Luther & The Fall

Luther & The Fall

Comparing Luther episode 1, series 1 to The Fall episode 1, series 1, it is clear that they both share some similarities but also differ in many ways. In which one is the use of technical codes and many more.

Luther starts off with what looks like the middle of an action based scene which automatically engages the viewers as it gets their attention in trying to figure out what the story line is. The protagonist is a black English male police investigator this is immediately identified as he is the main focus and the first to be seen. He can be described as an impulsive detective who is distressed by the dark side of humanity while he fulfils his role of detective by hunting down murderers. Looking closely at Luther alone, his character allows the audience to experience binary oppositions such as scenes that cover his role as detective, where he is conveyed as a tough character however once around his wife he becomes a softer and more emotional character. Close ups of Luther's face is key as it really reflects the emotion, mood and feelings of the scene as well as the characters. It can also connote to another binary opposition for example scenes that contain family crisis can show an element of weakness due to his relationship with his wife and family leaving him feeling powerless. To contrast, his job can show him as powerful due to the nature of his job. The Fall however has many contrasts to Luther for example the opening scene is taken from the criminals perspective and not the protagonist, like in Luther. Through the eyes (perspective) of the criminal we, as the audience discover that he has children and a loving wife. However this can make the audience feel uncomfortable due to the criminal being a rapist serial killer. In relation The Fall has used many mid-shots but there's one mid-shot which stands out in the first part of the scenes. This was a mid-shot of the criminal looking at himself in the mirror revealing that he's living a double life which the iconography of mirrors suggest. In addition, both The Fall and Luther are crime drama's and the characters and mostly middle class however Luther is based in England and The Fall has a Northern Ireland setting which is seen as unusual for a crime drama. In both drama's gender is represented but it appears that The Fall shows more. To support that, women are more likely to be used in crime and horror genre's which is also shown in The Fall as the victim is conveyed as a strong, heard working female with a profession of an solicitor. Which can be described by watching the first scene that she is portrayed as a strong character at the beginning but then weakens as she begins to show her fear when she discovers someone's been inside her house.

Looking closely at the character of the criminal, it's brought to the attention that the criminal targets victims who are dark haired, with a good profession and attractive unlike his wife. It can be said that he isn't like most criminals who commit their crimes without leaving their trace. However in The Fall the criminal intentionally leaves objects around the house to make his presence known, he comes prepared and seems relaxed around the house. We later find out that the criminal has a profession of a grief councillor which can show his quality of faking human empathy. When looking at his internal life we see his passion for what he does at the beginning of the series but his daily life and job can be described as the hard-shell, in other words the cover up of what he really enjoys doing. This brings me to the stereotypes that can be attached to a criminal, for example it's mostly assumed that criminals live in a creepy, dark flat with no family connections and are unlikely to have a family of their own. However The Fall shows the opposite which makes the audience question how does he keep he's two lives separate?

Moreover, analysing the technical codes more thoroughly, the dark lighting can be noticed in The Fall and how it can be linked to the horror convention. This is because this can give the audience a feeling that something sinister could happen. It can also be said that the same technical code was also used in Luther, which also connotes a feeling of a deep and dark crime that is about to be committed e.g. murder. Unlike in Luther, we see at the beginning of The Fall that there is no music and has a slow camera pace which follows the criminal around. The close ups reveal to us that the criminal takes his mask off as soon as he reaches inside the house. To the audience it can appear to be a shock and unexpected as criminals usually have an hidden identity which is later on revealed. The Fall also consists of point of view shots which puts the audience into their shoes, in other words we see what the criminal sees. More or less editing inter-cut scenes have been used for example when two characters haven't met in person but still enables the audience to see that their will be a link later to come. It also helps the set up of the feelings that the solicitor is his next target. However in Luther, shot reverse shot is used at scenes where there is conflict between people. Within The Fall colour and lighting has been thought of in such a way where it highlights the contrast of bright colours in the criminals daughters room against the darkness in the attic, where he is shown hiding his bag. Also it can be thought like the evil vs innocent, as he hides his evilness away in the darkness while he then returns to his children like an innocent parent.

In addition, both crime dramas uses suitable sound effects and music, which creates a sinister, alarming and dark mood. This could fulfil the audiences pleasures as which it could be the reasons why people are watching it, one of many reasons could be because many people may like the crime/horror genre and like being thrilled and scared. It can be said that the gratification theory is used where it is designed so that the audience consumes media texts to be entertained, for example music is used to build up a sense of excitement but also signifying the developments in the visual codes.

It's possible that Luther could create some confusion at first due to his costume looking similar to the villains confusing the audience in knowing who is who in the series. Luther is portrayed as a middle class male, who is known for not sticking to the rule book and is often dressed in dark colours. Similarly, in The Fall the criminal is dressed in dark colours, often all in black and wears a black mask at first. This can be identified as an clear iconography which is attached to criminal.

Lastly, analysing the credits, graphics and texts, red seems to be the colour that is being used for this genre. It suggests a dark and troubled world and symbolises blood, danger and violence which is suitable as these are most likely to be present in a crime drama. The Fall only uses graphics and texts when showing characters names which can highlight the importance of the character.