"The happening"

How could ‘the happening’ be linked to the thriller genre in terms of editing, mise-en-scene, sound and camera work?

The happening is a psychological thriller. However could be classed as a hybrid genre as it is also a possible combination of different major genres such as action or sci-fi. A thriller genre can either be a film, play or book including crime or mystery in an atmosphere of excitement, suspense or tension which ‘the happening’ has connotations of all of the above.

The mise-en-scene of the film is set in New York City in the middle of everywhere along with, scene’s filmed at the school and outskirts and rural areas of New York.  The representation and setting of the film portray realism. The scene is realistic one example of this is the teacher in the school, you see him in a nice suit looking smart and presentable. Which makes the film seem believable therefore, the events that occur afterwards come as a surprise which therefore, builds tension and leaves the audience unaware of what will happen next. Another aspect which creates realism within the film is that you see the look on the terrified peoples faces which look as if they are scared for there lives which would automatically be an instant reaction if you would find yourself in that situation.

The sound effects throughout the whole duration of the film are of a scary background noise to create a tense atmosphere and build suspense throughout the scene. The change of sound is very drastic and all of a sudden along with every change of beat shows a new scene which gives a dramatic effect.  Along with wind noises and sounds of emergency services which instantly connote to the audience death, hurt and pain. There is an over run voice throughout the film which keeps the audience aware of the current situation and gives them an insight into what is happening. Other effects which are used are a black on white theme, along with fades in which show things which shouldn’t be there, something in the background which isn’t as obvious to the reader but is very important within the scene. One example of this is of a police man lying dead on the floor surrounded by abandoned cars all over the scene, you cannot especially see the police man however it’s a very powerful scene and will play a big impact on the viewer.Also the vast use of just blank slides leave the audience unknowing of where there and what is happening which builds up the tension and makes the viewer pay more attention to the scene to catch up with what is happening.

The use of certain camera shots add to the genre thriller in the way that there is a vast amount of close ups of terrified worried faces which therefore has an impact on the audience. There is lots of looking up angle shots used which therefore, makes feel vulnerable and uncertain of what could occur next. There are also a number of Ariel shots looking down on the chaos and drama unfolding within the frame of the film. Ariel shots are useful to show lot of events within a big area where you can see the bigger picture of what is actually going on. The use of juxtaposition between two people on one scene changing from one to the other very drastically along with them both looking very agitated and worried also emphasise on the tension and suspense within the scene.

Overall the film ‘the happening’ fits in perfectly with the thriller genre along with has aspects of other hybrid genres. There is also a good balance of camera skills, effects and the use of the mise-en-scene within the film to create the prefect amount of tension and suspense which is needed to create psychological thriller.