Peaky Blinders - Media Language - elements of media language

Visual codes

• Clothing

• Iconography and setting

• Gestures and expression

• Visual technical codes

Clothing

• The sharp, tailored suits, make the Blinders look powerful and wealthy - even though they’re gangsters. It contrasts their illegal lifestyle

• The similar style between the group shows unity and loyalty

• Masculinity, shown with the power it gives

• Female characters:

  • Ada, Polly, Grace:

    • Costume indicates the diferrent types of female character

Setting and iconography

• Set within industrial poverty, but still full of energy

• As tommy rides through small heath, he is on a horse which establishes his reputation -

Gesture and expression

• While the rest of the cast has dramatic energy, Tommy is understated and static by comparison

• His lack of emotion links to the Western cowboy archetype - Strong, silent, but coiled and ready for action

• His backstory of PTSD adds an emotional backstory to this posture

Visual technical codes

• Tracking shots are used to follow the characters through the streets and other locations

• Shot-reverse shot when Tommy and Arthur argue makes it more dramatic

• Two shot, and the use of close ups in the church make the scene more tense between Polly and Tommy.

Audio codes

Dialogue:

• Tommy is a man of few words - maybe because of emotional damage from WW1?

• Campbell talks alot - a binary opposite to Tommy- shows him as powerful and in control

Music:

• the use of punk/rock songs released decades after the time period establishes a modern feel to a period drama. Knight said he wanted to emphasise the idea of people in the period with modern emotions, aspirations.

• The angry but energetic punk reveals the emotions beneath Tommy’s calm exterior