Does this device used to create suspense have a name?
Sometimes films will create suspense by having the audience along with character not know whether or not another character knows a secret. And if the character does actually know the secret, it would be bad / put the good guy in danger.
A good example is the scene in Inglorious Basterds with Hans and Shosanna having a meal together. The audience and Shosanna both suspect that Hans may remember her as the Jew that escaped him previously. But we don’t know if he knows; and it creates incredible suspense / tension.
A more generic example would be almost any movie with a spy or undercover cop; if we have a reason to suspect that the cop’s true identity has been discovered by the bad guy he is meeting with, but we don’t know for sure.
Similar scenes are in Valkyrie, The Departed, multiple Mission Impossibles, etc.
Is there a name for this type of trope, or this type of suspense, or this literary device in general? I’m aware that the question could be likely applied to literature or writing in general; but it shows up often in film.
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What creates suspense in a movie?
Build tension, rhythm, suspense with close-ups. Use rhythm to exemplify the emotion in the scene. It's a more staccato and a more aggressive way to accomplish suspense, but it works (and it isn't cliche). So if you want to build suspense while being original, this is a good way to go.How did Alfred Hitchcock build suspense?
Information to Create Suspense Hitchcock believed that information and suspense went hand in hand, he believed in showing the audience what the character was unaware of. If something was going to harm your character in the future, show it at the beginning scene. Then you let the scene play like there's nothing wrong.How do sound effects create suspense?
It works by increasing or lowering the volume of a piece of music during a scene. For instance, a filmmaker might cut back on music during a horror film and then suddenly boost the volume to frighten a viewer. It is a tactic that can turn a scary moment into an iconic movie scene.Which element of a film helps create suspense set the mood signal a change in setting or build excitement?
Of all the filmmaking elements, editing is probably the most important when it comes to suspense films.How Sound Is Used To Create Suspense In Horror Movies | Movies Insider
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