the bridge

• significance of ideology constructed through representation?


  -there is ideological significance to the way in which representations are constructed in TB which positions the audience to look at social groups and issues in different ways; reflects cultural shifts

  
  

  -> eg. s3 ep1 explores the growing contemporary interest in gender and how it is more fluid and changing than in the past and is a subject for discussion

  --> producers clearly favour progressive views; our sympathy is encouraged to lie within the murder victim who had more modern views on gender
• how does TB's reps of women challenge patriarchal ideals?


  -women are not marginalised; they are active and central to the narrative

  -women are not sexualised (eg Saga's practical clothing)

  -women are not portrayed in a domestic role or defined as carers or nurturers

  -the women in the programme challenge and/or subvert the typical social norms related to gender behaviour (eg Lillian being the chief of danish police force issuing orders)
• effect of wider societal context on rep: gender (Saga)


  -breaks away from the more typical representation of a detective

  ->she is often compared to the ‘flawed’ detective of film noir but could be more accurately described as ‘different’->in constructing this character as more challenging, complex behaviours are explored (unusual for female characters)->she is described on the BBC website for the programme as ‘ahardcoreinvestigator who issocially challenged.' (works overnight, deals rationally w/ explosion, goes to show victim's wife graphic pics)
• how is Saga constructed?

  -all aspects of her character are pared back to the minimum including her clothing, dialogue, and relationships with otherss

  ->she responds very literally to situations and in conversations which creates humour at times
• extent to which Saga is masculine?


  whilst her representation is constructed as a powerful female, there are characteristics of Saga that are more masculine; suggests this has helped her to survive in a patriarchal world

  
  

  ->her stance and walk are masculine, she is active and dynamic, moving about a lot

  -> she is unconcerned by conventionality, eg. changes her t-shirt in the middle of the office

  ->her clothing is masculine eg. the leather trousers, military style overcoat and neutral t-shirt
• significance of Saga's gesture codes?


  -passive expression has become iconic and is shown in close up particularly when she is attempting to process several pieces of information and inter-relationships with colleagues

  ->eg. Hans suggests that John needs to go home late in the day; this confuses Saga who replies, ‘he’s recently divorced and his ex-wife has the kids this week’-->illustrates her inability to comprehend anyone who has a life outside of the job--> Saga continues to work through the night and the audience is rarely shown aspects of her life outside of work (subverts traditional reps of women in domestic sphere)
• significance of Saga being 'socially challenged'?

  -effectively represents a particular under/mis-represented social group through her construction of someone who defies social norms

  ->Saga struggles with social situations, she knows how she should behave, but finds this challenging

  -> eg when she attempts to make small talk with Hanne

  -lacks empathy and does not read sensitive situations well; says whatever occurs to her at the time with limited awareness of its appropriateness

  
  

  ->HOWEVER we do see her vulnerability in the scene with her mother
• significance of Hanne's construction?

  -another example of a strong female character, who is also a positive representation of an older woman; well- respected, experienced, and good at her job-like the other women in TB she is not objectified -> clothing is functional and her grey hair and serious expression aid in constructing her representation-exemplifies the cultural differences between Sweden and Denmark through binary opposition with Saga-> eg barely disguising her disdain when interviewing Anker’s wife at the idea of a gender-neutral pre-school; she grunts & describes her as ‘a bit Swedish’
• significance of Lise's construction?


  -powerful in a different way; she is m/c & the wife of a wealthy businessman

  -her views are right-wing & she is an opinion leader through her blog, displaying her views of what constitutes a family which is in direct contrast to those of Helle Anker (she wants to maintain & preserve nuclear family)

  -she teaches her daughter to react with violence when bullied
• significance of Hans' construction?

  -whilst he is in a hierarchically powerful position, he does not use this in an oppressive way & is understanding and supportive of those who work for him (eg checking up on Saga) which are traits that could be said to be more typically feminine

  -he has an equal relationship with his partner Lillian who is a strong woman

  -he is also a positive representation of age; still high up in police force and good at his job
• who are presented more in the domestic sphere?

  -men:

  ->Henrik cooks and cleans and appears to be nurturing his children, a role usually given to female characters

  ->Lise has a male cleaner, Rikard who fulfils a domestic role
• how can bell hooks' theory be applied?

  feminism being a way to eradicate the 'ideology of domination' works well here; TB would likely be labelled feminist under this definition

  ->positive rep of lesbian marriage (the ppl of which we are encouraged to side with) effectively challenges dominant heteronormative ideology BUT the notion that she was murdered for going against patriarchy reinforces dominant ideology

  ->women in powerful positions over men

  -> men in domestic roles

  
  

  HOWEVER racial aspect of her theory cannot be explored in this text since cast is majority white
• how can van zone's theory be applied?

  -the construction of representations in TBreflects the changing roles of men and women in society and challenges typical stereotypes of gender-> the creation of Saga’s character reflects the interest in society in the changing ideas and viewpoints regarding gender, reinforcing Van Zoonen’s assertion that the meaning of gender varies according to cultural contexts

  -HOWEVER, contrary to Van Zoonen’s claim, women are framed and constructed in a similar way to men (not 'discourse')->women are active, not passive & they are not objects of the male gaze; they drive the narrative forward->eg. when Saga takes off her t-shirt, the gaze between Hanne and John is intra-diegetic, in bewilderment at her action; she is not objectified by the camera
• how can judith butler's theory be applied?

  -through the programme’s inclusion of Helle Anker’s narrative regarding gender identity, a discourse is opened up within the programme focusing on the nature of gender->eg. Hanne states that Anker, “was very active in the gender debate, LGBT issues. You know, there’s not gender, only humans”--> Saga using 'hen' as a gender neutral pronoun that Hanne grunts at

  -Saga subverts and challenges the accepted social norms regarding gender behaviour->eg. her aforementioned clothing, expression, and behaviour challenges the typical representations of female characters in this genre
• what do the non traditional reps of these characters say about producers?


  they reflect SVT's and DR's more left-wing, liberal stances since they are more progressive and varied
• how is intl co-production seen?

  binary opposition btwn Sweden and Denmark expressed through binary opposition in Saga and Hanne's relationship
• viewer ratings for season 3?

  generally 1.3-1.8 mil viewers
• viewer ratings for season 1?

  generally 1 mil viewers

  -> demonstrates growing popularity
• imdb rating & user review?

  -8.6/10 from 33,259 responses, with very similar gender split

  -'exciting "new touch" on the often typical genre 9/10
• primary audience?


  -fans of nordic noir

  ->chiaroscuro lighting, gloomy settings

  
  

  -more alt/niche audience

  ->breaks some crime conventions, foreign language

  
  

  -abc1

  ->subtitles & bbc4 slot

  
  

  -intellectual

  -> constantly solving enigmas, complex language, multiple storylines

  
  

  -potentially 30+ (bbc4 slot)

  
  

  -left-wing/liberal

  -> producers ideology, nature of SVT & DR
• secondary audience?


  -mainstream fans of crime texts (15+)

  ->typical conventions, graphic violence, enigmas

  ->tv slot post-watershed
• other audiences?


  -cross-gender appeal

  -explorers may enjoy the vicarious thrill of crime drama narratives

  -may interest those interested in Scandinavian culture

  -inherited fan bases - from e.g. 'The Killing', 'Borgen', 'Wallander
• how can audiences be positioned by TB?

  positioned with Saga

  -we decode enigmas with her, want her to discover new clues and characters.

  -we become part of the team

  ->fulfils the audience's need for belonging or social needs (KATZ & BLUMER U&Gs)

  -positioned to decode Saga as "different" (BBC-> 'socially challenged')

  ->lack of social awareness, literal interpretations

  -sympathetic and vulnerable - particularly through her backstory (sister) and her relationship with her mother

  -positioned with the forces of law & order to see certain criminal behaviours as deviant (BO)
• how does TB reflect BBC 4's remit?

  ‘BBC Four's primary role is to reflect a range of UK andinternational arts, music and culture. It should provide an ambitious range of innovative,high quality programmingthat isintellectually and culturally enriching’

  -1. TB set & produced in Sweden & Denmark-2. high quality programming due to high budget from intl co-production (clean editing, impressive shots etc)-3. lots of enigmas which force intellectual thinking, offers an insight into Nordic culture
• how can Katz and Blumer be applied?

  -programme has typical codes and conventions of crime dramas but an element of escapism and diversion through the different characters, setting and culture

  -> audiences will gain pleasure from following the investigators as they attempt to solve the crime
• how are established fans targeted?

  -capitalising on the popularity of Saga

  ->british trailer for s3 on BBC website: 'a new saga begins'

  -->established fans understand the play on words, new fans believe it represents typical conventions of crime drama
• audience interpretation & social context

  -different demographic factors eg nationality

  -idea of the cultural differences between Sweden and Denmark eg. the Swedish characters are seen to be more politically correct than the Danish (Saga vs Hanne)

  ->Danish and Swedish audiences may feel that TB reaffirms the separate cultural identities, while some may feel that this is unfair cultural stereotyping.

  
  

  -cultural capital eg. an understanding of the conventions of film noir or of other Nordic Noir dramas will enhance the viewing experience of the audience

  ->eg gender: women may be empowered by the construction of positive female representations (esp Saga & Lillian)
• how does Hall's reception theory apply? (preferred)

  -some may accept the producers' intended meaning; to construct a programme that appeals to audiences by including some typical conventions of the crime drama whilst offering something different and more challenging through the character of Saga and the Scandinavian setting

  
  

  ->such viewers will be entertained by the programme's complex narrative & its intertextual references to film noir

  
  

  -feminist audiences are likely to feel empowered by the inclusion of strong, powerful women in the storyline (eg Saga & Lillian)

  
  

  -many may appreciate the representation of a lesbian relationship and the narrative addressing gender issues
• how does Hall's reception theory apply? (negotiated)


  -some audiences may enjoy the typical codes and conventions of a crime drama; enigmas & the involvement with the investigative narrative

  
  

  - however, may feel more uncomfortable with the specific focus of the narrative (gender issues etc)

  
  

  -Swedish and Danish audiences may engage with the drama but may feel that the cultural depictions are stereotypical

  
  

  -may argue rep of lesbian relationship is important, but also problematic, since one of them was brutally killed
• how does Hall's reception theory apply? (oppositional)

  -may struggle to find Saga a sympathetic character

  -> eg if they view her behaviour traits with concern or find it difficult to connect to her emotionally as her responses are so different to expectations

  
  

  -more conservative audiences may respond negatively to the Swedish liberal attitudes to sex, gender, and political correctness