Deutschland 83 - Close-textual analysis

In class, we have deconstructed Episode 1 of Deutschland 83, exploring how meanings are created in the key scenes using technical and audio codes.

We need to consider the audience pleasures of Deutschland 83 alongside various representations created in the first episode.

Recap: Uses and Gratifications theory (Blumler & Katz 1974)

Researchers Blumler and Katz (1974) suggested that media audiences are active and make conscious choices about the way they consume media.

They suggested there are four main uses or gratifications (pleasures) that audiences get from the media:

Diversion: escape from everyday problems and routine - entertainment.

Personal Relationships: using the media for emotional and other interaction (e.g. developing affection for characters in TV drama).

Personal Identity: finding ourselves reflected in texts or learning behaviour and values from the media.

Surveillance: Information useful for living or learning

Deutschland 83: representations

We also need to consider a range of representations in episode 1 of Deutschland 83:

• East & West Germany
• Communism and Capitalism
• America and Americans
• Gender
• Family
• Reality / history

Are stereotypes used? Do the representations reinforce or subvert what we usually see in the media?

Blog task: Deutschland 83 Close-textual analysis

Type up your analysis from the lesson using the headings below. You may want to watch the key scenes again and develop your notes in further detail - the more specific and memorable your analysis, the better it will serve you when writing an essay on TV drama. Remember, you can watch the episode for free on the All 4 website and the main reading and research tasks for Deutschland 83 are on this case study blogpost here.

Scene 1: Garden/BBQ scenes (East & West Germany)

4.58 – 8.20 and 34.00 – 37.20

The audio which is the happy music shows that the character is in peace and that there is no tension in the drama.in addition the sound which is used is the west Germany song from the youth culture.furthermore the show the location with the camera work with long shots.therefore the costume that the character wore shows that he is in the army and looks like he is coming back to him after a long period of time.

Scene 2: Martin/Moritz first sees the West German supermarket 

14.30 – 20.25

Make notes under the following headings:

The technical codes which is the camera work with pov shots to show his perspective of the market.furthermore he costume changed into western clothes with jeans and furthermore the audio which is a song reinforces what happened to martin.furthermore they showed the wider range of diversity which is involved in the war.

Scene 3: Training montage scene when Martin/Moritz learns how to be a spy

The fast pace editing and montage  with the jump cut of narrative showed how he entered the army with the different steps and the diegtic sound which was the voice over helped to narrate the shot which helped us understand better than using furthermore the undiegetic sound was used to build tension as the scene is moving fast.in addition the intertexuality used in this is the James bond genre.

Scene 4: Briefcase scene when Martin/Moritz is stealing the NATO nuclear plans

31.13 – 33.30

The technical codes that were used in this was the close-ups used in show the props.the tracking shot and the fast pace to build tension and we can go into his state of mind.the audio codes that were from the non-diegetic sound was the 80's soundtrack which was used to build tension.in addition the diegtic sound of the movement of the character makes us feel like we are in his state of mind and are in the scene with him.