Deutschland 83 - Essay

Barthe's theory of semiotics can be easily applied to Deutschland 83, particularly through semantic code and connotations. There is a clear difference between use of colours in the East and the West, with the East portraying a much simpler and muted colour scheme, perhaps to emphasise higher levels of poverty. Even when there is high-key lighting in happy moments of equilibrium, the colours aren't bright which can emphasise the idea of a simple life before the disruption - linking to Todorov. Todorov's theory of narrative can be applied to Deutschland 83 because there is clearly a movement from one state of equilibrium to another. In the first episode, there is a clear equilibrium in Martin's life as he is happy as a soldier and quite content with his girlfriend and family. The equilibrium is most emphasised at the 7 minute mark, when Martin comes home and sees Anette, feeling genuinely happy and in love. Then, there is a period of imbalance or disequilibrium like most narratives, in which Martin has to face multiple challenges. He is taken to the West to act as a spy for the East, taking photos of documents and sending them as part of a deal that he and Anette will have somewhere to live in return. The disruption becomes clear when Martin's fingers are broken during a discussion about joining the party, indicating that he is no longer in control of his own life or body. Despite the fact Martin turns down the offer, he is injured and taken to the West while passed out. During this scene, there is no non-diegetic background music. This means that the sound heard is natural - almost silent - creating a sense of realism and eeriness. In this scene, the colour editing is also slightly blue-grey, suggesting a negative atmosphere. Despite the fact the narrative is in the 'disruption' stage, there are still multiple elements of humour. For example, when Martin is dressed in clothes from the West (at around 17 minutes) he looks quite out of place, just before making a dramatic escape and running. Action match cuts are used here to create a fast pace and tension, but it can be interpreted in a comedic way as it is such a dramatic and unexpected reaction for Martin to have, and makes him look foolish. Levi Strauss puts forward the idea that texts meaning is dependent upon (and produced through) pairs of oppositions, and that the way in which these binary oppositions are resolved can have particular ideological significance. In a sense, the West and the East can act as binary opposites, due to the complete different stages of development as well as their rivalry. Barthes (multi stranded narrative, connotation and denotation, enigma code)  the idea that texts communicate their meanings through a process of signification  the idea that signs can function at the level of denotation, which involves the ‘literal’ or common-sense meaning of the sign, and at the level of connotation, which involves the meanings associated with or suggested by the sign  the idea that constructed meanings can come to seem self evident, achieving the status of myth through a process of naturalisation. S. Hall. suggests the idea that stereotyping, as a form of representation, reduces people to a few simple characteristics or traits which tends to occur where there are inequalities of power, as subordinate or excluded groups are constructed as different or ‘other’ (e.g. through ethnocentrism). There is arguably stereotypes between typical people in the East and West, with their vastly different attitudes and lifestyles. Hall also suggests that there are different modes of reading (preferred, negotiated and oppositional). In Deutschland 83, it seems that the preferred meaning is rooting for Martin as an East German spy as it acts as an eye opener for East German culture and allows us to support someone who may have previously be seen as the antagonist in a different text, and supporting him on his mission. Neale’s genre theory is the idea that genres may be dominated by repetition, but are also marked by difference, variation, and change. Deutschland uses genre hybridity which is significant in standing out to the audience. It has elements of spy fiction, drama, thriller and comedy, and possibly even romance. This allows the show to attract a much wider variety of audiences, possibly being the reason for its success. Van Zoonen looks at the idea that the display of women’s bodies as objects to be looked at is a core element of western patriarchal culture, and the idea that in mainstream culture the visual and narrative codes that are used to construct the male body as spectacle differ from those used to objectify the female body. The mise-en-scene reflects this as women's and men's costume are largely stereotypical - with women more often than not wearing dresses or skirts, and a large amount of men often in uniform. Deutschland presents a large amount of ideologies, including patriarchy. The audience is positioned as identifying with the male protagonist Martin, because of his flawed character, but also as sympathising with Lenora in her pursuit of her patriotic duty, although perhaps shocked at her manipulative and calculating methods. There is a primarily male perspective, but the narrative is driven by Lenora. Similar to this, the perspective is German but does not choose sides, and is also largely a white perspective with multicultural casting. The media language incorporates individualism through an individual protagonist, trapped by social forces beyond his control. Consumerism is a large element in the programme; explicit stories about the lack of consumer goods in East Germany are contrasted with material plenty in the West. It can be suggested that the show holds a pacifist viewpoint as the main disruptions in the series are related to the War.