What's in a thriller?

The film 'Inheritance' appears to be based around a terrorist group attempting to recruit or inherit new members into the group. We can see this through their relaxed attitude which makes the audience assume that this appears to be routine to them and they know what they are doing and where they are going. We know that they are terrorists due to the fact that they are using the white masks smeared with black paint to hide their true identity.

The opening sequence builds tension by cutting between scenes and the director has chosen to use different music depending on whether they are inside or outside of the car. Another way in which tension is built through this opening sequence is through the limited dialogue. The only dialogue said throughout the opening sequence apart from the muttering in Spanish heard from the driver, is ‘Get your hands on the f**king steering wheel’ which is shouted by one of the men in the masks. The use of the expletive creates tension as it shows his aggressive manner and he says this whilst holding up a gun to the window of the driver seat. The use of the limited dialogue creates a lot of tension in the opening sequence because we are unaware of what the characters are thinking or feeling because they do not express this in their dialogue.

Another element of the opening scene which heightens tension is the amount of cutting between scenes. This is confusing for the audience which creates an element of unpredictability. This works harmoniously with the use of different eerie music used when cutting between scenes. This creates a tense atmosphere and shifts the mood into one of suspense and tension. The scenes where the terrorists are holding the guns outside is intercut with the shots of the driver and the protagonist; the young boy tied up in the back of the car.

The filmmakers have used the technique of using a soundtrack that creates an eerie atmosphere which will create tension and produce an element of mystery. The filmmakers have also used close up shots of guns to create tension as it again produces an element of unpredictability and also guns are usually denotated with death and danger which again heightens tension. The close up shots of the masks also create tension because their identity is hidden and therefore this produces an element of suspense and makes the audience weary of the situation. The filmmakers have also decided to use the technique of having the camera inside the van and inside the car at times so that the audience feel part of the scene and so are intimidated and feel threatened by the tension produced by the characters.

The clever use of the blackout and sudden stop of the car also create tension within the thriller because they produce an element of transience which makes the audience precautious, but also intrigued. This works hand in hand with the fact that the music crescendos at this point which creates tension as it shocks the audience and the use of the sound effect of a car screeching to a stop is used which provides context but also serves as a shock tactic for the audience because it is unnerving to them.   

There are three men who are the terrorists who wear dark clothing and the whiter masks smeared in black paint. The use of the dark colours for the costumes creates tension as black and generally dark colours provide a connotation for evil, mystery, danger and death. We are meant to feel threatened and intimidated by the men in the masks due to the fact that they are holding guns which implies danger and also the fact that they are wearing masks implies that they want to hide their identity which creates tension through the creation of mystery. The use of the aggressive body language possessed in the masked men creates tension as it makes the audience feel more intimidated by them and also adds a sense of power and superiority to the men. This close up camera angle showing the masked man and a gun is very uncomfortable for the audience and it makes them feel threatened because of how close they are to the character’s face. Although they are unable to read his facial expression due to the fact that he is masked.

However, this contrasts with the character of the young boy tied up in the back of the car with tape over his mouth. The audience are supposed to feel sympathy for him because of his vulnerable state in his precarious situation. His body language denotes that he is scared and trying to escape from the torture and this again creates tension as the audience don’t know why he is in this state.

The other character was the driver of the car with the young boy in the back. The driver appeared sullen and neutral which to me indicated that he was used to this and it appeared to be routine for him and therefore it doesn't come as a shock to him. This made me wonder whether he was in on the plan as he remains still throughout the opening sequence and doesn't even flinch when a gun is held to his head from outside the window. The driver also appears emotionless which again creates tension as we don't know what he is thinking because of his neutral facial expression and so this puts the audience on edge because they can't read his facial expression. However, in a short clip during the opening sequence filmed from inside the car you can hear the driver mutter some words in Spanish. This makes him stand out and creates tension because stereotypically the foreigner is the villain and so this makes the audience loose trust in him. This creates tension because his stillness is unnerving for the audience and it makes them think that something very shocking is going to happen. We as an audience also learn that the other group must be international and therefore this denotes an evil nature which ultimately creates more tension as the battle/conflict over the possession of the boy is international. We are meant to feel confused by how the driver is reacting as it isn't the usual reaction you would expect from the scenario. We feel this early on because we instantly see when we are first introduced to the driver that he is emotionless and still and so we are meant to feel uncomfortable about his reaction and unsure as to what his objective is.

The dark clothing worn by all the characters is contrasted with the daylight that is seen when the terrorists exit the white van. The produces tension because daylight is usually denotated as being safe and welcoming. However, this is sharply contrasted with the use of masks and dark clothing which create tension because they create mystery and a sense of suspicion. The white van creates a threatening image because white vans are usually associated with kidnapping and they are very stereotypical of portraying something bad. The use of the white van again creates tension because it is denoted as a negative image suggesting danger.

The masks worn by the terrorists are white but have black smears across the top and this symbolises how although these men are doing a bad thing they are actually trying to protect the young boy. The black symbolises how their innocence and purity is being robbed from them and this is the connotation behind this image. We soon realise that the masked men are actually trying to protect the young boy and they are actually the good guys which reduces the amount of tension and we feel more at ease knowing that they are trying to protect rather than capture the young boy. The use of the close up camera angle of one of the masked men before he puts his mask on allows us to see the subtle changes in facial expression and also allows us to understand what he is thinking through these changes in facial expression. The denotation of him being the only member who has his mask off indicates that he is the leader of the group which gives him status. The use of this close up heightens tension because we see his unmasked face and therefore we can see his objective of saving the boy although at first he appears to be angry and aggressive.

Given the tone and the limited language used in the opening scene I think that the rest of the plot will follow the terrorist group trying to pinpoint the location of the boy they are trying to save from being inherited/kidnapped by another group. I think that the young boy could have possibly been captured by a different group and his family who have high status and wealth were being asked for a large ransom but the terrorist men were trying to protect him from being 'inherited' into the other group. I think that there will be more tension built in the actual plot around whether he will be saved and protected by the terrorist group or whether he will end up being inherited by the other group. I think that the opening sequence is a flashback and at the end of the opening sequence it goes back to the beginning of the plot and tells you how they get to the point shown in the opening sequence.