media language - peaky blinders Flashcards
how does peaky blinders subvert the conventions of the gangster sub-genre?
it is set in post-WW1 birmingham, which is a generally unrepresented area in the british media.
(genre) how is repetition achieved?
when genres embrace typical conventions, repetition is achieved as the repeated codes and conventions are recognisable to the audience.
(genre) how are variation and difference achieved?
variation and difference are achieved when usual genre conventions are challenged and changed, but still kept relatively similar.
what is peaky blinders?
a serial tv programme focusing on a working class gangster family, the shelbys.
they run an illegal bookmaking business.
what does the first episode of peaky blinders focus on?
it establishes the main characters, their backstories, relationships and the trouble they are about to face.
what is a hybrid genre?
two different genres used together as one.
how does peaky blinders classify as a hybrid genre? (use examples)
has characteristics of both historical and crime dramas.
historical - eccentric production design to evoke the specific period it is set.
crime - focuses on a gangster family, explores social and political issues.
analysis of shelby household scene.
-we witness criminal activity, a common convention of the gangster genre.
—> tracking shot reveals the hustling illegal bookmakers the shelbys are running.
-non diegetic punk music as tommy enters, essence of rebelliousness and anarchy.
-visual code of clothing
—> suits highlight hyper-masculinity of gangster genre.
RESISTS - iconography
-spectacular production design, costumes in particular have an impact on mainstream fashion
-ornate mise en scene is a typical convention of a historical drama
-accuracy of iconography/clothing and the absence of modern technology conveys the verisimilitude of the 1920s.
RESISTS - stock characters
tommy shelby is a cunning, collected, quiet but ambitious antihero, using intelligence and violence to ascend through the ranks of his criminal family.
—> he is strategic to keep his position at the top. typical of gangster protagonist.
RESISTS - themes
-importance of family loyalty. it doesn’t matter who the enemy is, the shelbys are devoted to protecting their family.
-this focus on family dynamics is reminiscent of the US crime drama, the sopranos.
RESISTS - setting
contemporary gangster dramas set in earlier periods are shaped by the historical/cultural contexts in which they’re produced. peaky blinders looks at the interwar period through a contemporary lens.
-this is not only apparent in the style/aesthetics of the programme, but also in the way the issue of ptsd is represented.
—> a way that is far better understood today.
analysis of arthur’s interrogation
-intimate right framing of arthur strapped to the chair connotes impending threat closing in on the shelbys.
-low key lighting creates ominous atmosphere, illustrating campbell’s ruthless and merciless deliver of law and order.
-close up shot of arthur’s bloodied face signposts the essence of brutal masculine violence present in the gangster genre.
how does tommy shelby reject the gangster protagonist archetype?
the characterisation of tommy shelby adds depth and complexity to the ‘tough guy’ archetype.
—> tommy is a man of few words; “that’s what i do. i think.”
—> he is rarely impulsive; he isn’t aggressive when polly strikes him in the church.
—> the calmness of tommy during his interaction with freddie in the pub shows his unwillingness to retaliate.
how does tommy shelby embrace the gangster protagonist archetype?
as tommy broodingly enters the small village in the opening scene, numerous characters run into hiding, intimidated by his presence. this is a typical convention of the gangster drama.
—> it is also indicative of the western genre.
