Life On Mars Flashcards
Narrative
Elements of a flexi-narrative
Certain information is restricted fro m the audience to create suspense and enigma codes
Audience follows Sam Tyler’s perspective and learns things as he does (200’s perspective)
Plot situation typical of crime drama such as car chases
Binary opposites of good and evil etc
Stock characters
Hierarchy with boss, detective and sidekick
Characters form binary opposites such as Gene Hunt and Sam Tyler and this contributes to tensions in narrative
Settings and locations
Typical of genre such as police station and urban crime settings
Setting clearly establishes time frame that the action is taking place in
Todorov- Narratology
Equilibrium: Typical crime scene narrative involving car chase
Disrupted when Sam has an accident and is transported to 1973
Enigma code then established as Sam tries to repair the narrative by working out how to return to the present
No resolution in first episode so ends on a cliffhanger
Steve Neale- Genre theory
Marked by various familiar crime drama conventions
Uses intertextual references and sci-fi hybrid genre to create change, demonstrating overlap and borrowing
The time travel element of the show represents how society has changed because Sam is critical of attitudes in 1970’s society
Visual codes: Clothing
Start of episode: Typical of crime drama eg suits, establishing hierarchy in police force
Sam’s clothing shows disruption in narrative with his typical 1970’s attire of wide collar shirt and flares
Adds to the enigma surrounding Sam’s narrative
Visual codes: Gesture and expression
Sam cries and hits steering wheel before he is hit by car emphasising frustration and suppressed emotion over Maya’s abduction
Sam frequently looks confused in his expressions to emphasise the mystery of the 1973 setting
Visual codes: Iconography and setting
Settings work in binary oppositions, such as the police offices in 1973 and 2006 which emphasises the lack of technology in 1973
Binary oppositions of different road systems
Iconography of 1973 such as cars and walkie talkies further reinforce Sam’s confusion
Technical codes
Close ups on Sam reinforce confusion and disorientation and heighten tension
Framing of Sam and Gene’s first encounter foreshadows clash between the two
Dutch angle when Sam is hit by car establishes confusion
360 degree tracking shot when he arrives in 1973 establishes new seeting and disorientation
Editing: Low angle of Sam viewing Maya’s blood-stained shirt followed by bird’s eye view of urban setting constructing sense of foreboding
Audio codes: Music
David Bowie’s Life On Mars is played at several points, specific lyrics relate to narrative such as just before Sam gets hit by car, creates nostalgia for audience
Diegetic sound of music disappears as Sam is crying, as if he is already in a dream and cannot be heard
Silence when Sam is hit by car reinforces shock, followed by non diegetic sounds such as sirens to reinforce disorientation
Audio codes: Dialogue
Initially is conventional of crime drama eg ‘we have a warrant’
Gene Hunt’s sociolect highlights what was acceptable in the 1970’s
Sam’s dialogue in the 1970’s highlights contrast in settings such as when they think a Jeep is a ‘military vehicle’
Baudrillard- Postmodernism
Narrative is fragmented and manipulates time and space
Elements of bricolage and intertextuality via cultural codes creating audience appeal through nostalgia
The 1970’s world of Gene Hunt is a hyperrality created from recognisable signs; re-presented from a mediated perspective
Sam’s 21st century world is also hyper-real because it is based on audience’s perception on the police force
How representation is constructed via technical codes
Opening scenes establish Sam Tyler as in control
In the 1970’s close ups and 360 degree shots are used creates representation of his confusion
How representation is constructed via audio codes
1970’s dialogue and vocabulary establish cultural differences between past and present, negative representations of the police
Music soundtrack represents the 1970’s
How representation is constructed via iconography
Clothing contributes to construction of representation
Representation of men/ masculinity
Dual time frame makes representation vary via binary opposites
Representation in 1973 is one of hypermasculinity and dominance/power, mainly shwon through Gene Hunt
Gene Hunt’s masculinity constructed through iconography eg a dartboard in his office connoting aggression
Sam Tyler both subverts and conforms to masculine expectations; he treats female characters nicer and challenges Gene Hunt
In 2006 however he displays masculine dominance in the police force
Sam is also constructed as vulnerable with closed body language
Representation of women/ femininity
Annie and Maya are in binary opposition
Women are underrepresented in the 1970’s, Annie has less of a role in the police force despite having a degree
Dora serves to highlight tension between Sam and Gene by reflecting the cultural differences in attitudes to women
Maya has a more active role in the police force and challenges Sam, however she is also portrayed as a victim through her abduction
Representation of ethnicity
Compares historical and contemporary cultures
1970’s: Underrpresentation of minorities in police force
Nelson is constructed as a stereotypical Jamaican and as ‘other’. Role as a bartender reinforces cultural inferiority
Maya’s representation as an Asian woman with power in the police force, reflecting equality in contemporary society
bell hooks- Intersectionality
Dual time frame raises awareness on how oppression has changed
1970’s time fram forces audience to consider the oppression of women, particularly Annie
Van Zoonen- Feminist theory
Contrasting worlds of 1973 and 2006 illustrates how dominant understandings of gender have changed over time
Gene Hunt’s world is hypermasculine and Annie is somestic and nurturing within it
Maya’s opportunties in society are very different due to changes in gender equality
The BBC
Public service broadcaster
Remit to educate, inform and entertain
Impartial and independent
Produce high quality entertainment
Royal Charter (5 aims)
Provide impartial news to help audience engage with world around them
Support learning for people of all ages
Creative, high quality and distinctive output
To reflect, represent and serve the diverse communities in all of the United Kingdom
To reflect the UK, its cultures and values to the world
Who produced, broadcasted and distributed the show
Produced by Kudos Film and Television, an independent company
Broadcast by the BBC
Distributed by BBC Worldwide
Use of formatting
Repeats successful crime drama genre
Series continued by spin off Ashes to Ashes and international remakes
Star power of John Simm, Philip Glenister and Liz White
