Peaky Blinders Assignment 2022

Running head: ASSIGNMENT 4: PEAKY BLINDERS
ASSIGNMENT 4: PEAKY BLINDERS
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

ASSIGNMENT 4: PEAKY BLINDERS1
The study focuses on evaluating the television show, Peaky Blinders with regard to six
important aspects that guide its film presentation. The show has been selected as the source for
analysis due to its popularity over the 5 seasons released till now. The series is a period crime
drama that is created by Steven King. The producer is Katie Swinden. Six directors have been
engaged in directing the various parts of the series (Peaky Blinders). The series is discussed in
consideration of its relation to the following aspects.
1. Mise en scene- mise-en-scene means the arrangement of the props, scenery and other
important elements that cab seen on the screen at the given time. Peaky Blinders is set in the
1920s. The mise-en-scene pre-dominantly shows the imagery of the post first world war Britain.
The props include dresses of soldiers, workers, fashionable ladies dresses from the 1920s and
men’s suits of the same era. The mise-en-scene constantly reminds of the somewhat dark period
that existed in England at the time. Moreover, the setting of the show is in Birmingham, a highly
industrial city of the country at that time. Hence, focus is also on depicting the industrial life with
smoke coming out of the industrial chimneys and the canals that were used as an important
means of transport between Birmingham and the other cities. The mise-en-scene is replete with
car models that were popular in the 1920s. The lower-middle-class and working class
neighbourhoods of England. In various scenes war is shown as flashbacks. The scenes show men
in uniforms and guns. 1st world war tunnels are shown to provide an authentic picture of the war
the preceded the times (Shine). The lighting is kept dark to provide a grim look. The space
factors are large with camera placements depicting the aggressive moods of the times.
2. Zeitgeist- This is an important factor in the series as the show is a period crime drama. The
1920s were not pleasant times for the English working classes. It succeeded the First World War
where many working class people lost their lives, fighting for Britain. Zeitgeist means capturing
the essence of a time period. In doing the same Peaky Blinders is able to effectively capture the
moral, cultural and intellectual climate of the era. The main protagonist Tommy Shelby is a gand
leader who embodies the essence of the gangs that were present in England at the times. The
class struggles of England at the times and the political environment are given much importance
in the plot of the series. The plot of the different seasons have significant connections with the
prevalent political and social conditions of the times. Zeitgeist is an important element of the
entire show as it depicts the entire era in light of the entire story. All the characters are designed
to represent the social aspects that governed the time.
3. Cannon- The fans of the series consider it to be the canon of the gangs that were present
during the 1920s in England. Cannon refers to the actual happenings according to the viewers
and fans of a certain show. According to a large number of viewer Peaky Blinders shows the
struggle of the marginalized minorities of the country. In consideration of the same, the Peaky
Blinders are shown to be from a half-gypsy background. The cannon is that the struggle for the
survival of the greatly marginalized gypsy community of England is shown through the crime
drama. Many gypsy gangs existed at that time. They needed to struggle to represent themselves
in the country. They were not given any social status at the time and many took to criminal
activities. Another canon is that the struggle for power between the various minorities in the
country at the time is depicted. The gangs include Italian, Jewish, Gypsy as well as some local
working class English and Scottish gangs. The show in a way depicts a culturally diverse
criminal world.