Conventions of thriller films: The Taking of Pelham 123 (1974)

Convention	Example from the film clip
Good v evil (protagonist v antagonist)	Antagonist looks suspicious with a package of some sort. Could be something dangerous Weapons/bombs
Vulnerable victims- often a female (damsel in distress)	A woman sitting on the train minding her own business but a man comes over and touches her- putting her in a vulnerable situation.
The two main characters are normally a protagonist and antagonist	Antagonist- trying to hijack the train- putting everyone in danger on the trains.
The story often begins peacefully, which is then interrupted by a major event	Start of the train station everything seems normal. There are busy trains- then it goes from calm to tension building when the man holds a gun to a mans head.
The main aim is for the protagonist to restore peace while the antagonist is trying to destroy it	Antagonist sneakily comes onto the train looking suspicious with packages which could be bombs or some sort of weapons.
The protagonist is usually a brave male, while the antagonist has a hidden identity and is often seeking revenge	Civilians on the train seem to be the protagonist; however no main hero is noticeable.
Low key lighting	Low lighting show they’re on the underground train/ subway. There is harsh lighting on the station.
Quick cuts in the edit	Cutting between the characters e.g. antagonists to the children
Shadows	Shadows on the antagonist to show his bad side. Hides the man’s emotion- mystery. Low key lighting result in a lot of shadows which is good for thriller films.
Tense Music	Diegetic sound of the train breaks and dialogue but shortly cuts to silence in the train station. The title music soundtrack sounds like an old cop or detective type film.
Changes in camera angles and shot types. There might be a lot of close ups or extreme close ups of the protagonist to show their emotions	Close ups of the antagonist to show their sneaky/ emotionless expressions. Establishing shot of the busy town with all the cars and traffic. Wide shots to show the train pulling into the train station.
Costume- antagonist will often wear dark clothing whereas the protagonist wears everyday clothes	Antagonist- wearing typical fake moustache, hat, glasses and long coat which makes him looks like a detective. As the characters try to hide their faces, it makes them blend in with society. All the antagonists all wear a similar dark uniform to show that they’re all a part of the same gang or working for the same person.