Construct a detailed codal/textual analysis of the text. Outline aspects of the drama, which conform to or subvert the media conventions of of a drama, political drama, thriller, political thriller.
Discuss whether you believe that the text is a drama/thriller or hybrid & explain your analysis.
As part of this analysis you will need to describe how various groups/individuals are represented e.g. Politicians and the Press by identifying examples of sound, camera work, editing and mise-en-scene. Additionally you will take into account the three codes through which a media text can be decoded these are the technical code, Verbal code and the symbolic codes.
Within the analysis you will:
Discuss the values, attitudes and beliefs conveyed by representations.
You will need to discuss from your viewing of the drama
How politicians and the press are portrayed (represented)? In what way does this representation link with the contemporary American Politics (2013 – present era)
and the social and cultural context of recent times (2013 – present era)?
Review the presentation links and prompts to help you in this analysis.
House of Cards is an American political thriller drama TV series. It mainly follows the story of Frank Underwood, a Democratic congressman and house majority whip. As well as this, it follows many other different narratives of the individuals surrounding Frank within the government. House of Cards is a hybrid of a political drama and political thriller, which mostly conforms to the conventions that are typically associated with these genres. For example, House of Cards often conforms to the typical conventions of including tension and suspension in their episodes. This is evident through the use of fast paced editing and tense music, both of which creates further anxiety for the audience watching this long form TV drama. It also conforms to the media conventions such as cliffhangers, which are usually present at the end of every episode, urging the audience to watch the next episode to find out what happens. A dramatic storyline, character development and corruption are all present within the first episode of House of Cards, and these conventions are carried through the entirety of the series. Having a dramatic storyline and character development is a typical convention used with long form TV dramas as it entices the audience and keeps them invested in the TV show. As well as having conventions that the TV drama conforms to, there are also some conventions that the TV drama subverts to. It does not contain too much exaggerated sound or music, and mainly contains dialogue. As well as this, there is no disorientation of time and space, and House of Cards is mainly a drama constructed chronologically. Due to the fact that this is a long form TV drama, there are not many happy endings as the story continues through the series. Frank's character could also closely mirror the American politics currently (2016 to present) with the corruption and secrecy of the government
There are many different representations throughout House of Cards, some of the main representations depict Frank Underwood and his wife, Claire. For example, there is a wide use of low key lighting within this particular episode of House of Cards when they are present in scenes. For example, there is a scene when they have both woken up in the middle of the night and are talking about a plan they have made and the entirety of this scene is in a dark setting and uses low key lighting. This creates an element of mystery but also presents these two characters, both of which have a significant role in both politics and charity, as mysterious and devious. Frank Underwood is often presented as corrupt throughout the series House of Cards, but it starts to come to light from the first episode. The diegetic sound of the conversation that Frank and Zoe Barnes, a journalist, have about the leaking of the education bill shows that he has control and power over various people that he works with. He is the house majority whip, which means he ensures everyone is making their decision based on what would be best for the party at that time. He refers to it as 'keeping the sludge moving'. This also shows that he is powerful and possibly manipulative at times. He could also be presented as ruthless, as he blackmails Peter Russo when it is revealed that he was arrested for drunk driving and it was Frank who bailed him out. He could have also seemed ruthless for killing the dog at the beginning of the episode and claiming it was the 'necessary thing'. His wife, Claire, seems to be the only person that has an element of control over Frank and his plans within his job. This is evident through the scene at night in the dark setting, where she is encouraging him to devise a plan to gain power in Washington.
Another representation throughout House of Cards is the representation of Washington Herald reporter Zoe Barnes. Zoe Barnes is one of the main characters within the first season of the long form TV drama and is involved in one of the main narratives throughout the entirety of the season. The way that she is represented is apparent through the media language of mise en scene, cinematography and sound. The way that Zoe dresses gives the audience an insight as to what type of character she is but also how she and other reporters are represented in media. She wears casual clothes which includes a hoodie, jeans and a cross body bag. She is not dressed in a formal way, which could connote that she is a young reporter but also that she is an inexperienced reporter, or that she is perceived to be an inexperienced reporter by her colleagues. The lack of formal clothing could also show that she is of a lower status than the rest of the colleagues working at the Washington Herald. When Zoe makes a visit to Frank Underwood's house, she is wearing a V-neck shirt, which could have sexual connotations but also suggests that she has a certain element of control over Frank's feelings and men overall.
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