Crime Drama (‘Luther’) Flashcards
(23 cards)
What is a procedural crime drama
Takes you through all events of solving a crime
Typical characters in a crime drama (4 types)
-Officers of the law
-Victims
-Criminals
-Suspects
What is a typical crime drama protagonist like?
Often driven but has problems, a dark character who the audience wants to succeed
What typical settings are there in crime dramas
-Interview room
-Court room
-Autopsy room
-Squad room at police station
-Crime scene
What is vermsilitude
Where audiences can recognise the representations of ‘ordinary’ people in everyday environment
Where are crime dramas filmed and what problems can this cause
On location which can be expensive to find and hire
What styles of crime drama are there
-Procedural
-Action
-Psychological
-Period
What is prime time
Time after dinner where most people watch TV (6pm-10pm)
What is the watershed
-Things with more explicit content have to be shown after 9pm so children don’t see it
What are episodic crime dramas
Storylines concluded within episodes
What are linear crime dramas
Start > middle > end
What are non linear crime dramas
Flashbacks or flash forwards (no time continuity)
What is a single strand crime drama
Only one storyline
What is a multi-stranded crime drama
There may be several different storylines
What are the five stages of Todorov’s narrative structure
- Equilibrium
- Disruption
- Recognition
- Repair
- Resolution
How is Luther presented as a character
-Black male in 21sf century (good rep for ethnicity)
-Uses questionable methods to get results (breaking into Alice’s house)
-Unhealthy obsession with his job, which led to his marriage breaking down so he is a complex and dark character
-Represents mental health and is not afraid to talk about it (scene with sidekick)
How does Luther of themes of thriller TV
-Low-key lighting, intensive non-diegetic music and dramatic cross cutting in the pre-title sequence
How does Luther offer genre conventions of horror
-Graphic shots such as the dog and the Morgan’s house with blood
-Jump-scares when Alice grabs Zoe
How does Luther’s character make the show typical
-His emotional life is explored through a single strand narrative that overarches the series
-He develops a tension with Alice
-The programme is named after him
How do camera shots make Luther typical of its genre
-Camera movement such as hand held camera work immersed the audience by showing different viewpoints
-and the birds eye Alice grabbing Zoe outside of her office positions the views at a distance and makes them feel powerless to help
How is Luther an inverted narrative
We know straight away who the murderer is but we don’t know whether Luther will catch her
How does camerawork present Luther as a character
Often frames him surrounded by empty space signifying the emotional void in his life and a sense of isolation.
Showing he is not completely in control of his life and shows vulnerability
Also shows stereotypical elements of masculinity as he doesn’t show emotion in these scenes
How is the character of Alice presented
-She is a femme fatale and the antagonist which is unusual. Her character holds a lot of dramatic power and drives the plot.
-She displays typically masculine traits such as being unemotional, highly intelligent, violent and ruthless
-However she is still stereotypical as she fits with the beauty standard of being skinny and white and uses her femininity to flirt with Luther
