Monday, June 18, 2012

Crime Stories aren't Thrilling

I have a problem with the genre of crime fiction, be it movies, novels or tv series. The modern detective story follows a formula that starts with a warm body and ends with a culprit being identified. In between are introductions of suspects, red herrings, cul de sacs, maybe some flashbacks and some further murders. But the underlying problem is a lack of tension. The victim is already dead, and you know that no matter how close the detective or investigator gets to the murderer, they're going to be fine. Even if the protagonist seems to be in jeopardy, the necessity of hiding the identity of the murderer from the audience tends to limit the amount of tension there can be.  The writer deliberately conceals the inner thoughts of the culprit, and only hints at their psychology and motivations until the denouement.

Compare this with a thriller in which a protagonst finds themselves caught up in a dangerous and uncertain situation. This has greater potential for dramatic tension and more potential for the audience to be captivated.

Hopefully the world's scriptwriters read this blog and learn from it.

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