‘Leon perfectly fits the conventions of a Thriller. It does not try to Challenge the Conventions’. Explain how far you agree with this statement. ‘Leon perfectly fits the conventions of a Thriller. It does not try to Challenge the Conventions’. Explain how far you agree with this statement.

Leon is a thriller starring Jean Reno, Gary Oldman and Natalie Portman.

The film begins with an aerial shot of some woodland, which appears to be quite serene and calm. However, the shot then tilts upwards to reveal a city skyscape, which deceives the audience, and makes them think that they may be surprised throughout the rest of the film. Both of these settings are quite typical of the thriller genre.

After this, a Point of View shot is used from a lorry or high up vehicle, driving through the middle of the city. The high buildings appear to be very imposing, and this gives the audience a sense of location. Again, this technique is quite common at the beginning of a Thriller film.

We are then taken to a scene where Leon and another Protagonist are talking about killing someone. The scene uses lots of extreme close ups, with one of them wearing sunglasses, which hides their identity, creating a sense of mystery. This is perhaps slightly unconventional of a Thriller, as we are usually given the opportunity to meet the main characters in more detail at the beginning of the film, which would allow us to relate to the main characters, and perhaps take sides with them.

The shots and scenes tend to be edited together very quickly, and the action that is happening in the scene, with people rushing out of their chairs and out of the room, is also quite fast-paced. This creates a feeling of tension, and fast-paced action, and is therefore very typical of a Thriller movie.

Non-diegetic music is also added at certain points of the film, which adds to the sense of tension and fear within the audience. High-pitched monotone string music is often added to Thriller movies at the point where someone’s life may be in danger, so this is definitely typical of a Thriller.

Another feature conventional for the Thriller genre is the use of a low angle shot, which is used at points in this film. The use of this shot makes the subject seem very powerful, and can make them seem quite intimidating. It is used in one scene of Leon to make the audience seem very small and insignificant.

Also, when Leon is about to kill one of his victims, a point of view shot shows him approaching from behind, with the victim completely unaware. With tension music reaching its climax, the shot pans to show us in front of the victim, and the music stops completely when the attacker’s knife is rested on the chin of the victim. The director may well have done this to make us feel scared for the characters in the scene, something that is done often in Thriller films.

 

The person the protagonists are hunting is, for his sort of role in a Thriller, quite old, perhaps being in his late 40’s, overweight and unfit. This is not the sort of person we would associate as having a main role in a Thriller, and is therefore unconventional for the genre.

It is also interesting to note that the film has a slight edge of whit and comedy about it, which again, is not expected in the Thriller genre. This makes the film stand out from other similar films, and would perhaps attract the film to a wider audience.

A young girl, Mathilda, also features in this film. When she is first introduced to the film, she is smoking, and so the audience immediately thinks that something is not right with this character, as she is far too young to be doing so. She is also introduced to us when sitting behind bars, which the audience typically associates with danger. The girl also has a bruise on her face, adding to the sense that this girl is dangerous. However, the Non-diegetic music added to the scene at the time makes the girl seem quite innocent and safe. All of this presents a confused image of the girl to the audience, creating a sense of mystery and wanting the audience to find out more. This is something that happens often in Thrillers, as it keeps the audience wanting to carry on watching and find out how the film develops.

When Mathilda’s Dad arrives, the girl replaces the cigarette for a lolly pop stick. This gives the audience the impression that she is trying to hide something from her Father, and that the girl has no-one she can share her troubles with. The dog leech around Mathilda’s neck also makes us feel sad for her, as it suggests that she is in danger.

Typically for a Thriller, one of the main characters is killed very early on in the film. This means the protagonist must find out why and how he was killed, which creates a quest and mystery that must be solved.

The main protagonist is also on a quest to kill other people, which is something that often happens in Thrillers. In all of the thrillers I have studied, the protagonist is usually either a detective or a killer, so in this way, the film very closely follows the conventions of the genre. The audience also want to find out why the protagonist’s victim is disliked, and why the killer wants to end his life, thus creating mystery.

The narrative of this film is very much based around the point of view of the protagonist. The first part of the film consists of many people, who are the protagonist’s victims, being killed, which shows how the narrative is affected by this person’s viewpoint.

When the drug addict is about to be killed, the person he has been sleeping with comes out of the bedroom. This person is innocent, and completely unrelated to the action, and shows how innocence is present in a corrupt setting. It is important that this factor is somehow present in a Thriller film.

In addition, when Leon is walking into the building, we are shown a security control room, where a CCTV monitor shows him walking in. This makes the action seem realistic and credible, as this is something that could happen in a similar real life situation.

In conclusion, I agree with the statement made that Leon follows the conventions of a typical thriller. However, the presence of comedy in the narrative adds an element that is not normally expected in films of this type.