Research into Mystery and Crime genre and films
Most mystery films tend to follow a set pattern and most use the same effect to create tension. One of the most famous mystery series is often said to be Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Miss Marple and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes was first published in 1887, famous for his intelligent crime solving and ingenious ways of catching the criminal, he was always described him as a gentleman, but a gentleman with his own problems which allowed the reader, and later the viewer to connect with him. Sherlock Holmes was first released in film in 1908 and was aimed at the middle and upper class; this can be seen by the way he dresses and his typical pipe smoking. Alongside Sherlock Holmes was his nemesis Professor James Moriarty, an almost complete opposite of Holmes, described to give a shiver of apprehension from the consumer, often quoted as the ‘first ever super-villain. Doyle says ‘the man had hereditary tendencies of the most diabolical kind’ and this has been applied to almost any villain in more recent crime films, to create a character which the consumer is both scared of and hates.
Agatha Christie’s stories do not have a recurring villain; it is more a recurring sleuth, in most cases Hercules Poirot and Jane Marple. All of the stories followed a closed mystery, one which the murderer was not revealed till the end of the story, showing the sleuth solving the murder, leaving the reader or viewer to make their own assumptions as to who the murderer is. Unlike Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie’s books do not have recurring villain or describe the murderer in a particularly dark light, more treating like a normal person.
Other more modern mystery films have different attitudes as to how they portray the villains; some have them as an every day normal person or as megalomaniacal business men. Codes used in James Bond show the villains with physical impairments or other parts of their character or appearance that sets them apart from ‘normal’ people they also tended to be German or Russian due to the books being written after World War two. Although when the James Bond films were created they made the villains a lot less subtle that modern day audiences, this is mainly because the audience now is a lot more aware of the less subtle signs such as; clothes, voice, the way they are filmed and normally they are rich business men. The sophisticated audience of today has bred new kind of ‘goodies and baddies’ to entertain the audience but also to move away from the old fashioned class of ‘evil’.
Crime and Mystery films:
Most mystery films tend to follow a set pattern and most use the same effect to create tension. One of the most famous mystery series is often said to be Agatha Christie’s Poirot and Miss Marple and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. Sherlock Holmes was first published in 1887, famous for his intelligent crime solving and ingenious ways of catching the criminal, he was always described him as a gentleman, but a gentleman with his own problems which allowed the reader, and later the viewer to connect with him. Sherlock Holmes was first released in film in 1908 and was aimed at the middle and upper class; this can be seen by the way he dresses and his typical pipe smoking. Alongside Sherlock Holmes was his nemesis Professor James Moriarty, an almost complete opposite of Holmes, described to give a shiver of apprehension from the consumer, often quoted as the ‘first ever super-villain. Doyle says ‘the man had hereditary tendencies of the most diabolical kind’ and this has been applied to almost any villain in more recent crime films, to create a character which the consumer is both scared of and hates.
Agatha Christie’s stories do not have a recurring villain; it is more a recurring sleuth, in most cases Hercules Poirot and Jane Marple. All of the stories followed a closed mystery, one which the murderer was not revealed till the end of the story, showing the sleuth solving the murder, leaving the reader or viewer to make their own assumptions as to who the murderer is. Unlike Sherlock Holmes, Agatha Christie’s books do not have recurring villain or describe the murderer in a particularly dark light, more treating like a normal person.
Other more modern mystery films have different attitudes as to how they portray the villains; some have them as an every day normal person or as megalomaniacal business men. Codes used in James Bond show the villains with physical impairments or other parts of their character or appearance that sets them apart from ‘normal’ people they also tended to be German or Russian due to the books being written after World War two. Although when the James Bond films were created they made the villains a lot less subtle that modern day audiences, this is mainly because the audience now is a lot more aware of the less subtle signs such as; clothes, voice, the way they are filmed and normally they are rich business men. The sophisticated audience of today has bred new kind of ‘goodies and baddies’ to entertain the audience but also to move away from the old fashioned class of ‘evil’.
Crime and Mystery films:
The Da Vinci Code.
A religious and dark mystery, The Da Vinci code focuses on the work of a sleuth Robert Langdon’s attempts to solve a mystery which many other people such as Dan Brown have written about, finding the holy grail and the truth behind Mary Magdalene. Although The Da Vinci Code was a controversial book and film it was praised for its fantastic locations but also for its in depth character development and how it does not give away any of the conclusion throughout the film.
The Minority Report
Although Minority Report is also considered a science fiction film, it is also praised for it mystery plot. My film will not contain any science fiction plots but Minority Report sold at least 4 million DVDs in the first four weeks of release and so must have attracted a broad audience. It easily reveals the ‘baddies’ by the way they act, dress and talk, but it also made the audience feel for the main characters situation, both of which would keep the consumer hooked, but also the almost need to know the ending.
A religious and dark mystery, The Da Vinci code focuses on the work of a sleuth Robert Langdon’s attempts to solve a mystery which many other people such as Dan Brown have written about, finding the holy grail and the truth behind Mary Magdalene. Although The Da Vinci Code was a controversial book and film it was praised for its fantastic locations but also for its in depth character development and how it does not give away any of the conclusion throughout the film.
The Minority Report
Although Minority Report is also considered a science fiction film, it is also praised for it mystery plot. My film will not contain any science fiction plots but Minority Report sold at least 4 million DVDs in the first four weeks of release and so must have attracted a broad audience. It easily reveals the ‘baddies’ by the way they act, dress and talk, but it also made the audience feel for the main characters situation, both of which would keep the consumer hooked, but also the almost need to know the ending.
Oceans Eleven
Oceans Eleven focuses on the attempts of thieves to steal a fortune which they judged was not respectfully earned. Although it was more aimed at the crime and comedy genre, it managed unlike many crime films to show complex character development, allowing the consumer to connect with why they are committing the crime.
The film was very successful, with two sequels being released, being praised as one of the best heist films ever.
I, Robot
Although I, Robot may also be classed as a science fiction, it shows both crime and mystery plots. Focusing on the work of a distrustful homicide detective investigating the murder of a famous scientist in the year 2035, I, Robot shows a complex distrust in the main character to robots, a part of everyday life. Through out the story the consumer is given clues to the murderer, but subtly, leaving the ‘unveiling’ of the murderer to still be a surprise, except to the most perceptive viewer. The development of the main character, in this case to trust robots, seems to be a major subplot in most new crime films, adding an edge to the typical ‘who dunnit’ plot.
From my research I have found that most mystery films have a closed plotline, one which does not reveal the perpetrator. Also they may have features of crime and/or science fiction. I have chosen not to contain features of science fiction, due to them being too complex to create, but crime almost always runs alongside the murder, such as hiding blackmail or hiding a secret. The development of the main character or a change in their ideas or beliefs features heavily in all of the films I have researched, this may be because of the development in the audience to decipher who the murderer is or how the event, in my case a murder, took place. From this research I have chosen to have a closed plotline, this will help keep suspense and also encourage the consumer to think of their own ideas in the implementation of the murder.
Oceans Eleven focuses on the attempts of thieves to steal a fortune which they judged was not respectfully earned. Although it was more aimed at the crime and comedy genre, it managed unlike many crime films to show complex character development, allowing the consumer to connect with why they are committing the crime.
The film was very successful, with two sequels being released, being praised as one of the best heist films ever.
I, Robot
Although I, Robot may also be classed as a science fiction, it shows both crime and mystery plots. Focusing on the work of a distrustful homicide detective investigating the murder of a famous scientist in the year 2035, I, Robot shows a complex distrust in the main character to robots, a part of everyday life. Through out the story the consumer is given clues to the murderer, but subtly, leaving the ‘unveiling’ of the murderer to still be a surprise, except to the most perceptive viewer. The development of the main character, in this case to trust robots, seems to be a major subplot in most new crime films, adding an edge to the typical ‘who dunnit’ plot.
From my research I have found that most mystery films have a closed plotline, one which does not reveal the perpetrator. Also they may have features of crime and/or science fiction. I have chosen not to contain features of science fiction, due to them being too complex to create, but crime almost always runs alongside the murder, such as hiding blackmail or hiding a secret. The development of the main character or a change in their ideas or beliefs features heavily in all of the films I have researched, this may be because of the development in the audience to decipher who the murderer is or how the event, in my case a murder, took place. From this research I have chosen to have a closed plotline, this will help keep suspense and also encourage the consumer to think of their own ideas in the implementation of the murder.
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