Steve Neale argues that the appeal of the genres is that they’re ‘instances of repetition and difference’,
how valid is his claim? (25 Marks)
I believe that Steve Neale’s argument that the appeal of the genres is that they’re ‘instances of repetition
and different’ is valid, which can be seen in Capital and Deutschland 83.
In Deutschland 83’s trailer, the close up of when a hand grabs Martin from the back whilst he was occupied
connotes uneasiness. The mid shot of when Martin is walking out of the building and an explosion happens
behind him connotes mystery. These shots appeal to audiences because the scenes depict similar
happenings to be considered under the same sub-genre of a spy thriller. Additionally, the gadget used in
the scene when Martin is undergoing spy training are conventional of the ‘007’ style genre as James Bond
is famously known to using technological devices. There are clear instances of repetition as the audience
are familiar with these type of scenarios. However, one of the major differences that occur is that when we
think of James Bond, we think of an experienced and confident spy but when we see Martin, he is shown
as vulnerable and very easily persuaded. This is also a hubris for the main protagonist, which isn’t usually in
other shows.
There are clear ‘instances of difference’ in Deutschland 83 in terms of the representation of women.
Linking to Bell Hooks’ theory, women are not being oppressed as they’re breaking stereotypes throughout
the show. Martin has come across many who are superior to him and he feels threatened by them, so he
has to eliminate them. In a patriarchal society, men are classed as the dominant gender, but Martin is
incompetent in comparison to Lenora, who is emotionally blackmailing him and the General’s sister-in-law
who finds out that he’s from the East during the party. Also, there are women smoking at the beginning of
the series, which challenged the stereotypes of women as it represented her as more modern and
powerful, which showed the audience that this was a time of change for women and they had more
freedom and were able to do what they wanted to. This is also another example of difference. However,
Laura Mulvey’s male gaze is apparent with the explicit sexual scenes with the woman that Martin falls in
love with as well as the bed scene between Lenora and a man, validating Neale’s theory of repetition.
Neale’s ‘instances of repetition’ is also seen in Capital with its extreme plot revolving around mystery with
the enigmatic postcards being sent to everyone on Pepys Road. Each of their worried facial expressions to
“WE WANT WHAT YOU HAVE” create an enigma for the audience. There tends to be a message left behind
in a typical mystery, therefore validating Neale’s theory. Additionally, on the DVD Packaging, they include
the shows ‘Broadchurch’ and ‘Humans’ that were created by Kudos. Both shows included the mystery
genre, showing the repetition in genre. They’re critically acclaimed, so it gives the show some hype already
that it will live up to the expectations of the previous shows created by the studio and already gives the
show some viewers as fans of the other show would most likely watch Capital. State-of-the-nation is also a
potential subgenre as the some of the male family members are talking about racism and Islamophobia
because of the postcards. The fact that as soon as the White families or members in the street address the
situation, only then law enforcement came to see them. This isn’t seen as much in other shows.
how valid is his claim? (25 Marks)
I believe that Steve Neale’s argument that the appeal of the genres is that they’re ‘instances of repetition
and different’ is valid, which can be seen in Capital and Deutschland 83.
In Deutschland 83’s trailer, the close up of when a hand grabs Martin from the back whilst he was occupied
connotes uneasiness. The mid shot of when Martin is walking out of the building and an explosion happens
behind him connotes mystery. These shots appeal to audiences because the scenes depict similar
happenings to be considered under the same sub-genre of a spy thriller. Additionally, the gadget used in
the scene when Martin is undergoing spy training are conventional of the ‘007’ style genre as James Bond
is famously known to using technological devices. There are clear instances of repetition as the audience
are familiar with these type of scenarios. However, one of the major differences that occur is that when we
think of James Bond, we think of an experienced and confident spy but when we see Martin, he is shown
as vulnerable and very easily persuaded. This is also a hubris for the main protagonist, which isn’t usually in
other shows.
There are clear ‘instances of difference’ in Deutschland 83 in terms of the representation of women.
Linking to Bell Hooks’ theory, women are not being oppressed as they’re breaking stereotypes throughout
the show. Martin has come across many who are superior to him and he feels threatened by them, so he
has to eliminate them. In a patriarchal society, men are classed as the dominant gender, but Martin is
incompetent in comparison to Lenora, who is emotionally blackmailing him and the General’s sister-in-law
who finds out that he’s from the East during the party. Also, there are women smoking at the beginning of
the series, which challenged the stereotypes of women as it represented her as more modern and
powerful, which showed the audience that this was a time of change for women and they had more
freedom and were able to do what they wanted to. This is also another example of difference. However,
Laura Mulvey’s male gaze is apparent with the explicit sexual scenes with the woman that Martin falls in
love with as well as the bed scene between Lenora and a man, validating Neale’s theory of repetition.
Neale’s ‘instances of repetition’ is also seen in Capital with its extreme plot revolving around mystery with
the enigmatic postcards being sent to everyone on Pepys Road. Each of their worried facial expressions to
“WE WANT WHAT YOU HAVE” create an enigma for the audience. There tends to be a message left behind
in a typical mystery, therefore validating Neale’s theory. Additionally, on the DVD Packaging, they include
the shows ‘Broadchurch’ and ‘Humans’ that were created by Kudos. Both shows included the mystery
genre, showing the repetition in genre. They’re critically acclaimed, so it gives the show some hype already
that it will live up to the expectations of the previous shows created by the studio and already gives the
show some viewers as fans of the other show would most likely watch Capital. State-of-the-nation is also a
potential subgenre as the some of the male family members are talking about racism and Islamophobia
because of the postcards. The fact that as soon as the White families or members in the street address the
situation, only then law enforcement came to see them. This isn’t seen as much in other shows.
