Filmmaker Michael Tucker of Lessons from the Screenplay examines the disturbingly brilliant opening scene of the 2009 Quentin Tarantino alternate history film Inglorious Basterds and how the use of suspense within the scene was used to disarm the audience and set the tone for the rest of the film.
This element of suspense is fairly self-explanatory. It simply states that our inability to influence the course of events can lead to an experience of tension. In this regard, the medium of film lends itself to suspense because it’s a mode of storytelling where the audience has no say in what happens. Even in interactive storytelling mediums, the most suspenseful moments are often those where you have no control.
