Historical/Costume dramas

BY SAM L, LEWIS AND ALEX

Codes and conventions with examples

Range from any date in history such as 1800s or 1900s. For example

Ashes to Ashes-1970
Relies heavily on mise-en-scene. Props, lighting and costume that relate
to the historical period are what create the genre and are key in making
the setting look convincing and realistic.
Appropriate location is an important convention of historical drama as
it must be believable and look like an old setting. For example a drama
set in the Victorian era would need Victorian architecture and props.
The narrative of the drama usually centres on love, relationships, family,
work and struggles relating to the real world at that period in time.
Dramatic and emotive scenes and scores which accompany the drama
Elaborate costumes and sets to catch the ambience of a particular time
period

What binary opposites feature in this subgenre?

There are few binary opposites featuring in period

drama due to the fact that they are set in a particular

era in which there is not much conflict. Sometimes
there is binary opposites between two people within
a different class.

What stereotypes and archetypes are typical for your subgenre?

As it is historical periods, it is typical for woman to

be seen as the lower and less dominant gender that

must have an eligible bachelor.
There is also a archetype that men are better if they
are high class. The wealthy men have to marry in
order to have an heir to carry on the family.
The lower class people in historical dramas are seen
as peasants and unworthy of mixing with the higher
class people.

Are there any stock characters? What are they?

Stock characters are archetypal characters distinguished by

their flatness; as a result, they tend to be easy targets for

parody and to be criticized as clichs. The presence of a
particular array of stock characters is a key component of
many genres.
In historical/period dramas there are stock charactersWealthy man
Wealthy woman
Low class man/woman
Unsociable man
The coward

A few examples of Historical/costume dramas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jQiwYDW_3g

Atlantis (BBC)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4FZdk7LHQ0o
- Downton Abbey (ITV)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkl2vWAwA0I
Mad Men (AMC)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQ6CocCKm4A
Upstairs, Downstairs

Typical narratives with examples

When the story is set in the 1910-1940s, the story tends to

revolve around a wealthy family that resides in a big house. For

example, Downtown Abbey focuses on the Crawley family that
begins when they receive news of the heirs death aboard the
Titanic. Alongside the rich family, we also get a look into the
servants lives, with the scene regularly flicking from upstairs
with the aristocrats to downstairs with the cooks. When we
look at a show like Atlantis, we get plunged into a mythical
storyline where, normally, gods are involved and battles to the
death with mythological creatures take place. These kind of
storylines tend to also have the main character fighting for
something, whether it is for a woman or if it for some land.

Are there any representations that you can think of at first glance?
The main representation with the 1910s dramas is elder people.

The wealthy people tend to be around 40-60 years old as this

gives them a sense of having some smarts and thought behind
how they would spend their wealth. In these dramas, you dont
often see a millionaire teenager and, if you did, he would be
supported by an elder person, overlooking what he did. Nothing
else differs with these dramas but, depending on when it is set,
race might play a role. White people would tend to be the rich
people while black people tended to work in the kitchens if the
drama was set in 1910. In the mythological dramas, the main
character tends to be a male who has a female interest who is a
partial main character. Race doesnt really play much part in this
and there are no other representations.

How does the verisimilitude achieved by the illusion of ongoing real time
establish a greater sense of realism than other texts?

These genres achieve a greater sense of ongoing time through the things

that the characters talk about when they speak to one another. They will
tend to talk about things that have happened in the weekend that the
audience have not seen. One technique particularly used in shows like
Downton Abbey is when a character is sent to another town or location
to deliver a letter or something along those lines. As the audience know
that car travel was rare or could still take some time, the audience are
lured into thinking that the character will be going to that place in real
time. When the character returns, the audience suddenly realises that
they have been immersed in the thought of them being away for about 2
days when they have only been off screen for 10 minutes. The historical
dramas have a better chance of luring the audience into the illusion of
ongoing real time because they can play with certain elements of their
time period. For example, car travel, train travel, telegram times. It tends
to be transport.

Are there any examples of where this genre has included controversial
subject matter?

Wolf Hall, the recent adaptation of Hilary Mantels books about the court of Henry VIII from

the perspective of an important figure at the time, Thomas Cromwell, who served as his chief
minister from 1532 to 1540.
Controversial because Mantel is not a historian, therefore her viewpoint tends to be biased, as
she vilifies those figures such as Thomas More, the philosopher who was considered a saint
and creates a determined defence of her hero Cromwell.
This comes across on screen as he appears to be a loving, family man until a bout of sweating
sickness wipes out his family, then goes to Henrys court and quickly rises up the ranks as the
young king becomes intrigued in Cromwell, who came from a lowly background and had a
difficult childhood but was talented at what he did.
Also follows him through his downfall when he attempted to arrange another marriage for
Henry, this time to the German princess Anne of Cleves, which failed and this directly lead to
his execution in 1540.
Filming techniques unusual as they tried to make it as authentic as possible to the times,
therefore filmed the night time scenes by candlelight, therefore making it very dark and hard
to see what was happening.
Also as story is told from perspective of Cromwell, often shown in close up shots which allow
audience to see the range of emotions that he experiences.

What mise-en-scene is typical for this subgenre?

Mise en scene very important for period dramas as it will not seem as if it is authentic for the times if the appropriate costumes, props and

locations are not featured.

Also can help give the audience a good indication of the role of a particular character/s, their social class and the kind of life that they lead.
This is useful as typical audiences will not have much knowledge of those particular time periods as very often they have not lived through
them, therefore they have to rely on the quality of the research put into the adaptation to gain an accurate portrayal of what life was like
during those times.
For example, in many period dramas, there are clear distinctions between which characters are poor and which are rich, and these usually
include their costume, their homes and their occupations.
In dramas such as Downtown Abbey, set in the years before, during and after WW1, the affluent are the characters that are mainly depicted,
and how they lived during that time.
Their costumes are usually grand and fitting the fashions of the time, and are confident wearing these costumes because they hold all the
power.
Despite the focus being mainly on the rich, there is some representation of the lower classes, which are their live in servants that live
downstairs and serve their every need. Their lives tend to revolve around their work, but there is some insight into their relationships with
the other servants and the people that they serve.
Their costumes are usually very plain and typical of the era, and do not wear fancy attire, mainly because they cannot afford it, which gives
away their status, but because they are not practical for their work and they do not need to wear them.
Another recent period drama by the BBC is Peaky Blinders, which gives a better representation of what life was like for the lower working
classes during that time, and in a very different setting to Downtown Abbey. It is set in inner city Birmingham, which is seen as multiethnic, which was unusual for the time, and a place where poverty cannot be escaped.
It also explores themes such as illegal gambling, which the family that is mainly featured participates in, and they have high aspirations and
want to move up in the world. Violent criminality seems to be the only way out of this ghetto scene.
Their costumes are also typical of the times, such as tailored coats and pocket watches, which families like the Shelbys would probably wear
in order to make them appear higher up then they actually are, therefore increasing their chances of escaping poverty and embarking on a
new lifestyle.

Common themes?
Their personalisation of historical and political forces. As audience tend to like to relate to a character, and in

order to make the film easier to understand, they narrate the events of the time around a particular person.
However, this can sometimes be misleading of these events.
Audiences also tend to expect clear dramatic situations, and for there to be action and or romantic sub plots. This
therefore means that the filmmakers have to intensify and neaten these events, and also lesser characters from
these events are all put into one person, as it becomes too confusing, but can lead to a distortion of the truth.
They must include themes that are relevant to the modern day audience, for example Titanic is a story where a
big ship hits an iceberg and there is a loss of many lives, but the director includes themes such as a love interest,
following your own dreams despite opposition, love conquering all, etc.
Hero/es against a backdrop of great historical events e.g Gone with the Wind 1939
Episodic storylines-film may jump from one important sequence to another e.g Citizen Kane 1941
Big budgets-especially for Hollywood adaptations- Cleopatra 1963
Political and historical forces personalised- e.g. in the Adventures of Robin Hood 1937, the discontent of barons
during the reign of Richard the Lionheart is represented as evil Prince John.
Biographical details-e.g. Lawrence of Arabia 1962
Royalty- e.g. Henry V 1989
Exotic Locations- Gladiator 2000
Adaptations of famous novels- Little Women 1994
Spectacular action scenes- Ben Hur 1959
Sweeping musical scores- Schindlers List 1993

What mood/atmosphere is common in this sub

genre?
Mood and atmosphere of any period drama can depend on the

time in history that it is set, for example if it set during a time of

war, the mood and atmosphere may be more likely to be dark and
tense.
It can also depend on what or whose perspective it is told from,
for example if it concerns an important historical event from the
point of view of an ordinary person, it may differ in mood and
tone compared to one of the more important figures.
This is because they will have different feelings and reactions
depending on factors such as their social situation, especially if it
has an impact on this. Therefore there can sometimes to be an air
of apprehension, especially when awaiting an event that will have
an effect on the characters life.