peaky blinders Flashcards
cultural contexts
- working class, industrial birmingham
- often anti-establishment
- underrepresented areas up north - usually the midlands on tv
historical contexts
- gangster rivalry
- industrial development - poor living conditions
- PBs allegedly real but portrayed in accurately in TV show
- post WW1 - debt
- poverty led to crime
- 1920s - national liberal party
economic contexts
- screen yorkshire - cultivate represents of the north
- popular tv show globally - could secure funding and production for future seasons (until 2022)
political contexts
- tommy shelby becomes labour mp in later season
- left wing undertones - socialist ideas
- freddie’s union
social contexts
- made the history and social issues more digestible through entertainment
- hayes code: 1930s - restricted gang based film to avoid cultivating crime
what genre of film did peaky blinders season 1 pay homage to?
- western film genre
- steven knight the writer wanted to adapt the character of cowboys to peaky blinders season 1
what kind of angles and shots were used to achieve what purpose?
- opening scene: wide shot of riding in on horse to establish setting
- close up of tommy: shows his power and the intense nature of gangs
how did the setting conrtribute to the tone of peaky blinders season 1?
- working class, industrial birmingham
- shines a light on the poor living conditions in the uk - particularly in neglected areas in the north
how would propps’ character theory apply to peaky blinders season 1?
- although the gang nature, tommy is seen as the hero; this could depend on the audiences views (reception theory) - upper middle class viewers may favour campbell
- campbell is seen as the anti-hero or villain - on the hunt for the shelbys, like a predator
- grace is initially viewed as the damsel in distress
name some binary oppositions in peaky blinders season 1?
- working class vs upper middle class
- veteran vs did not serve in war
- strong female (polly) vs ‘weak’ male (danny)
- criminals vs police
how would todorov’s narrative theory apply to peaky blinders season 1?
- begins in disrupted equilibrium due to stolen guns, however this is normal life for the shelbys so could just begin with equilibrium depending on view
significance of clothing and audio codes?
- grace wears feminine clothes to cover up her purpose of being there - to investigate the shelbys
- campbells suit signifies his upper class nature
- shelby men’s flat caps symbolise working class - downward turn could symbolise the secretive nature of their trade
- red right hand by nick cave and the bad seeds - industrial, metal clanging, western
how does peaky blinders play on the historical drama genre to adapt to modern audiences? [POSTMODERNISM - BAULDRILLARD]
- fragmented story - layered storylines following different characters instead of a linear story
- cool, conserved protagonist
- traditional clothing may appeal to older audiences
- maintains historical storyline whilst challenging gender stereotypes
who produced peaky blinders?
- caryn mandabach productions (american) and tiger aspect (british) - international co-production
- caryn mandabach recognised for previous successes (such as That 70s Show)
who funded peaky blinders?
- screen yorkshire (first to recieve a grant from yorkshire content fund)
- represent county
what platforms was peaky blinders distributed on?
- uk: iplayer - must conform to bbc remit (educate, inform, entertain) and royal charter due to nature of psb
- international: initially the weinstein company however netflix bought it fromt hem after controversy
what is the significance of peaky blinders season 1 international success?
- exposed marginalised communities of uk to international audiences
- inernational fans across the world - satellite product
how was peaky blinders marketed and why is it significant?
- guerilla marketing - painted murals on walls
- 360 marketing - billboards, signs in the London tube, advertisements on tv
why was it important to regulate peaky blinders season 1 and by who?
- ofcom regulated broadcast
- shown after watershed
- sex, violence, swearing
why was netflix’s acquiring of peaky blinders significant for its success - specifically its audiences and nature of subscription?
- reached wider international audiences
- formed communities of international fans
- subscribtion based platform means that tv shows cannot be cut based on not enough viewing (allows them to experiement to keep audiences interested - challenges hesmondhalgh)
the impact of digital convergence on peaky blinders season 1?
- audiuences can watch it on demand - more control
- social media - fans can share fanart etc (jenkins) and speculate (shirky)
what might international audiences view of peaky blinders season 1 be compared to domestic audiences?
- may believe the whole uk is like birmingham
- may learn about the variety of cultures in uk
why would audiences consume peaky blinders season 1? [USES AND GRATZ - BLUMLER & KATZ]
- escapism: different time period, costumes etc
- entertaiment: exciting narrative
- surveillance: learn about different cultures
- social integration: discuss story and new series coming out
- personal identity: domestic audiences can see their own culture
how might audiences from birmingham view peaky blinders season 1? [IDENTITY THEORY - GAUNTLETT]
- birmingham audiences may view it as a ‘cultural cringe’
- domestic audiences may appreciate representation
what might bandura say about peaky blinders season 1?
- violent audiences may cultivate violent behaviours beyond the screen
how have fans acted towards peaky blinders season 1? [FANDOM THEORY - JENKINS]
- created fan art, fan fictions, cosplay, weddings
- tours around birmingham and festivals
- connect with international fans online
how does polly subvert gender stereotypes?
- matriarch
- orders tommy to get rid of guns
- holding gun up to john
- oldest - wisest
how do female characters conform/subvert gender stereotypes?
- grace seemingly conforms due to beauty and elegance but has a secret (subverts)
- ada represented as naive but she has power over freddie (femme fatale)
how do male characters conform/subvert gender stereotypes?
- tommy seems hard but struggles with ptsd
- danny represented as weak due to his severe struggles with ptsd
- arthur seems threatening until interrogated by police
- ww1 ptsd impacted a generation of men
how is working class represented in peaky blinders season 1?
- community based
- family oriented - especially in business
how could their working class background impact how women are treated? [BELL HOOKS]
- grace is the only woman working at the bar - questioned due to her beauty
- tommy asks grace if she is a ‘whore’ (prostitute) - economic struggles
how is campbell represented?
- driven - train scene
- upper class
