The use of a MacGuffin in Intruder.

" The main thing i've learnt over the years is that the MacGuffin is nothing. I'm convinced of this, but I find it very difficult to prove it to others"- Alfred Hitchcock 


What actually is a MacGuffin? Hitchcock described it as a 'plot device or gimmick' on which to hang the tension in a film. The MacGuffin provokes the action without being of important significance itself. For instance, two strangers sitting next to each other may lead to love or murder. The MacGuffin is the bus journey/waiting for a train etc. An example of this is in Strangers on a Train, the fact that the two strangers got on the train and sat next to eachother causes the events for the rest of the film. Other examples of MacGuffins in thriller films are 'Shadow of a Doubt' (1942) with the newspaper and the ring, and also The Trouble with Harry (1952) with Harry's cause of death.
In our thriller, we use one main MacGuffin throughout the opening of Intruder. 
at the beginning of our thriller, the Intruder is seen driving slowly in his car past Jo. This is a Red Herring because at this instance, it is not clear that this man driving past her, has any relevance to the rest of the thriller. However, it does give the audience a sense that Jo is already being followed. The audience then see a fairly close up shot of a watch that the man is wearing- this is our MacGuffin. At this point, the audience are completely unaware of any significance the watch may have to the rest of Intruder. However, the watch is seen several times after this, for example in the lift. The more the watch is seen, the importance it has to the audience throughout the opening intensifies. 
However, as the audience are become more aware of the importance of the MacGuffin, Jo is still completely oblivious to anyone, let alone the significance of the watch her stalker is wearing. This has an impact on the audience as they can see her being followed by this mysterious man, even though it is not directly shown. It is shown more subtly with the quick cuts of both their feet walking away from the camera, which uses the 180degree rule. The tension is building purely through the use of this seemingly 'useless' prop. 
I decided to use a watch as the MacGuffin as watches have an underlying significance in various thriller films. This is evident in 2002 thriller Phone Booth. Stu Shepard finds himself trapped in a phone booth by an unknown man pointing a sniper rifle at him. This man is constantly counting down the minutes. A watch is used as it suggests metaphorically that someone is watching them. Watches are also frequently referenced in thrillers because they indicate the time of the murder which is significant for the forensics. 
I have included the trailer for Phone Booth. I cannot find any clips which reference the time he has left on YouTube, however I believe the trailer shows an important element on him being on a time limit. 



At the end of the opening to Intruder, the watch is placed (unknown to audience and Jo) in Jo's living room which was intended to be found by Jo so that when she reaches to get the watch she is killed by the Intruder. 
There will also another small Red Herring in the opening of our thriller. When Jo turns the television on, the news comes up with the reporters talking of the Joanna Yeates murder. This is important, although more subtly to the audience because I have based the entire opening around the murder which happened in Bristol with the man following her back to her apartment and killing her while she is alone and vulnerable inside. The references to this murder (within a murder story itself) will play on the minds of the female audience with them putting themselves in Jo (and Joanna Yeates) position as everyone for example whilst home alone has heard a noise and thought there was someone else in the house with them. The fact that the Joanna Yeates murder was directly referenced in the thriller is a cultural signifier as it will be raw in the minds of the audience as it was happening at the time Intruder was filmed.