Deutschland 83 close textual analysis

SCENE 1: garden/ BBQ scenes (one in East, one in West):
Technical codes: Mise-en-scene:

• Digetic music (East)
• Costume (soldier uniform/ old fashioned clothing)- East
• Bigger house- West = shows wealth.
• Costume~ emphasises East vs West- creates 80s nostalgia; younger generation= casual, dont want to conform to the old, traditional ways.
• Formal, hierachical- West- most people are in uniform.

Representation: East/ West/ Family/ Gender:

• Family in East= warm, valued, welcoming, poor but happy- Tracking/ steady cam shot follows Martin when he greets everyone.
• Family in West= traditional- daughter perfoming= traditional.
• Gender- Martin starts the bbq (West), Mum was organising/ tidying (East) = stereotypical.
• Gender- Martin places his hat on Anettes head= he is dominant in the relationship.
• "That Reagan... danger to mankind"- East vs West- coffee (prop)= wealth within the West.
• Gender= male dominated- historically accurate?, stereotypes reinforced.

SCENE 2: Martin is in the West supermarket:

Technical codes: Mise-en-scene:

• Costume= first time we see Martin not in his uniform; we see him in casual clothing: red puma top. The bright colour on his top almost contradicts the fact that he is an undercover spy.
• Cars and supermarket stock are colourful~ life in the West is 'brighter'.
• Supermarket: packed shelves, neat, organised= unrealistic- pop art effect- post modern.
• First image of West= close up of the chandelier- shows wealth and luxury.

Audio codes: music:

• Non-digetic music when running creates tension.
• Digetic 80s music in the supermarket~ 'Sweet Dreams', reflect Martin's thought process.
• Non-digetic when he wakes up implies a sense of wonder, amazement.
• The 80s music is in English (language change- music in East was in German).

Representation: East/ West/ Communism/ Capitalism:

• "I imagined Bonn to be different"
• Reference to a house and a car= luxury for the East however, it's the minimum for the West.
• 80s pop song in the supermarket= English~ Americanisation of the West?
• "True luxury of the West"

Audience pleasures:

• Gender~ "what does Anette want?"= sexist
• Diversion~ chase scene- fast paced, tense, action, visceral.
• Nostalgia~ 80s music/ costume/ shops.
• Police eating ice cream- West.

SCENE 3: training montage- Martin learns to be a spy:

Technical codes: camera work & editing:

• Low angle shot when the General meets Martin- demonstrates superiority/ Martin is in danger: "you're on your own".
• Editing= fast paced montage.
• Split screen & wipe transition.
• Jumpcuts increases pace & excitement.
• Mise-en-scene: montage of products (fruit etc.) = East and West.
• Shots from behind other things (e.g: from behind a tree or looking through a window)- creates a spy feel/ secrecy.

Audio codes:

• Voice over/ dialogue merges.
• 80s fast paced sound track.
• 'Ping' SFX- gives off a game show vibe/ style (INTERTEXTUALITY)

Audience pleasures:

• Diversion~ fast pace & excitement.
• Recognition.
• German audience~ nostalgia; Surveillance for UK/ US audience as we learn about German culture.

Intertextuality:

• Like James Bond- spy thriller~ mise-en-scene: gadgets.
• Coming of age: makeover scene.
• Rocky training montage.
• Post modernism.

SCENE 4: Martin is stealing the NATO plans from the briefcase:

Technical codes: camerawork & editing:

• Close up of the keys, picking locks.
• Files: maps, Reagan's signature, 'top secret' stamp.

Audio codes: digetic/ non-digetic:

• Non-digetic= quiet when he is unlocking the door, imcreases in volume/ pace when he's in the 
• office/ when he heara the General speaking.
• Digetic- exaggerated breathing~ he's stressed/ shows tension.

Audience pleasuresDiversion- pace, excitement, tension.

• Personal relationship~ we don't want Martin to get caught.
• Diversion- pace, excitement, tension.