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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.






















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