Waiting in the Dark : the Suspense in "Wait Until Dark"
Waiting in the Dark : The Suspense in “Wait until Dark” - Aditi Bose
"The blinds moving up and down…the squeaking shoes…and then the knife whistling past her ear."
This slogan from one of the posters of the film “Wait Until dark”, establishes the element of suspense in the film. It released in 1967 with explicit instructions to all theatres to switch off all the lights for the last 8 minutes of the film so that the climax unfolds in complete darkness. There is no doubt that the film intended to keep its audience on the edge of its seat. Since it is regarded by many as an ideal example of a suspense thriller, in this paper, I seek to examine the various techniques used in this film to enhance the element of suspense.
Before I examine this film, I find it necessary to examine the idea of suspense. Francois Truffaut said that “the whodunit is a question of what – “you simply wait to find out who committed the murder” – while suspense is a question of how…” He established that Suspense is method. Suspense is ‘how’ one uses the frame. Suspense is ‘how’ one reveals and conceals information/action. Suspense is ‘how’ one plays with the interaction between the narrative, and the audience. It prescribes methods to control the narrative machine, all of them relating to the use of framing. When applying these methods, the ensuing tension is born NOT from the nature of the story or the plot, but entirely from the way this story is structured, paced, framed, and perceived.
In short, suspense is a dramaturgy technique that plays on the difference in knowledge between the audience and the characters on the screen. (Schmidt, 1995) It often revolves around subjects like: will the hero reach the right place and save the heroine before it is too late? Will the bomb expert defuse the bomb before it goes off? Will the detective see the sinister figure waiting in the alley? (Schepelern, 1995). As the duration between these questions and their answers
"The blinds moving up and down…the squeaking shoes…and then the knife whistling past her ear."
This slogan from one of the posters of the film “Wait Until dark”, establishes the element of suspense in the film. It released in 1967 with explicit instructions to all theatres to switch off all the lights for the last 8 minutes of the film so that the climax unfolds in complete darkness. There is no doubt that the film intended to keep its audience on the edge of its seat. Since it is regarded by many as an ideal example of a suspense thriller, in this paper, I seek to examine the various techniques used in this film to enhance the element of suspense.
Before I examine this film, I find it necessary to examine the idea of suspense. Francois Truffaut said that “the whodunit is a question of what – “you simply wait to find out who committed the murder” – while suspense is a question of how…” He established that Suspense is method. Suspense is ‘how’ one uses the frame. Suspense is ‘how’ one reveals and conceals information/action. Suspense is ‘how’ one plays with the interaction between the narrative, and the audience. It prescribes methods to control the narrative machine, all of them relating to the use of framing. When applying these methods, the ensuing tension is born NOT from the nature of the story or the plot, but entirely from the way this story is structured, paced, framed, and perceived.
In short, suspense is a dramaturgy technique that plays on the difference in knowledge between the audience and the characters on the screen. (Schmidt, 1995) It often revolves around subjects like: will the hero reach the right place and save the heroine before it is too late? Will the bomb expert defuse the bomb before it goes off? Will the detective see the sinister figure waiting in the alley? (Schepelern, 1995). As the duration between these questions and their answers
Bibliography: Internet Resources: • “How Hitchcock used humor…”: http://www.borgus.com/think/hitch.htm • “Suspense Strategies” Galya Kay : http://www.galyakay.com/suspense.html • “Lights Out: Wait Until Dark” – Tim Wong : http://www.lumiere.net.nz/reader/item/1906