This document analyzes thriller conventions shown in the film "Once Upon a Time in America". It lists conventions such as innocent victims, dark colors, gangsters/criminals, noir/chiaroscuro lighting, murder/violence, guns, suspense, conflict, and femmes fatales. Specific scenes from the film are described that demonstrate these conventions through the use of lighting, shots, costumes, and situations that build tension, conflict, and mystery.

1. Analysis of thriller conventions
‘Once Upon a Time in America’
Directed by Sergio Leone

2. List of conventions that are shown
•Innocent victim – Eve
•Use of dark colours
•Gangsters/Criminals
•Noir/Chiaroscuro lighting
•Murder/violence
•Guns
•Suspense
•Conflict
•Femme fatale
•Tends to leave the audience with open questions

3. Eve as the femme fatale – classic
thriller convention. Noir lighting (dark) – classic thriller
convention, sets the mood. / Close-up shows
Chiaroscuro effect (light on dark) – emotion.
slight light on her face.
Pearls symbolise tears
and bad luck –
foreshadowing her
Dark, muggy
death and the bad luck
colours relate to
of her husband.
tone and
atmosphere of the Medium close-up to
thriller genre. capture emotion.
Non-ambient
lighting (artificial)
– added for effect.
Eve in general looks
glamorous and stands
The tone of the light out as the femme
matches the colour fatale – blonde hair,
of Eve’s face, almost jewelry, fashionable
makes her part of clothes, bright
the light. complexion.

4. The lighting could be non-
ambient because usually this
would be pitch black. Leone uses
a light to establish what the
audience are looking at and to
This is a lift shaft, often used in old thrillers as a way of emphasise the height.
escape for victims.
This creates suspense as we can’t see who’s in it or
Again, the use of dark colours as a thriller where it’s going.
convention sets the tone/mood.

5. This is a magnificent worms eye/tilt shot of
Noodles in the eyes of the man who is lying
on the floor having just been beaten.
Guns are also a classic thriller
Tilt shots are commonly used in thrillers to create convention. They give the
confusion for the audience. In this case it is used for character high status along
Worms eye shots empathy and creates tension for the audience. with the costume and make
are used to indicate him look menacing.
fear – in this case
the fear lies with
the man on the
floor as he looks up
to a killer.
Trilby hat, long dark coat with shirt
and tie suggests that this man is a
gangster – common thriller
Lighting is most likely non-
convention.
ambient because of lamps
/room lights.

6. Muggy/dull colours are used
throughout.
Here, the lighting is likely to be
non-ambient because of the
shadows created on the faces.
(looks purposeful)
The gun (thriller
convention) is placed
in front of a picture of
the man they are after.
– creates tension/
foreshadows his death.
Medium shot reveals him looking
into a brief case (thriller
convention) Mystery is being
created for the audience because
we can’t see what’s inside of it.
Important medium shot establishing gangsters together –
high status/menacing/powerful. All in classic gangster
costumes.

7. Non-ambient lighting.
The lamp is always shown with Eve
to make her stand out.
Cold metal bars add to the
harsh atmosphere.
Eve is cornered in
her own bedroom
by three gangsters.
This would make
her feel extremely
helpless because
she can’t even be
safe in her own
home – she has no
where to go and no
way of escape.
Eve is cast in the
shadows,
suggesting she
can’t do anything
about what is going
to happen.
Bullet holes in the bed are a threat
towards Eve and her husband. Also
foreshadowing death on both parts.

8. This shot is very picturesque with the three Trilby hats cause shadows on
gangsters standing in the arc doorway together –
face which implies threat.
adds to their status.
Non ambient lighting.
Close-up of Eve as she lies dead – allows
audience to empathise as they can see her
facial expression intensely.