Media Genres conspiracy Thrillers

The path towards building up tension and unveil the conspiracy can take routs. Often times, the protagonist challenges the powerful team of adversaries whose character and true values are known to them alone. We are left in suspense because we don’t get to know the values the enemies are representing. Most of the times protagonists tend to be investigative, working with single-mindedness to unravel the story. The subgenre of thrillers bases its storyline on a historical or geographical context or both. The airwaves are dominated by the USA and the Cold War, witch hunts and demagogues. Suspicion and paranoia were wide spread. American democracy is under a great threat from clandestine forces who are operated behind the curtain by those who would exploit fear to seize power.

In the plot, the war hero Raymond Shaw wins the Medal of Honor during the Korean War for saving all but two members of his platoon when they were captured and taken to Manchuria, in Communist China. This is a lie. Iselin will then become the presidential nominee automatically and blame communists for the crime. He will be a puppet president, answerable to the Communists under the guise of ultra-conservative patriot. One year after the film came out, President John F. Kennedy, a friend of star Frank Sinatra was assassinated in a similar manner to the villain’s scheme. Recent political events are spookily similar to the thriller. The witnesses were two media professionals- TV reporter Lee Carter and Foe Frady, a thorough writer of a magazine.

The commission instituted to investigate the case through its chairman reports that the murder was committed by some unpatriotic gunman for public recognition. This is a rejoinder to the speculations done by the media. Three years down the line, Carter meets Frady in his house to reveal her jitters over the murders of witnesses of Carroll’s scene which had risen to six. Carter is the next on line-for assassination. Controversies around elections was illustrated so well with The Manchurian Candidate, whereas political assassination and Commission reports on investigations through Allan’s The Parallax View. The masterminds are craving for power and money with impunity. Anything barricading them from their target is eliminated. Frady in The Parallax View is investigative, courageous and cautious as he is digging into the mega sagas.