has a clear purpose, and if it doesn’t have “suspense,” then it has “mystery” or “intrigue” or both. Most of the scenes have stakes and 95% have clear Character M.I.S.
3) The second scene, which is Clarice in Crawford’s office, shoves us suddenly, directly into a fiery pit of “mystery,” “intrigue,” and “suspense,” after the “action” of Clarice seeing the news articles & horrific pics on Crawford’s walls of Bill skins 5th. Crawford tells Clarice that Hannibal Lecter won’t talk to anyone, and he doesn’t expect that Hannibal will talk to Clarice, but says we have to try.
So we’re wondering who is this psycho who won’t talk to anyone, will he talk to Clarice, how will she try to get him to talk, and maybe this is her way into Behavioral Science with Crawford if she can get him to talk. And Crawford tells her don’t give Hannibal any personal information because “Believe me, you don’t want him inside your head.” That raises the stakes, so now we’re very concerned about Clarice’s mental health and her well-being because we saw in the opening scene right before this one how dedicated, determined, and young she is in this world of mostly men. And she’s just a trainee, just starting her career. And we like her. I like her a lot, so I care about what happens to her.
4) I filled out the chart for every scene, which maybe is partly why I liked it sooooo much better this time around. I mean, I remember that I watched it sometime after it left the theaters, but I don’t recall thinking it was anything terribly special then as I do now.
5) So after the scene in Crawford’s office, Clarice goes to the asylum in Baltimore where Dr. Lecter is housed, and the “mystery” builds as she has to go through all of the guards and locked doors and protocols and hear the rules, and we are wondering how is Clarice going to manage (especially after the egotistical, obnoxious Dr. Chilton shows a picture to her and explains what Hannibal did to a nurse). And the “intrigue” builds as to why all of these guards and locked doors and protocols and rules are required, i.e., who the hell is Hannibal Lecter? (And in a much later scene, Catherine’s mother refers to him as something non-human after he gets inside her head.) “Character M.I.S.” shows up when Clarice bravely, calmly, in her determined manner, tells Chilton she should go alone. Of course, this is a huge kick to Chilton’s giant ego. And the “suspense” builds as Clarice walks down the hall, alone, toward Hannibal’s cell.
6) The scene in Memphis, TN is great. We meet Catherine as she’s driving and singing and then parking at her apartment where her cat is waiting for her at the window. And then we meet Bill. We don’t know it’s Bill yet, and the M.I.S. is all there. We’re thinking, uh-oh, who is this guy pretending to move furniture at night right outside this girl’s apartment. Is this Bill, about to capture his next vic? Of course, Catherine goes to help him (her M.I.S.=trusting, helpful, kind), and we’re thinking, oh noooo, do not help this guy. And then, when he lures her into his vehicle and knocks her out, we’re thinking, what the hell is he going to do with her now? Skin her, no doubt. And at stake of course, is Catherine’s life, and the cat meows as Bill drives off with Catherine.
7) I could go on with each scene, but I don’t think anyone will want to read it because we’re all doing this assignment! I’m sure this chart I filled out in detail (with my fave purple ink), along with Hal’s Basic Instinct chart, is going to be very helpful in the very near future. This was an awesome assignment, and I’m so excited to try implementing this method of structuring scenes in all of my thrillers.
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David Wickenden BI Stacking Suspense
ASSIGNMENT #1 Fatal Attraction
Thriller Conventions
· High Stake: more killing, including Nick.
· Life & death: Nick’s job, sanity, and life.
· Mystery: Who is the killer and why?
· Hero/Villain: Nick is a cop with a past, hindered by politics, mind games, and his growing affection for main suspect.
· Emotions: Suspense, mystery, tension, the unknown, and surprise.
Characters with M.I.S.:
M.I.S. in each scene – see spreadsheet.
The writers drop mysteries and suspense throughout the film, letting clues and truths out minutely so that the viewer never truly understands the truth of the matter. Even during the final scene, we see Cathy reaching under the bed for something, but when Nick say’s the right thing, she turns over to kiss him without any weapon. Afterwards, we see the ice pick under the bed. It leaves a final question of mystery that each individual view must answer for themselves.
For every question we have answered, two more pop up.
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Joanna’s BI Stacking Suspense
Catherine Tramell, a homicide suspect: from the first minutes on the screen she is cold, distant, unpleasant, and even brazenly confident. I don’t like her – it’s not happening very often with women’s characters. My feelings about her don’t change until the end of the movie – after Roxy dies, after her former stalker (Beth) is revealed… I don’t change my mind about her as Nick does. I don’t trust her, I don’t want to continue watching this movie and her story.
Nick Curran, detective: he is shown from the beginning on a good side, unlike his colleagues, he does not succumb to her charms and taunts. The more she provokes him, the more she knows about him, the more she shows him his psyche and weaknesses, the more he becomes obsessed with her guilt and herself. Over time, Nick gets closer and closer to her, which is dangerous. But I understand his motivations, what is behind it and what he wants to lead to as a result. So, even though I wish he wouldn’t put himself at risk, I still root for him.
Conclusion – setting the hero from the beginning as antipathetic can be risky – the viewer may dislike him/her so much that his fate will become indifferent, as long as he does not keep his fingers crossed for him to die miserably.
Regardless, it was a very important and enlightening exercise, it gave me an insight into the structure of the thriller.
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SOTL
This assignment was very mind-opened for me.
C. Starling is young, inexperienced, expressive reactions reveal her emotions, yet her actions and decisions are so real. She is honest, doesn’t hide anything, and this inspires trust. Intelligent, ambitious, she quickly and accurately concludes Lecter’s riddles. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and rooting for her until the very end.
Lecter as a character is a masterpiece – creating a psychiatrist-psychopath is a big challenge, and he’s also very smart… hands down! I’ve learned that a character can be locked up in a prison, practically passive – and yet so intriguing that you want to follow how the plot unfolds.
The action starts when Bill kidnaps the senator’s daughter. Bill becomes the driving force behind the plot and negotiations between the FBI and Lecter – quid pro quo – for Starling to get something about Bill, she must give Lecter her privacy. This changes the tensions elsewhere – Bill is the “active” one here, but the girl’s life now depends on Lecter.
It’s an interesting technique here – the police are dealing with Bill’s case, but the scale pointer goes between Starling and Lecter. Soon after, their paths diverge: Lecter fights for his freedom, and Starling solves the case herself – the tension is on her side again and grows.
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David Wickenden Stacking Suspense
Assignment #2
The Silence of the Lambs
· I’ll admit having seen the movie years ago and not enjoying it, having read most of the series by Thomas Harris, and despising what Michael Mann had done to the original Red Dragon—changed to Manhunter. Going through this movie today, with the breakdown of the M.I.S., I have much more appreciation for the film.
· Throughout the entire movie, all three M.I. S. are clear. Even when one is absent, the other two carry the story forward.
· By interlacing the M.I.S. together, it keeps the viewer question, wondering and trying to figure where the story will go. In essence, it pulls the viewer into the story as if they play an active role—a partner to Clarise. We can also feel her fears, as we know just how much she stands to lose if unsuccessful.
· By stacking the M.I. S., the story never has a lull or dead spot, but races head-on towards the climax
· This story also had two different stories. 1<sup>st</sup>. It was about Clarise hunting Buffalo Bill, but as Hannibal told her she had all the clues already. He may have given her clues, but she did solve the riddle of who the killer was. The 2<sup>nd</sup> story was Hannibal’s escape. The two stories interconnected, but both use stacking M.I. S., so they moved, one as fast as the other. We were cheering for Clarise, our hero, but I, for one, can admit, I was cheering Hannibal on to escape. I even appreciated that he was killing the doctor at the end of the scene.
I think this fascination of Hannibal is why both the book and the other movies continue to do well. Of course, with Hopkins as Hannibal, it is irresistible.
I will definitly use this tactic for both my scripts and my novels.
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Assignment 2
Brendan’s SOTL Stacking Suspense
What i learned from this assignment was:
1. The key characters meet the thriller conventions; Hero Clarice, if not unknowing, is certainly inexperienced and vulnerable while also resourceful, brave and ambitious.
2. Villain Buffalo Bill is incredibly complex with deep inner mysteries of self that even he doesn’t fully understand it seems.
3. But the most fascinating character is Hannibal, so dangerous yet so insightful and potentially helpful in finding Buffalo Bill that he becomes a kind of guide/mentor to Hero. He clearly enjoys playing with her fear, but his real goal is seize this wonderfull opportunity to execute his escape plan and seek revenge on Dr Chiltern. His escape from prison was a massive escalation of his power, becoming a second Villian in the story, putting our Hero in even more danger.
4. Hanabils response to Meg’s masturbation scene was intriguing, a kind of jealous fury. How dare he treat Clarice that way, she’s Hanabel’s visitor, show some respect! He responds by giving Clarice a useful lead so she hopefully keeps coming back to him for him to play with. To demonstrate his power, he later gets inside Meg’s head and destroys him. That’s hectic, massively ramping up the danger and suspense. Is no one safe from Hannibal?
5. Dr Chiltern was well drawn as a Red Herring, displaying all the tendencies of a sociopath capable of evil. But it sounds like he had his just desserts coming so not a high stakes Red Herring.
6. In the opening scene, the signs on the trees were foreboding of the sinister world and dark themes of the story. Nice set up.
7. Great example of Suspense: Around scene 20, when Clarice shares her sad childhood to Hanabil, i began to fear how he would use that insight against her. Stakes: Her privacy, her mental health, her career, possibly friends and family.
8. Great example of Mystery: Hanabil’s simple act of stealing Chiltern’s pen immediately poses an ominous question? how is he going to use it and on who? Maybe that’s what he uses to pick the hand cuffs free? His use of classical music was a brilliant way to lull the Warden’s into a slightly less heightened state of precaution.
9. Great example of Intrigue: Hannibal skins the Warden to use his face as a disguise, amplifying how playful, smart and dangerous he is.
10. In summary, there was so much mystery, it was hard to write it all down within the boxes provided. Very thrilling and satisfying story
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Day 4 assignment: The Silence of the Lambs
What I learned from analysing this film using the MIS stacking suspense model:
1. This model helps create strong characters that make us want to be invested in their fates.
2. This model raises questions in each scene that make us want to continue watching to learn the answers.
3. This model creates that feeling we call “sitting on the edge of your seat.”
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Norene Smiley’s SOTL Stacking Suspense – Silence of the Lambs
What I learned doing this assignment:
Pacing – the pacing of each scene amped up the suspense, especially from around scenes #30 to 40, where there was rapid switching back and forth between the FBI swat team descending on a suspect’s house and Clarice investigating alone in Ohio questioning a man living in the house of the first victim’s friend. We are led to believe they are in the same location as the action and intrigue synchronize e.g. door bells ringing. Really well done, bringing you to the edge of your seat, until you realize they are not in the same place at all. ‘Clarice!’ Oh she is in terrible danger now.
2. Visuals – Throughout this film, the Character MIS of Clarice – her resolute take-charge nature despite vulnerability, refusing to be a victim, her intellect and determination – was repeatedly shown visually, emphasizing what an exceptional person she was, even though she might have been the underdog. Examples: small Clarice was always in spaces with many large men looming, staring at her – the elevator, the mortuary. The intriguing, dangerous, intellectually superior Hannibal Lector – the mask making him literally look like a monster; his smelling of the air to sense Clarice’s perfume; how people react to him and the overwhelming security put in place; the sacrificial pose of the murdered policemen in the hotel ballroom; his intense piercing stare when with Clarice. There is no doubt how lethal he is.
3. Details – This film was not hesitant to make sure we picked up essential clues, pointing us in certain directions and building the suspense.: e.g.. Chilton’s mislaid pen (we know Lector can turn anything into a weapon); the hotel elevator dial stopping on the third floor (what is going on? who is up there?); Lector’s lamb chop dinner (echoing Clarice’s dramatic slaughtered lamb story) as well as the ‘Bon Appetite poster and drawings of Clarice on the table (showing Lector’s intent and obsessions); the inspirational worded signs on the FBI training course including ‘LOVE’ echoed later in Buffalo Bill’s hand tattoo; Buffalo Bill’s creepy use of night vision goggles to spy on victim Catherine repeated in his stalking of Clarice in his hell hole of a basement. The attention to detail supported and amplified our feelings of dread, apprehension and curiosity; the doorbells ringing in both Ohio and Chicago homes.
4. Stakes – The stakes increased and sometimes changed in clever ways as the story progressed: Lector’s move away from despicable Dr. Chilton if he cooperates with FBI;
Claire willing to be vulnerable and let Lector ‘inside her head’ as a trade off to get his knowledge to save the victim; the urgent deadline to save Catherine.
5. Misdirection – Misleading us to believe the FBI and Clarice are honing in on the same suspect; injured policemen taken away in ambulance from hotel.
6. Dialogue – How dialogue continually supported the MIS of the story and characters.
Dr. Chilton to Clarice: ‘You are his taste’ (is Crawford setting Clarice to be a victim of Lector?)
Emphasizing enormous amount of security needed for Lector: ‘Do not touch the glass, approach the glass…’ (Lector really must be a monster)
Claire to Dr. Chilton: suggesting he not be with her when she interviews Lector (illustrating her standing up to his arrogant treatment of her, her bravery in face of dangerous situation)
Claire to policemen in morgue: telling them that they are no longer needed and to leave (taking charge even though she is still a student, she is the only woman in the room and her FBI boss is there) Makes her even more intriguing.
7. Clumsy scenes or plot points that did not make sense that I would not have noticed if I hadn’t been looking so closely (unless I missed something?)
Clarice’s friend Ardelia dropping the phone receiver and running down hospital hallway (I had no idea what this added to the story or what its significance was. maybe Ardelia was desperate to tell Clarice about the ambulance victims??)
the use of Clarice and Ardelia talking through clues for exposition purposes (the rest of the film did not need to resort to this. This scene stuck out like a sore thumb, stopped action and seemed apart from the rest of the story)
Claire seeing the diamond pattern on the dress in a victim’s closet and immediately knowing Buffalo Bill was skinning victims to make himself an outfit, to transform. Also easily finding the photos of victim posing naked in her jewellery box. Both seemed a bit too easy, no matter how smart Clarice was.8. I loved that a Villainous character like Lector is so well developed with all the mystery, intrigue and suspenseful bells and whistles that at some point we are rooting for him, no matter how monstrous we can be…as long as he does not come after Clarice.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by Norene Smiley.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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Ken Callaway’s BI Stacking Suspense
From the landmark opening sequence through to the credits this film’s pacing and magic clobbered me. I had not watched the film in ten or so years and I felt like I had never really “seen” the film.
This assignment allowed me to voyeuristically see the characters, to get to know them. I actually watched it twice and (of course) saw many hidden gems. I was stunned how well engineered each scene was.
Every single character had a specific dramatic need that was unfolded (via MIS) before my eyes and they either satisfied their need or died trying. The stakes are so varied and high throughout, I felt as though we had lost Nick several times both spiritually and mortally.
The overall MIS of the film never plateaus and this allowed the MIS of the characters keeps us on our heels. Though the suspense didn’t stack with every scene (it didn’t have to) the mystery and intrigue certainly did to the very last moment.
Ken Callaway’s SOTL Stacking Suspense
While beginning to prepare this assignment I wished that I had somehow rated each scene’s MIS, but now realize that would be wholly unsatisfying. How would one rate one of the greatest thrillers ever written?
Watching the early Starling character work as a wide-eyed recruit, alone in a very structured world easily put me in her shoes – great action!
The story unfolds in an almost Sherlock Holmesian manner and by scene 4 when we meet Lector we already know he is the most feared and diabolical villain ever. His MIS is all top-notch quality and timing, he pays out layers of intrigue like clockwork.
Mystery – Lector is nearly likeable, scary (don’t let Hannibal get inside your head) and easily, instantly in control.
Intrigue – Though locked up, Lector is presented as the key to finding Buffalo Bill.
Suspense – Though he is behind “bullet-proof glass” Starling (and the viewer) is made to feel staggeringly vulnerable.
Stake – Could Lector escape? What would Lector do to Starling?
The introduction of Buffalo Bill in scene 8 reminds the viewer that great evil exists all around us and Bill’s MIS allows (forces?) us to think he is just as evil and twisted as Lector. This new world now puts Starling in ever deepening peril.
As the film progresses and Starling’s character begins to arc, Lector’s character solidifies and Bill’s goes off the rails. Intrigue goes through the roof as Starling finds the moth’s cocoon and we see just how formidable an agent she is. Intrigue builds as Chilton covertly makes the deal with Lector.
Mystery – Chilton “loses” his pen.
Intrigue – Chilton’s huge ego drives the scenes MIS in an undeniably dark and fast direction
Suspense – Foreshadowing… again driving the intrigue and suspense to higher heights. Something REALLY bad is about to happen.
When Starling breaks the rules to see Lector and he asks “What is its nature?” he really delivers the final mystery, a small question that we learn is the foundation for the final conflict.
The rest of the film flows so fast with the suspense building literally by the second and yet smoothly as Lector escapes, the botched FBI raid, and the great misdirection of Starling finding Bill’s house and Catherine Martin.
Starling’s character (shakily) soars and Bill’s crumbles… ending with a last mystery as Lector walks free!
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Kimbal Thompson
From opening scenes, the stacking and building progression of mystery, intrigue and suspense can develop and progress including in individual character development with increasing action throughout the presentation.
4. Give us a list of the things you learned about Thrillers as you did this assignment.
Action: The actions of each scene can lead to actions of the following scenes and amalgamation of the entire script.
Mystery: One minor mystery can serve to set up and intensify all within the script.
Suspense: Suspense can build, often subtly from scene to scene throughout.
Character Mystery: can build, often subtly from scene to scene throughout.
Character Intrigue can build, often subtly from scene to scene throughout.
Stakes: The stakes can progressively rise.
Character Suspense can also build, often subtly from scene to scene
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John Duvall – Stacking Suspense – Silence of the Lambs
What I learned from this assignment:
1. The main protagonist (Lecter) is not the main villain or target (Gumb), so I had a hard time analyzing the intrigue aspect of the plot. The intrigue around Lecter is how Clarice will get information from him; the intrigue around Gumb is how to prevent him from killing Catherine. There is also a secondary intrigue involving Chilton’s attempt to interfere with Clarice’s investigation. So it’s all very complicated.
2. However, for Clarice the mystery of finding Buffalo Bill to save Catherine runs directly throughout.
3. There are fewer scenes with life-or-death stakes in Silence that in Basic Instinct. The mystery, and the complex relationship between Clarice and Lecter, are what drive the story.
4. Most scenes with suspense involve Clarice moving through threatening environments – the asylum, the storage unit, and ultimately Gumb’s cavern (one of the all-time great suspense scenes).
5. The theme of sexism emerges in several scenes involving cops and even a scientist. While not directly threatening, these scenes put Clarice on the defensive and allows her to demonstrate her resilience.
6. While Lecter’s escape is dramatically effective, I found it less than credible that he could physically move two men’s bodies around in the brief time he had.
7. I read the original script in conjunction with watching the film, and was surprised how many scenes had been omitted (and sometimes re-ordered). The lesson here is that a story may need much less backstory and exposition than originally conceived. The audience can often fill in the blanks.
8. Crawford fills the role well of mentor/ally, which is often crucial when the main character is something of a novice.
9. Finally, the cross-editing between Crawford’s entry into the Chicago house and Clarice’s entry into Gumb’s home works brilliantly.
Okay, I think that’s enough for now. I really got a lot out of both of the films for this assignment.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by John Duvall.
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This reply was modified 2 years, 2 months ago by
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took a while to complete the analysis of Silence of the Lambs but I saw how the suspense increased with each scene and the distraction from one place to another which increased the tension.
the form did not go through the whole number of scenes but stopped at 36 but I continues to jot notes as I went on. I don’t think it’s necessary for me to put the whole 17 pages that I wrote out here.
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Lenore Bechtel: Stacking Suspense
What I learned from this assignment is I don’t even have a good start for writing a thriller. I was very impressed at the interaction of the characters in both Basic Instinct and The Silence of the Lambs—possibly (I think) only because the writer knew them all well before putting one word into the screenplay itself. I know only three of my characters well at this point. Horrors!
I learned that very short scenes build mystery and suspense, but the long ones contribute the most intrigue. That’s when the viewer gets insight into characters’ inner workings and truly starts liking the hero and fears for his/her safety.
As unlikeable as Nick is, I still didn’t want Catherine to kill him. Hannibal was almost more likable than Nick. In fact, he would have been a very charming character if he didn’t have than nasty habit of eating people.
Watching and analyzing both these movies was a good assignment. Both show how MIS can exist in almost every scene, one building on the next, putting more and more questions in the viewer’s mind, keeping the viewer engrossed.
I need to get my characters fully drawn and my plot further developed before I can think of going further. Luckily, these movies have stimulated my imagination, and I hope the right ideas come to me in time for me to keep up with this class.
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Edith’s BI & SOTL Stacking Suspense
My list of what I learned through both movies:
Why are these movies thrilling?
1) Because of the characters
Basic Instinct: Nick is not an ordinary detective – he has problems. Catherine is not an ordinary woman – she uses her female attraction to manipulate and play with men.
Silence of the lambs: Clarice is still in education and yet is called into a case that is unique. Hannibal is not an ordinary serial killer, but unlike Buffalo Bill he is extremely smart.
2) Because of the case
In both cases the crime is outstanding and cries out for finding the villain.
3) Because of the timing
The clues that might (or might not) lead to the criminal are presented bit by bit, sometimes the viewer knows more than the protagonist, sometimes the protagonist knows more than the viewer. Yet every scene gives us new information, like a piece of a jigsaw so at the end we have (or in the case of BI have not) the solution and the criminal is arrested.
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Jason’s Basic Insinct Stacking Suspense
– That the challenges and reveals may seem random but are actually very calculated.
– The film is well structured with stepped reveals and mis-directs.
– Each scene reveals Catherine toying with nick and to his folly he allows and encourages it. He’s on a path to hell driven by the guilt for unpunished murder. He’s drawn to another killer who also wishes for their own destruction, because they have the same deep wound.
– Not sure I have a good handle on the MIS.
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Jason’s SOTL Stacking Suspense
– Disgusted by the content of both of the films. Has been a challenge to see past that. Good structure and the construction and execution of the RED HERRING at the end of the second act was very well done.
– Learned that the stepped reveals are happening almost continuously.
– Both films “deep wounds” have HUGE logic flaws in their wound expressions.
– BI was ultimately unrewarding because the reveal of the icepick was the ultimate failure to deliver on the promise of Catherine’s death at the hands of Nick and the end of Nick’s career if not his life. They both deserved to die for being murderers and the audience didn’t get the satisfaction of that happy ending. And she decided not to kill him because he backed down from the idea of having kids?
– SOTL cannibalism was illogical – unless Dr. Lecter was an idiot. And why, if he was so smart did he take so much pride in such an inferior protoge as Buffalo Bill?
– Crawford should have been afraid of Dr. Lecter. And the two real bad guys as painted by the movie were Crawford and the asylum warden Chilton – both expressed mild sexual interest in Starling. The honorable mention being the senator who’s daughter was kidnapped who got a nice sexualized breast feeding reference from the good doctor himself. The nice cannibal with pedo overtones who wanted to know graphic details about Starlings possible underage sexual traumas…. he was the good guy? Well obviously, I mean he tried to protect Starling and talked Miggs into suicide after Miggs threw his sperm in Starling’s face. It’s like the spagetti scene from Lady and the Tramp but with more lotion. How romantic!
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Chris Lynch Basic Instinct Stacking Suspense
What I Learned from This:
1) Every scene led to a gradual reveal. Most scenes had elements of MIS.
2) There were many deliberate misdirects and red herrings.
3) The movie is an homage to Hitchcock (San Francisco, car chases, face close-ups, music). My impression seeing Basic Instinct again after many years is that the tension in the movie is being built on surprise twists, not from a development of the plot. Many of the plot reveals have a ‘deus ex-machina’ feel, which rarely occurs in Hitchcock.
4) I agree with Maggie Tsavaris that the reveal of Beth’s psychopathic personality would have been better made earlier in the movie. There are two Beths – before and after. I didn’t see the links between one and the other.
5) The ending scenes left lots of questions about Beth and her life from Berkeley to San Francisco. I found myself thinking about those after the ending, not about Nick and Catherine.
6) When Basic Instinct was released, everyone (critics and public) focused on the sex scenes which made it a box-office hit. (Sharon Stone later said she was tricked into the leg crossing/uncrossing scene in the police station interview.) The scenes for the time were graphic and prolonged. (Remember at the time, there was no Porn-Hub and ‘regular’ people could see sex scenes that were normally only seen in ‘Adult Theaters.”
7) The film also relied on the audience buying into a number of gay/lesbian stereotypes that were accepted in 1991 (that was still the mid-point of the AIDS crisis). At the time, Gay/Lesbian = danger, perversion, damaged personalities.
8) If you strip out the sex, (in my view) Basic Instinct has a plot built on a series of twists randomly stacked one on the other. A well-written episode of Law & Order SVU tells psycho-sexual stories with a logical plot progression. I don’t think Basic Instinct has aged well as a thriller.
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Chris Lynch – Silence of the Lambs Stacking Suspense
1. Silence of the Lambs is a great example of the MIS format. There
2. The first part of the film develops the Clarice – Lecter story. In this section, the intrigue is focused on why Crawford chose to send Clarice. Crawford does admit that sending her in with no info advanced his goal of getting Lecter to drop information about Buffalo Bill.
3. The suspense is mostly psychological. We know that Lecter can’t get to Clarice, but he skillfully manipulates her by going into her family history. She shows genuine fear. The takeaway – playing on underlying fears can be as powerful as an action scene.
4. The shift in focus from Hannibal to Buffalo Bill is deftly done. The scenes in Memphis build the suspense. We know that Hannibal will escape but we wait to see how. We have the dramatic escape and suddenly the focus shifts to Buffalo Bill. We don’t hear about a manhunt for Lecter.
5. The hunt for Buffalo Bill after Lecter escapes is a classic police investigation. The big misdirect of the movie leads Crawford to Chicago and when the house search turns up nothing, Crawford realizes that Clarice is in trouble. This built up the tension.
6. Clarice searching the house for Buffalo Bill carefully ratchets up the tension. I remember the first time I saw the night vision goggle scene: it was terrifying, and it has remained so. The brilliant stroke is putting the scene through the eyes of the madman, not the hero.
7. This movie has withstood the test of time (unlike Basic Instinct). It is really an excellent psychological thriller.
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