Genre of the Killing J.Pand Bran

What is Genre? A film genre is a movie/ film or tv programme category based on similarities in the audience's response to the film and the narrative elements. Most genre theories are borrowed from the actual world. In ‘The Killing’ many different genres are presented such as serial, mystery and drama.

Conventions of TV series Television drama is one of the longest running and most popular of television genres, mainly because it cuts across a range of different hybrid and sub-genres including soaps, costume dramas and hospital dramas. The defining features of the genre are:

● Characters ● Setting ● Narrative

Conventions of ‘The Killing’

Nordic noir is a genre of crime fiction often written from a police point of view and set in either Scandinavia or the Nordic Countries. Nordic Noir conventions follow as having a police procedural narrative with slight twists and turns throughout, whilst following a detective main protagonist that is weighed down by personal troubles and is far from the standard ‘simply heroic’ character-type.

Although the film can be defined as a Nordic noir because she has personal troubles and dark memories that hold her down and draw her away from being the raw simply-hero protagonist you get in a standard and stereotypical police procedure.

What is Genre theory?

Genre Theory is a collective term used to describe theoretical approaches that are concerned with how similar situations generate typified responses called genres, which serve as a platform for both creating an understanding based on shared expectations and also shaping the social context.

Steve Neale’s theory: ● Steve Neale’s theory stated that ‘genres are instances of repetition and difference, difference is essential to the economy of the genre’.

● With a genre stereotypes and conventions. Neale explains that a film must conform to these conventions enough that it can still qualify and be identified as a film of that genre.

● How much a film subverts the genre stereotypes and conventions. Neale suggests that a film must subvert these conventions enough that it is still viewed as a unique film, not just a clone.

Steve Neale’s theory in ‘The Killing’ In ‘The Killing’ Steve Neale’s theory is used as we can see that this series is being portrayed differently to an ordinary series. In this film they find the victim of the story dead in the first episode whereas, in a more likely scenario the victim would be investigated and most likely found at the end of the series alive. In this series we also see instances of repetition as the killer appears many times and is someone the audience least suspects it to be. Repetition is used as the series progresses we see that the detectives keep finding similar clues and they keep finding themselves in similar predicaments.

Current popularity of crime genre :

● The genre of crime is extremely fascinating. The aspect of leaving the audience on the edge of their seat, leave the audience wanting to consume more of the media text. Throughout the series or movie there will be hints that will help towards solving the end mystery. ● This happens throughout ‘The Killing’ as there are many instances where the audience (us) have been sitting on the edge of our seats, indulging our eyes into the screen because the plot informed us of new clues therefore making the audience think more about who the murderer or suspect could be. ● ‘The Killing’ is a very popular crime drama as it has an unordinary storyline which makes the show seem intriguing as it is different to many other crime genres.

Codes and conventions of crime drama:

- Settings : - Urban areas such as towns and cities as they have a higher crime rate. - Expensive locations - Crime can also take place in countryside to highlights that crime can happen where crime is less seen. - The killing- crime happens in forest and in less known areas. - Props used: - crime drama. - Harmful or dangerous weapons - Guns, knifes, drugs and cars are all associated with - Characters: - Victim of the crime - Suspect / criminal of crime - Protagonist - main character - Antagonist - person who disturbs the story line. - Costume: - Protagonist (criminal) - dark clothing/ mask to hide identity from police/ investigators. - In ‘The killing’, Lund (investigator) wears