How Terry Winsor Establishes The Thriller Genre in the Title Sequence of ‘Essex Boys’ (2000) One way that Terry Winsor Establishes the Thriller Genre is through is use of sound In Essex Boys: The voice over in the title sequence of Essex Boys helps establish it as a Thriller as it is a convention used in lots of Thriller Movies, such as L.A noir confidential ; https ://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hAtZLZ7rWQ and also In the ‘sin city’ opening scene ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV1436VsnZY , This effect is used in Thrillers as it places you in the position of the person speaking in the case of Essex Boys in Billy’s position so we can Identify with Billy, His Essex Accent it also a cultural signifier to the audience and links with the name of the film so the audience can start to understand this is a thriller film about crime cartels and thugs in Essex. The voice over is also effective in both LA Noir and Essex Boys as it introduces the audience to the plot of the film, for example In Essex Boys it introduces us to the characters of Billy and Jason Locke. The non diegetic sound at the start of film Essex Boys also mirrors the conventions of thrillers, for example straight away piano music is used to create a creepy effect which leaves the audience feeling very un-easy and then a scratching noise is also used which creates the same effects. This music and sound is successful in establishing the ‘Essex Boys’ genre straight away as the thing that the audience first hear as the Thriller Movie Genre is supposed to create to the audience feelings of suspense, excitement, anticipation and tension and the sound here creates these effects. The titles in the opening Sequence of ‘Essex Boys’ also help to establish the thriller genre in the Essex Boys : The graphics used in the titles, White font on a black background could have been chosen to try and refer to Noir Thrillers, which are famous for their use of black and white so the titles really establish this thriller genre. Especially when used with the non-diegetic scratching and music in the background the titles create feelings of suspense and anticipation which is what Thriller Movies look to achieve. The white lines which could be used to represent the scratching sound on the black background also help to create feelings of suspense and create a distorted feeling which looks and sounds like a key scratching a car which may be a link to the type of crime that Essex Boys shows the audience. The chalk lines on the screen then dissolve to the first scene/shot which is set in a garage; this location/setting helps to establish the thriller genre as it is an isolated and enclosed space which could be locked or something could be hidden in. It is also very dark and mysterious so as the setting is used in the first shot it makes the audience feel un-easy. Locations like this are a common convention of Thriller Movies therefore Terry Winsor is Establishing the Thriller Genre here. Winsor has also helps towards establishing ‘Essex Boys’ as a Thriller Film here by using chiaroscuro lighting which is common in Film Noir Thrillers which Winsor could be trying to make a reference it creates a quite surreal and tense effect on the audience as with this lighting we can’t Quite make out where it is set and this creates an un-easy feeling for the audience which also helps to establish it as a Thriller movie as it is so dimly lit.
After Billy gets into the car it turns to a shot of the car’s window being cleaned and as the dirt is coming off Jason Locke is revealed through the window screen. The fact that we first see Jason Locke through the dirt on Billy’s car screen could be because Terry Winsor wants to present Jason Locke as a corrupt person from the Beginning as he could be seen a ‘dirt’, also the low angle of Jason Locke from Billy’s point of view makes us feel quite intimidated by Jason Locke making us feel un-easy and making Jason seem like a powerful character. This helps to establish ‘Essex Boys’ as a thriller as thugs and corrupt characters are archetypes of Thriller movies, Jason Locke is an example of this.
In ‘Essex boys’ Billy and Jason Locke then drive the car down a tunnel, tunnels are a common/generic setting Thrillers film’s because they are very enclosed spaces and it creates a intense feeling for the audience as we Don’t know where they are going and it gives the affect of the tunnel going on forever. Also the use of the Vanishing point of the tunnel means that you cannot see where they are going and this creates feelings of Anticipation common in Thriller films. It could also be said that the tunnel could look like looking down the Barrel of a gun and that this is used to represent the crime elements of the film and violence between thugs Etc. so this also helps to establish the genre. Later on there is also shots Of the car driving over wet pavement this is used in Thriller films to create a bleak and gritty look and helps to Establish ‘Essex boys’ as a gritty thriller.
In the thriller ‘once upon a time In America wet pavement is also used To create a bleak look’
As Billy is driving in the car, we see a shot of Billy's face driving With the reflection of the lights in the tunnel on the window screen. This shot could have been used as the reflection of the lights is made to look like bars which Could represent prison bars that links to the crime aspect of ‘Essex Boys’ and therefore establishes it as a gritty Thriller, as the plot is based on thugs. The bars could also represent the way that now Billy as started working For Jason Locke he is now trapped in this way of life or could be foreshadowing a bad end for him.
The white van used as the vehicle Jason and Billy use is another example of the way they use mise en scene To establish the film as of the thriller genre. The fact the use a white van could be used to represent the Views people have on white vans being mysterious as they are un-marked/ you don’t know what the Vans is transporting and people often tend to have bad views of this vehicle. As Billy and Jason use this Vehicle it helps to establish the film as a thriller because the vehicle shows the way that Billy and Jason are Up to no good which is why they have chosen the van so no one suspects anything.
Billy and Jason then take the man Jason beat up to the Essex Marshes in the back of their Van, The setting of the Essex Marshes helps which is also a cultural signifier as it represents life In Essex. The beach is gritty, cold, isolated and bleak and we can associate this with Jason’s World as Jason is so detached from normal life and you can get stranded on the Essex Marshes And you could say that Jason is morally stranded. You could say he is Amoral (as no morals at All) and this setting shows how he has no boundaries like the sea. The setting is almost prime evil In it’s look and feel because of the landscape and this could represent the way in which Jason acts in this very pre-historic way (when there were hunters and gatherers) in the way he Acts and it could say that he acts very animal like In this way. The setting represents this and Therefore establishes Essex Boys as a gritty thriller as it represents the way in which some people Can’t conform with normal life and therefore have to lead a life of crime and wrong doings. .
The characters used in ‘Essex Boys’ are also archetypes of the Thriller Genre which are used by Terry Winsor to establish the genre. The character of Jason Locke Is a thug which helps it establish the film as a ‘gritty Thriller’. The costume that Jason wears also helps to establish the film as a Thriller, He wears an leather jacket which makes him seem powerful and his bright colored shirt could be used to represent the way in which Jason does not conform in society and is very loud and bold in the way he acts and he makes this very obvious instead of concealing it which you can see from his shirt. This helps establish the film Essex Boys as a thriller because Jason Locke is a typical powerful thug who does not conform in society and is therefore led to a life of crime, these characters are very common in Thriller films. Billy is also involved in this crime but we warm to him as he is more relatable for the audience and less cold and aggressive as Jason Locke. This sort of character, ‘villains with charm’ are an archetype of the Thriller Genre and as Billy is a criminal but as a certain charm compared to Jason Locke he could fit into this Thriller Archetype.