Deutschland 83

 Introduction: Reviews and features

Read the following reviews and features on Deutschland 83:

The Guardian - Your next box set: Deutschland 83
The Guardian - Deutschland 83 Pity the Germans don't like it

1) Find one positive aspect and one criticism of Deutschland 83 in the reviews.

it was the most watched foreign language drama in uk 

German people didn’t like it and it was very stereotypical 

2) Why does the second Guardian article suggest the Germans didn't like the show?

It suggests that the reason germans didn’t enjoy it and the reason the show failed in Germany with only 1.7million views is due to the stereotyping of germans. 

3) Find three 'below the line' comments from either of the Guardian articles. What did the audience think of Deutschland 83? Do you agree with the comments?


Not quite “the flop of the year”, as Bild called it, but underwhelming nonetheless. 

I disagree, i believe the show was highly entertaining and engaging and the way it built tension really caught my attention. However, this comment may be true as it refers to the series in its entirety and we’ve only studied the first episode which limits my knowledge and makes it hard for me to agree/disagree without knowing where the series goes next as it could go downhill from its first episode and drop in quality in regards to its narrative.

“Celebrating its fashion and soundtrack” 

I highly agree with this comment as i believe the soundtrack went very well with the scenes we were seeing especially in the supermarket where the diegetic sound was a song from a western country and he was looking at all the westernised products and fully stocked shelves.

Promotional Interview 

1) What does Jonas Nay say about growing up in a united Germany? 

Jonas Nay talks about how we values his freedom and his mobility and how he believes he would’ve preferred west Germany had he been alive at the time but now that there is no west and east he has the freedom to do and say whatever he wants. 

2) The Channel 4 News interview is conducted in German with English subtitles. How does this reflect Channel 4's remit as a public service broadcaster and their target audience? (Clue: revise your work on Channel 4 and Public Service Broadcasting here!)

The interview being in German but on a UK Tv channel shows how PSB are able to create content for niche audiences without worrying about the performance as they know they will have the funding to continue producing more. 

3) Interviewer Matt Frei asks about the current political situation in Germany. Why might this interest the a Channel 4 audience?

Channel 4 is a PSB channel and one of its main goals is to Inform, despite the audience being predominantly British this might still interest them as information on world affairs is highly important in broadening their knowledge and hearing it from a German citizen allows them to have a different/new viewpoint which would be valued by the diverse, younger audience that watch Channel 4 content. 

Scene 1: Garden/BBQ scenes (East & West Germany)

4.58 – 8.20 and 34.00 – 37.20

• 360° shot of martin in the west creates tension
• east germany scene has a lot of close ups to show the closeness and how comfortable he is 
• contrast in setting shows the difference between a classless society and one with a hierarchy 
• martin the only one in uniform which shows he’s the odd one out 
• East music is 99 luftballoons which creates a positive atmosphere 
• Music in the west (non diegetic) is ominous and creates tension
• Awkward dialogue in west emphasises him being out of place 
• East family very close and supportive whereas west very unhappy 
• romanticised east germany 
• personal identity with relatable family dynamics 
• surveillance - insight to the lives of east and west germans 

Scene 2: Martin/Moritz first sees the West German supermarket 

14.30 – 20.25

• Colourful east german supermarket with fully stocked shelves
• Branded outfit shoes consumerism in west 
• 80s music - nostalgic 
• west germany represented as wealthy 
• Gender - men having to protect their women and their country 

Scene 3: Training montage scene when Martin/Moritz learns how to be a spy

20.40 – 22.40

• fast paced editing to help skip time 
• split screen editing shows binary opposition 
• upbeat non diegetic soundtrack 
• voiceover 
• female assassin - representation of women and gender roles 
• classic spy movie scene/training montage usually seen in James Bond films (intersexuality)

Scene 4: Briefcase scene when Martin/Moritz is stealing the NATO nuclear plans

31.13 – 33.30

• Close ups of actors expressions to emphasise his anxiety 
• close up of the information to show it’s importance 
• shot reverse shot of his reaction 
• heavy breathing 
• representation of west as a threat 
• Voyeurism - spying on a spy 
• personal relationship - audience worried for him 

Production and industry contexts

1) What kind of company is UFA Fiction and what shows have they produced? 

UFA Fiction produce Fiction and Serial Drama as well as Factual and Documentary Shows.

Shows they’ve produced: 

UNSERE MÜTTER, UNSERE HÄTER and NAKED UNTER WÖLFEN, event series such as KU'DAMM 56/59/63, DEUTSCHLAND83/86/89 and CHARITÉ

2) What kind of company is Freemantle and what do they produce?

One of the world's largest and most successful producers and distributors of entertainment, drama, film, and documentaries.

3) How does Deutschland 83 reflect the international nature of television production?

It’s a show based on German history but it’s distributed in many countries and translated into multiple languages so that it can be enjoyed by people around the world.

1) How does Channel 4 introduce 'Walter'?

Channel 4 uses fast paced montage editing with on screen typography accompanied by loud instrumental outbursts to build a sense of excitement and tension. 
2) What audience are Channel 4 trying to appeal to with the 'Walter Presents' series?

I believe they’re aiming at a younger audience as it’s very exciting and fast which applies to a younger lifestyle/interests.

3) How does the 'Walter Presents' series reflect the changing nature of television in the digital age?

It presents us with clips from a wide range of genres and has a lot of violence/nudity which has become more normalised in recent years.

1) What audience pleasures are suggested by the trailer? Think about Uses & Gratifications theory (Blumler and Katz).

Surveillance, Personal Identity and Personal relationship. 

2) How does the trailer use action and enigma codes (Barthes) to encourage the audience to watch the show?

It uses montage editing to show a lot of short clips from climactic scenes to create questions in the viewers mind and make them want to find out what’s going on. 

3) The only words heard in the trailer are in English. Why do you think the UK trailer avoided subtitles or German dialogue?

The UK version was aimed at a UK audience so if it was in german it might’ve deterred UK watchers by making them feel like they won’t understand or it wasn’t made for them. 

1) How did she use the historical context and real-life events to create a successful drama?

Her husband was a soldier in the West so she had insight into what life was like and the fact she got information from a real spy gave the show more authenticity. 

2) Anna Winger discusses the use of music. Why might the soundtrack attract an audience?

The songs used were from the 80’s and were high ranking songs which brought a nostalgic feel to the show as many could personally identify knowing that they listened to these songs when they were younger. 

1) List the key statistics concerning audience figures. Why was it considered the most successful foreign language drama?

Launch - 1.48 Million viewers 

First episode grew to 2.5 million (overtaking previous record of 2.2 million)

2) How does the press release describe Deutschland 83?

It describes it as being a stylish coming of age story, framed within a suspenseful thriller.

Also describes it as being “The next subtitled Sensation” and “Coolest show of the year”

1) How does the UK DVD cover communicate the sub-genre of the drama?
 

The UK dvd cover helps communicate the sub genre using the background of the 2 different sides of the wall, east and west, which are polar opposites. One seemingly lively and fun and the other being dull and borderline terrifying. It also shows the main character standing between them which hints at him being in between and how he’s a spy. 

2) How do these use font, colour and graphics to appeal to an audience?

They use bold colourful text and large fonts to make it seem more exciting and appeal to a younger audience.

3) Why might the distributors Freemantle International have used different marketing campaigns in different countries? 

Different countries will have a different dominant ideology and the same advertising won’t work as effectively in some countries so they have to shape it in a way which fits in with the countries common views and the lifestyles they live so they can make it appeal to them.