Sample 02: Representations of social, cultural and historical events can vary within long form television dramas from different countries. Discuss how and why audiences might respond to and interpret these representations differently.
D83 is a pivotal example of how audiences may respond to and interpret representations of events in LFTVDs differently. D83 is set within divided Berlin during the Cold War, demonstrating the contrasting lives led by the East and the West and the tensions that existed between them (displayed readily by Mrs Werner’s disgust as she discovers that Martin is East German from his telephone call). The audience views the event from the perspective of Martin, an East German boy who is enlisted into becoming a spy by his aunt Lenora. However, unconventionally, Martin is represented in a somewhat sympathetic view, as we learn of his mother who requires surgery which could only be afforded with his espionage work. The East is also depicted as a much poorer, restricted land in comparison to West Berlin’s consumer heaven, represented by the oversaturated, vibrant stocked supermarket shelves Martin witnesses as he attempts to flee. To international audiences, this was very well received, with audiences praising its historical accuracy and realistic approach to the ambiguity and emotional complexities of indirect warfare. However, the programme did not perform nearly as well in Germany, with audiences disliking a range of representations, from the old-fashioned marketing (some deemed ‘tired’ or ‘outdated), to the compassionate depiction of East German agents. Some even declared that the show was far too stylised for a historical piece, to which co-writer/producer Joerg Winger responded that the show aimed to construct ‘psychological realism’ and not complete duplication. Theorists such as Hall would deconstruct this difference in opinion due to the fact that media is inherently polysemic; all media products have a ‘preferred meaning’ that is encoded into the piece, but this can be recieved in greatly different ways. International audiences seem to accept the ‘preferred meaning’, taking on this new perspective they hadn’t previously greatly considered. Whereas, German audiences may adopt a ‘negotiated’ or ‘oppositional’ reading due to their personal experiences, education, or greater exposure to the events discussed in the show, which simply may not offer what they believe to be a truly nuanced representation of history.
Sample 02: Representations of social, cultural and historical events can vary within long form television dramas from different countries. Discuss how and why audiences might respond to and interpret these representations differently.
ReplyDeleteD83 is a pivotal example of how audiences may respond to and interpret representations of events in LFTVDs differently. D83 is set within divided Berlin during the Cold War, demonstrating the contrasting lives led by the East and the West and the tensions that existed between them (displayed readily by Mrs Werner’s disgust as she discovers that Martin is East German from his telephone call). The audience views the event from the perspective of Martin, an East German boy who is enlisted into becoming a spy by his aunt Lenora. However, unconventionally, Martin is represented in a somewhat sympathetic view, as we learn of his mother who requires surgery which could only be afforded with his espionage work. The East is also depicted as a much poorer, restricted land in comparison to West Berlin’s consumer heaven, represented by the oversaturated, vibrant stocked supermarket shelves Martin witnesses as he attempts to flee. To international audiences, this was very well received, with audiences praising its historical accuracy and realistic approach to the ambiguity and emotional complexities of indirect warfare. However, the programme did not perform nearly as well in Germany, with audiences disliking a range of representations, from the old-fashioned marketing (some deemed ‘tired’ or ‘outdated), to the compassionate depiction of East German agents. Some even declared that the show was far too stylised for a historical piece, to which co-writer/producer Joerg Winger responded that the show aimed to construct ‘psychological realism’ and not complete duplication. Theorists such as Hall would deconstruct this difference in opinion due to the fact that media is inherently polysemic; all media products have a ‘preferred meaning’ that is encoded into the piece, but this can be recieved in greatly different ways. International audiences seem to accept the ‘preferred meaning’, taking on this new perspective they hadn’t previously greatly considered. Whereas, German audiences may adopt a ‘negotiated’ or ‘oppositional’ reading due to their personal experiences, education, or greater exposure to the events discussed in the show, which simply may not offer what they believe to be a truly nuanced representation of history.