The Ticking Bomb

Storytelling needs to be compelling. It needs something that makes you want to find out what comes next.

And that something is a little thing called suspense.

Alfred Hitchcock was known as the Master of Suspense, and for good reason. But suspense can be a tricky thing. For example, here's what it's not: when a bomb go off in a movie, but takes the audience by complete surprise... this is actually not suspense.

To add suspense, Hitchcock would say you need to let the audience in on a bit of information (i.e. that there's a bomb ticking away, about to explode). And that's what causes tension for the viewer... What is the hero of the story going to do? Will they figure it out in time?

Of course, the suspense doesn't have to be a physical bomb. (Wouldn't all movies be lacking something if a bomb-threat were involved in every plot line?) But, think of the "ticking bomb" here as a metaphor.

So, let's go to another example from one of Hitchcock's movies... one without an actual bomb: Vertigo (1958). (Warning: there are SPOILERS in this example for those of you who haven't seen this movie.)

The "ticking bomb" in this case is the end revelation that Judy and Madeleine are the same girl. The movie actually gives this away much earlier than it does in the original book (although Jimmy Stewart's character is left in the dark until the very end). Hitchcock reveals his reasoning for this: "I put myself into the place of the little child, sitting on its mother's knee, being told a story. When Mother pauses in telling the child the story, the child always says, 'Mummy, what comes next?'" (from an interview with Truffaut)

Hitchcock goes on to explain that even though everyone was shocked that he wanted to ruin the surprise ending of the book -- that Judy is Madeleine -- he thought it more to his purpose to let the audience in on the secret. Going back to the little child analogy: The kid, knowing this secret, would then ask his mother, "And Stewart doesn't know it, does he? What will he do when he finds out about it?"

Every story needs some sort of what-comes-next-mummy. Otherwise, it's bound to lose its audience. No, not that all movies should be suspense thrillers like the ones Hitchcock put out.

And yet, it's something to keep in mind. Screenwriters: Find a "ticking bomb" for your story.

[Photo courtesy of VSmithUK]