Cracker Notes
- Created by: miacampbell31
- Created on: 22-03-22 11:59
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- Cracker
- Title "Cracker" - connotations of being a fine example of a person, which is ironic as the audience discovers Fitz' gambling and alcohol
- Cracker is a crime drama set in the 1990s.
- Example of genre hybridity.
- Throughout cracker, tensions drive the narrative of a crime story forward
- In To Be a Somebody, there is friction between the impulsive character that is Fitz and the hard-working relying on the painstaking application of procedures
- In contrast, Cracker firmly reinforced the view that criminal behaviour has its roots in the individual's background (childhood and social influences)
- The storyline in Cracker revolve around individuals propelled towards crime by the extreme circumstances of their personal experiences.
- To Be Somebody, through a restriction of the narrative, audiences are drawn into a sympathetic understanding of Albie Kinsella.
- In To Be Somebody (1994), Albie's killing spree begins when the death of his father triggers off memories of his involvement in the terrible Hillsborough football stadium tragedy of 1989
- Albie's murders of Ali and Professor Nolan represents the crime dram convention of recurring situation.
- Mediation of questioning witnesses is encoded when police question Mr Gregson, outside Ali's shop - as the dialogue implies - "Skinheads...They all look the same" is a convention of recurring situation.
- In Ali's Shop, the police searching around displays the recurring situation of finding clues and collection evidence.
- In terms of iconography, in Ali's shop, Albie shows Ali his knife before commencing to kill him.
- Fitz is encoded as a laconic and depressed anti-hero, shown through the scene where Fitz rejects the offer of sex from Judith - the high angle long shot of Judith makes her seem vulnerable.
- In the scene where Penhaligon speaks to Ali's family following his murder, the use of dialogue expresses the families disgust at who they think the suspect is. Ali's daughter claims that "7 million people...all white" would want to kill her father - expresses cultural verisimilitude
- Cultural codes portrayed in the fascist party scene include the reference to Manchester United, creates a binary opposite with Albie's team Liverpool FC
- The character of Fitz is encoded as Disillusioned, world-weary criminal psychologist.
- The character of Albie is encoded as a suffering villain.
- Neale - "The repetition of elements provides familiarity to audiences. However, these also need to be varied to provide an element of difference, or the unexpected, to maintain audience interest
- Repetition (Neale) - Being a crime drama, Cracker conforms to instances of repetition in the genre, with a systematic investigation of a crime shown through the leadership of DCI Bilborough
- Repetition (Neale) - There are representations that the audience would expect in a crime drama, for example the hypermasculine murderer Albie
- Repetition (Neale) - There are representations that the audience would expect in a crime drama, for example the subordinate role of the female shown through DS...Penhaligon (scene where the males expect her to speak to the family of Ali)
- The murders are stylised, shown through iconography. For example the numbers spray painted onto the wall at the shop, in the first murder scene, offers the audience cultural codes due to the reference to the Hillsborough football tragedy
- Repetition (Neale) - Technical codes - lighting, use of profile shots and inteupsnse close- is a common convetion of crime dramas
- Difference (Neale) In terms of themes in Cracker, the theme of conscience is exploited due to the de-restriction of the narrative position. The producers have encoded scenes (such as on the bus following his muder of Ali singing "L-I-V...E-R-P, double O-L Liverpool FC") where Albie clearly shows signs of a conscience through performance and NVC where the close ups depict Albie crying and distraught with himself
- The representation of Albie, as an unusual suspect, marks an area of difference in Cracker. For example, he is represented as being common
- The audience is positioned with Albie during the murders, and the audience discovers the hatred which has embroiled the character due to the backdrop of the Hillsborough disaster
- Difference (Neale) - Cracker conforms to the systematic investigation of a crime, belonging as a police procedural
- however the background of Fitz offers an element of difference - his gambling, and alcohol addiction is summarised by his unusual relationship with his Wife Judith
- Cracker features typical conventions of a linear narrative
- To Be Somebody (part 1) finishes on a cliff-hanger (Albie striking second match). Important narrative device to create suspense (enigma codes)
- (Levi Strauss - Binary Opposites) Fitz VDCI Bilborough
- (Levi Strauss - Binary Opposites) Vengeance VJustice
- The concept of justice is clearly ambiguous as whilst 'justice' is attempted through the investigation, audiences are positioned to feel sympathy for Albie
- The equilibrium at the beginning of the narrative depicts Albie at a funeral, and Fitz gambling as well as drinking
- The disruption in the narrative is the first murder of Albie's killing spree.
- The resolution attempt is shown throughout the case, with the audience positioned with both the police force and Albie.
- There is no restoration of equilibrium at the end of narrative in the first part, due to it being a multi-part drama.
- The resolution attempt is shown throughout the case, with the audience positioned with both the police force and Albie.
- The disruption in the narrative is the first murder of Albie's killing spree.
- Difference (Neale) - A key element of differentiation in Cracker is how McGovern uses social issues to make the genre more-
- interesting (leads to a lack of conformity from the writers of Cracker to develop conventional storylines)
- Fans of the expert drama will appeal a more alternative niche audience.
- In 1995 and 1996, Cracker won the BAFTA award for Best Drama series
- Untitled
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