Luther and The Fall analysis

Luther and The Fall are both crime dramas however they differ in the way in which they are structured, for example the use technical codes and the use of characters differ.

Luther's plot structure starts from the middle of action this creates ellipses in the storyline and causes the audience to be an active viewer. The action is emphasized by the use of camera as it tends to move very frequently and tends to be hand held; this demonstrates the action taking place on screen. However, the Fall plot structure starts from the beginning therefore there is very little action, this creates tension as the audiences knows something is going to happen. This creates enigma codes as the audience is left with questions about the character of the criminal as he is yet to create action in the visual codes. Additionally, the fall also uses the camera to demonstrate the action as most the time the camera is used at a still shot which connotes to not much going on.

The crime drama The Fall uses dark lighting which is generally linked to the horror convention, as the audience acknowledges this they understand that something sinister is bound to occur, Luther uses the same technical code as it connotes to the deep and dark crimes being committed such as murder and child abduction.

Within Luther the  recognize that Luther’s character is the protagonist he is a black english police investigator that the audience is supposed to identify with him, the character himself is made so the audience feels sorry for him as we find out through a long shot that he is in a mental home. Within his character alone the audience experiences binary opposition, as at work he uses unorthodox methods and he is represented as tough, although around his wife is presented as emotional. This emotional side of the character Luther is often portrayed through close ups of his face in times of family crisis, it also suggest another binary opposite such as power and weakness. For example Luther has power in his job but in his relationship he is powerless. On the other hand , in The Fall the audience is made to feel like they identify with the criminal , this makes the audience feel uncomfortable because his a rapist serial killer, which has children. To add to his there is a key mid-shot of our criminal looking into a mirror the signifies that he lives a double life, this links to the iconography of mirrors because as a prop themselves they suggest that something or someone has a double meaning.Furthermore, most characters in both crime dramas are presented as middle class , this adds contrast to their live especially for The Fall. also the victims tend to be pretty brunette women, this normally would create an issue as it represents women as weak ,this tends to be a trope in crime dramas. However,The Fall carefully represents them as successful women who are strong and independent.

Within the editing Luther uses shot reverse shot at times when he is in conflict with someone, for instants, shown in a mid-shot when in the interview room with the character Alice shot reverse shots are used to show there is tension, when the conversation becomes more heated the shots cut quicker, this creates the idea that there against each other. This is also done when he is seen with his wife. Whereas The Fall uses cuts to show two different lives, for example with a mid-shot the investigator is shown in a car this shot then cuts to the criminal in the car, this is done throughout especially when showing the two different characters at work. Similarly, this suggest that there is sense of versus each other.

Moreover the sound used in both crime dramas directly links to music that would be used in horror films,in some ways you could argue that to the extent this is intertextuality. The music creates a sinister mood, to some extent you could argue that the music fulfills the audiences pleasures as the reason they are watching it to be thrilled and scared. This links in to the uses and gratification theory, this states that the audience consumes media texts to be entertained ,therefore the music builds up a sense of excitement in the audience as it signifies something may happen in the visual codes.

In addition, the mise en scene in Luther creates confusion in the opening scene, this is because the ‘good guy’ Luther is seen to wear very similar clothing to the ‘ bad guy’ this leads to the audience not knowing who is who , this is shown in a long shot to exaggerate how similar their costumes are.. This could of been done to connote to the fact that Luther does not stick to the rule book when investigating his cases. however , within the rest of the tv show his costume portrays him as middle class. Likewise, in The Fall we are introduced to our criminal while he is wearing a all black costume and a black hat over his head which is a clear iconography attached to a criminal, similarly this is also shown in mainly a long shot. Although as this character lives a double life the setting in his family home show bright colours which suggest he is a happy middle class family man.

The graphics and text used in Luther suggest a dark and troubled world, within the opening credits the colour red is used alot within the graphics it almost signifies a red sky of blood and danger. This makes it clear to the audience that the tv show deals with dark content. To add to this the buildings shown in the graphics are black this connotes to the darkness of the crimes and their hidden secrets. Whereas The Fall does not use the same conventions, the show only uses graphics and texts to show the characters names , at most it gives the show a serious atmosphere.

In conclusion,the tv series uses similar conventions such as use of camera to present aspects of the show, although the sometimes take a different approach in the way it is done for example, the plot structure differs.