peaky blinders Flashcards
peaky blinders
(genre) define genre?
- the type of media text, for example, television crim drama.
peaky blinders
(genre) define conventions?
- the genre of the text is recognisable to an audience by having a set shared of characteristics/conventions. including: characters, iconography, narrative, technical & audio codes & representations.
peaky blinders
(genre) define subgenre?
- within the overall genre of television crime drama there will be groups of programmes that share similar conventions, for example forensic crim drama.
peaky blinders
(genre) define hybrid genre
- some programmes share the conventions of more than one genre. EG Johnathan Creek is a crime drama with elements of paranormal
peaky blinders
(genre) Neale’s genre theory ? (3)
- repetition & change, variation, difference.
- genres change & develop & vary - borrow & overlap with one and other
-specific economic, institutional, & industrial contexts.
peaky blinders
(genre) why do genres change? (5)
- changes in target audience
- industry & drive for profit
- changes in what society will accept
- changes in technology
- changes in dominant ideology & representations
peaky blinders
(genre) gangster genre conventions
- organised crime and the violence in perspective of criminal.
- activities of criminal gangs
- rise & fall narrative: a lavish lifestyle - falling victim to the authorities or other gangsters
- charismatic figure - anti-hero (audience encouraged to identify with him )
- past trauma: law breaking & violence.
- law enforcement figures antagonists (police or government) dominant ideologies changed.
- undercover agents
- hangouts or meeting points, gangster’s office.
- costumes & props: wealth with purchasing sharp suits.
- themes: crime, loyalty, family, power.
peaky blinders
(genre) peaky blinders - genre? subgenre? hybrid genre?
- crime drama
- gangster
- gangster, westerns, & period drama.
peaky blinders
(genre) gangster genre change?
- changes in society
- 1930s as a result of prohibition in the USA and the popularity of Al Calpone
- gangsters being glorified, so punished at the end - dominant ideology: crime doesn’t pay.
- messages complex, fate of gangsters were unpredictable.
- violence more graphic.
- representation of women, traditionally: mother or the moll, now: powerful.
- although set in the past, produced in contemporary context, effects of war and PTSD.
- changes of British period drama: industrial setting and the Birmingham w/c.
peaky blinders
(narrative) Todorov’s narratology theory? (4)
- all narratives share basic structure, involves movement from 1 equilibrium to another.
- 2 states separated by period of imbalance/disequilibrium.
- narratives can be resolved can have a particular ideological significance.
- equilibrium - disruption - recognition - resolution - equilibrium.
peaky blinders
(narrative) example of narratology in peaky blinders?
- Danny having PTSD - he hits someone - Italian man wants to kill - Tommy fakes killing Danny - Danny moves away.
- Weapons stolen - creates chaos - Tommy realises significance of weapons - attempt to recover weapons - weapons back.
peaky blinders
(narrative) Levi-Strauss’ structuralism theory
- texts can be understood through an examination of their underlying structure.
- meaning is dependant upon & produced through binary opposites.
- resolved can create particular ideological significance.
peaky blinders
(narrative) binary oppositions in peaky blinders?
- loyalty (Tommy) vs Betrayal (Grace)
- Incompetence (Tommy) vs competent (Polly/Arthur)
- war (PTSD) vs peace (present)
- urban vs rural
- law (Campbell) vs crime (Tommy)
- violence (Tommy) vs pacifist.
- communism (Freddie) vs capitalism (Tommy)
- law (Tommy) vs criminal (Arthur) - Campbell beating Arthur, dislikes w/c
- W/C (PB) vs R/C (Winston).
peaky blinders
(narrative) restricted or unrestricted narrative?
- narrative told from the perspective of a character.
- Tommy / criminal POV, W/C - crime favoured as there’s no legitimate way W/C can other R/C.
- unrestricted knowledge - can see what the law is doing, know Freddie & Ada’s relationship Tommy lying about guns.
peaky blinders
(narrative) narratives in crime drama ?
- investigative - led.
- driven by suspense or enigmas.
- clear binary opposites w/ the central binary opposition of the police vs criminal. being conventional, gangster: reversed & emphasize criminals.
peaky blinders
(narrative) Enigma codes?
- questions or mysteries to make audience continue watching.
- create suspense by withholding or delaying answers.
- crime dramas, killers identity until end.
peaky blinders
(narrative) enigma codes of peaky blinders?
- how will they hide the guns?
- what are the Grace’s connections w/ the police?
- Why did he let Danny live?
- will Tommy find out about Freddie and Adas relationship?
peaky blinders
(postmodernism) postmodern culture, features?
- Reflexivity: drawing attention to the processes construction.
- Intertextuality & Eclecticism: 1 text making reference to another.
- Bricolage: constructions from a diverse range of things.
- Parody/Pastiche: conventions to create humour vs reminding.
- hyperreality
- irony/knowingness: self awareness.
peaky blinders
(postmodernism) postmodern conventions?
- hybridity & eclectism: mixes of genres (gangster & crime)
- Intertextuality: referencing western: horses & the godfather & the untouchables
- music isn’t from 1919, set in 1919.
peaky blinders
(postmodernism) music in peaky blinders?
- electric & anachronistic: belonging to a period other than that being portayed
- modern rock & punk bands: the whitestripes, foals, radiohead, joy division, & nick cave & the bad seeds
peaky blinders
(postmodernism) what effect does anachronistic music have on the audience?
- feel taken away from the period, music reminds were detached
peaky blinders
(postmodernism) Baudrillard theory?
- boundaries between the “real world” & the world of the media have collapsed & it’s no longer possible to distinguish between reality & simulation
- age of simularcra were immersed in a world of images which no longer refer to anything real
- media images have come to seem more real than the reality they supposdly represent
peaky blinders
(postmodernism) hyperreality?
- the way in which simulations comes to seem more “real” than reality itself
peaky blinders
(postmodernism) simulacram?
- a copy without an original or a copy that has taken the place of the original
peaky blinders
(postmodernism) evaluating Baudrillard?
- while media shapes our understanding of the real world, it’s essential to remember we posses the ability to discern between reality & simulation
- despite persuasive influence of media, human experiences & critical thinking allow us to naviagte the complexities of the hyperreal world
peaky blinders
(audience) primary target audience?
- male
- fans of crime drama
- and gangster, western, & period dramas
peaky blinders
(audience) how does peaky blinders target audiences?
- representations of gender ?
- appeal to women: strong women EG aunt polly shouting at tommy
- appeal to men: violent/ criminals EG doing what they want & also subverting EG PTSD/emotions
peaky blinders
(audience) how does peaky blinders target audiences?
stars ?
- Cillian Murphy: Christopher Nolan, 28 days, Batman, Iception: mainstream, complex
- Helen Mcroy: Harry Potter
- Sam Neil: Jurassic Park
peaky blinders
(audience) how does peaky blinders target audiences?
character - thomas shelby?
- appealing to men, problematic ideas, fandom : glourification of gangs
- “control your emotions like Thomas Shelby”
peaky blinders
(audience) how does peaky blinders target audiences?
narrative - long form tv
- complex narrative structure with lack of closure: audience interested & continue to watch
peaky blinders
(audience) stuart hall - reception theory
dominated?
- viewers who agree with the valourisation of W/C lives & history: see themselves
- wants people to admire characters, dont want to repeat their actions
peaky blinders
(audience) stuart hall - reception theory
negotiated?
- some enjoy the deciptions of industrial areas as vibrant & exciting may find stylised violence upsetting
- like traditional period drama, might not like postmodern style/music : innacurate representation of history & unconventional crime & W/C
peaky blinders
(audience) stuart all - reception theory
oppositional?
- style of the show ff putting & superfical, historical accuracy wrong, reject music
peaky blinders
(audience) audience pleasures?
- people idolise peaky blinders: attention to detail, outstanding performance, compelling storytelling, transport viewers into different times
- seek escape: Tommy doing crime: nostolgia, traditional clothing
- streaming services
