Communications in Humanities Research

- The Open Access Proceedings Series for Conferences


Communications in Humanities Research

Vol. 8, 31 October 2023


Open Access | Article

A Study of the Narrative Method and Philosophical Core of Suspense Films - A Case Study of the Practice Suspense Short Film Symmetrical Composition

Shujie Gao * 1
1 University of Westminster

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Communications in Humanities Research, Vol. 8, 102-107
Published 31 October 2023. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by EWA Publishing
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Citation Shujie Gao. A Study of the Narrative Method and Philosophical Core of Suspense Films - A Case Study of the Practice Suspense Short Film Symmetrical Composition. CHR (2023) Vol. 8: 102-107. DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/8/20230976.

Abstract

The tone of suspense films is one of suspense, with a greater focus on breaking stereotypes in artistic production and viewing modes than in the genre in general. This paper focuses on the description and analysis of the short suspense film Symmetrical Composition in terms of both its presentation and its content. On this basis, it focuses on the prominent element of “dreams” in suspense films and analyses the deep subconscious and desires of human beings contained in dreams in depth. It also uses narrative theory to examine how suspense films can use the idea and mechanism of the dream world to construct more exciting suspense stories. On the other hand, it draws on cognitive construct theory to point out the cognitive difficulties of dream narratives in suspense films, and how techniques such as story lines, logical narratives and detailed cues can be used to make the films exciting to watch without confusing the audience. The paper concludes with a summary of the practical experience of suspense films on how dream narratives are presented and their reference value for academic research.

Keywords

suspense, narratives, dream

References

1. Wang, M. (2022) A study of dream narratives in suspense films, CNKI. Available at: .https://192.144.210.129/KCMS/detail/detail.aspx? dbname=CMFD202202&filename=1022496549.nh (Accessed: 2022).

2. Guwindo Adi, A. (2019). Penerapan Teknik-Teknik Suspense dalam Penulisan Skenario Film Panjang” Nandur Ati” (Doctoral disser tation, Universitas Multimedia Nusantara).

3. Bente, G., Kryston, K., Jahn, N.T. et al. Building blocks of suspense: subjective and physiological effects of narrative content and film music. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 9, 449 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-022-01461-5

4. Chun C, Park B, Shi C. Re-Living Suspense: Emotional and Cognitive Responses During Repeated Exposure to Suspenseful Film. Front Psychol. 2020 Oct 23; 11:558234.

5. Osimo SA, Pizarro R, Spanlang B, Slater M. Conversations between self and self as Sigmund Freud--A virtual body ownership paradigm for self counselling. Sci Rep. 2015 Sep 10; 5:13899.

6. Eberwein, R. 1984. Film and the Dream Screen: A Sleep and a Forgetting. Princeton: Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9781400853892

7. Maarten Coëgnarts & Miklós Kiss (2017) ‘Look Out Behind You!’ Grounding suspense in the slasher film, New Review of Film and Television Studies, 15:3, 348-374.

8. Claudie Massicotte (2014) Psychical Transmissions: Freud, Spiritualism, and the Occult, Psychoanalytic Dialogues, 24:1, 88-102.

9. Freud, S. (1964). The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud. (J. Strachey, Ed.). Macmillan.

10. Biesen S C. Psychology in American Film Noir and Hitchcock’s Gothic Thrillers[J]. Americana: The Journal of American Popular Culture, 1900 to Present, 2014, 13(1).

11. Keane, J. (2018), “Creating the Myth”, National Identity and Education in Early Twentieth Century Australia, Emerald Publishing Limited, Bingley, pp. 71-103.

Data Availability

The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study will be available from the authors upon reasonable request.

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Volume Title
Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Educational Innovation and Philosophical Inquiries
ISBN (Print)
978-1-83558-039-4
ISBN (Online)
978-1-83558-040-0
Published Date
31 October 2023
Series
Communications in Humanities Research
ISSN (Print)
2753-7064
ISSN (Online)
2753-7072
DOI
10.54254/2753-7064/8/20230976
Copyright
31 October 2023
Open Access
This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

Copyright © 2023 EWA Publishing. Unless Otherwise Stated