Use of Dialogue in Thriller Films

Dialogue is used in films to create a realistic atmosphere for the audience, it can represent that of exchanges whilst buying food, talking to parents or with friends. Dialogue helps the narrative plot to evolve by revealing key facts about either specific characters or locations, explaining reasons for committing crimes. The ulterior motive of film dialogue is to communicate 'why?' and 'how?' and 'what happens next?' to the audience. The 'what happens next?', as mentioned previously, helps fluency of the narrative plot. Below is a clip from 'Angels And Demons' showing the effect of narrative and how it supplements the narrative plot: 



Dialogue can also paint a thematic or marl image in both the characters and audiences mind. With reference from my previous research and additional findings from http://www.filmreference.com/encyclopedia/Criticism-Ideology/Dialogue-FUNCTIONS-OF-DIALOGUE-INNARRATIVE-FILM.html Alfred Hitchcock used this technique in his films. An extract from one his films 'Foreign Correspondent' (1940), illustrates a Nazi warns as well as threatens the Americans to participate in the fight:

"All that noise you hear isn't static; it's death coming to London. Yes, they're coming here now; you can hear the bombs falling on the streets and the homes. It's as if the lights were all out everywhere, except America. Keep those lights burning"

Voice overs is a technique where non-diegetic sound is placed over the top of a clip of film to add description of whats happening, setting the scene or revealing points about characters. The 'voice over' character does not have to a part of the film however can act as a choric figure and interact with other characters. We may use voice overs whilst the credit sequence is going on to keep the audience engaged and reveal possible plot devices.
Therefore all the above clearly shows how dialogue can be effective and is extremely important within thriller openings. We will hope to include as many of these dialogue techniques as possible to help build suspense, create thematic images and aid narrative and plot.