Movies relating to our planning stage: The Young Victoria

Summary: The Young Victoria is a 2009 historical period drama. As the only legitimate heir of England's King William, teenage Victoria (Emily Blunt) gets caught up in the political machinations of her own family. Victoria's mother (Miranda Richardson) wants her to sign a regency order, while her Belgian uncle schemes to arrange a marriage between the future monarch and Prince Albert (Rupert Friend), the man who will become the love of her life. Once again, the reason why I chose to analyse this film was due to the treatment of women and also the presentation of the higher class. As well as this, mise en scene helps us to develop our own style.




 1) Main movie titles:
There is no main title for this movie as such, however there is a short introductory section. Before we see anything, there is a soldier shouting. This is followed by a short panning shot of the soldiers in Buckingham palace. Following this, we see a black screen with simple white text, explaining a little about the context of the movie. The introductory section follows this by conveying a short timeline of Victoria's life, allowing the audience some insight to the life of this historical figure. The movie jumps back and forth from points in Victoria's life, from her coronation to a year before. The use of Camera, soundtrack and miss en scene all play predominant rolls in this film.

2) Camera shots:
Following a black fill screen, the very first shot in this film is a panning long shot whereby we see the soldiers of Buckingham palace in full costume. This is followed by the contextual information before the short timeline of Victoria's life is shown. The most predominant shot type used is a panning shot, however the distance from the protagonist is varied each time along with the mise en scene. Much like 'The Duchess', there is a very grandiose long shot of Victoria's crowning. This shot is iconic and also mirrors a huge point in history. There is a close up of Victoria's face after this, conveying that she is nervous and showing off her crown.

3) Music/sound:
There is a grand orchestral soundtrack at the beginning of this movie, which is a typical code and convention. This helps to contribute to the grand atmosphere. The very first dialogue heard, is from an English shoulder who is giving orders. Following this, we hear Victoria's narrative, giving the audience a little more insight into the events that have entailed in her life. As well as this, there is basic use of synchronous and asynchronous sound, illustrating and adding authenticity to what is happening on stage.

4) Mise en scene:
Mise en scene plays a very predominant role in the making of period dramas. In the beginning of this movie, all of the soldiers are wearing the proper costume with rifles as props. Following this, we see shots from inside Buckingham palace. To make this authentic, the set crew managed to get exact plans of what the inside of the palace looked like. this means that their lavish and luxurious props are very close to the original. Below are some costumes and filming locations.

 5) Codes and conventions:
'The Young Victoria' generally follows the codes and conventions of a period drama. The main issue in the film is the theme of treatment towards women. Victoria is a very strong protagonist, much like the duchess, however, no matter how hard she tries to break out of this stigma she doesn't, which is in keeping with the typical society at this time. As well as this, the director's objective for this film is to show the life of a great historical figure. He does this by presenting the typical Victorian's view of the royalty at the time.

6) Target audience and social group:
The target audience for this group once again are historians and intellects. This is due to the films historical context and complex plot line, as in-keeping with a period drama's codes and conventions. As we can see from the chart, the most voters are middle-aged and are not from the US. This is due to the fact that this film portrays English events and so, is more applicable to the english who want to learn more about their heritage.

Movies relating to our planning stage: The Duchess

Summary: The Duchess is a 2008 historical period drama, produced by paramount vintage, BBC and pathe. Though adored by the people, the Duchess of Devonshire (Keira Knightley) is not content to sit as a pretty figurehead. Determined to be a major player in affairs of state, she rises to the forefront of the Whig Party and helps usher in reform in late-1700s England. The one thing it seems she cannot do is win the heart of her husband (Ralph Fiennes). The reason why I chose to anylise this film is due to the fact that the protagonist is female and the movie challenges the stereotypical male dominated society of the 1700s.

1) Main movie titles:
Before the main title comes in, there is a short introduction which sets up the skeletal plotline for the entire movie. During this short introduction, we see the three main idents followed by snippets of shots mixed with oppening credits. These snippets show the Duchess with her friends, the ladies in one group who are betting (as comondeered by the Duchess) on another group of boys who are racing. This shows how the Duchess is a strong female protagonist. Following this, we see her parents arange her marriage and as time goes on, the main titles are shown as she walks down the aisle. She looks apprehensively at her new husband and he is expressionless. The Duchess title is shown in formal white text towards the bottom of the frame (which doesn't stand out). This frame conveys a lot to the audience however, including character development, the authentic mise en scene and the complex plotline to come (as is standard of a period drama).

2) Shot types:

The beginning snippet shots of this movie are interwined with the opening credits. The very first shot is a high angle shot of the protagonist's dress trailing the ground, emphasising her power along with mise en scene. Following this, we see a tracking shot whereby we see the back of the protagonist, once again emphasising mise en scene and showing the English country setting. There are a number of medium shots, long shots and panning shots which show the two groups of men and women, creating the theme of gender differentiation. As well as this, there is a close up on the face of both the protagonist and what seems to be a possible love interest, which will creates an ominous tone for future reference, as The Duchess is not to be married to this character. One of the most iconic shots in this film is a tracking shot of The Duchess walking down the aisle towards her new husband. She looks aprehensive and the use of mise en scene has been used to convey a grandoise atmosphere. This frame is also used as the oppening title.

3) Music/ sound:
The use of an orchestral and piano concerto is used as a gentle instrumental background soundtrack. The music builds anticipation and shows how lavish the 1700s were. As well as this, the use of asynchronous sound in the form of a lamb signifies the English countryside location. There are atmospheric nature sounds, creating a natural and authentic feel for the audience, as well as some dialogue, setting up the skeletal plot line. The dialogue is posh and in the form of the high class society at this time (as seen through proper and sophisticated language and well pronunciated words).

4) Mise en scene:
An english countryside location has been used, along with an authentic mansion which is shown in an establishing shot. This location is congruous with the actual events that occurred (the film is based on a true story). The costume and makeup convey authenticity (Large stylised wigs along with powder and rouge), with every last detail predetermined. This important, especially due to the fact that costume is mentioned so much in the film. There are grandiose and lavish props, showing the luxurious lifestyle of the higher class. The budget for this film was huge, as is standard of period dramas.

5) Codes and conventions:
This film challenges the codes and conventions of a period drama more than it follows them. This is due to the fact that the nature of the film is to challenge the patriarchal society of the 1700s. the film does this by conveying a strong female protagonist as the lead, who presents in the beginning how women bowed down to the power of men, before challenging it later on as she becomes more involved in politics. However, standard mise en scene for the film has been used as well as classical soundtrack.

6) Target audience and social groups:
Due to the historical nature of this film, those interesteded in history and especially in the history of feminism and politics, may find this film more beneficial. The film would probably bore a younger audience and so, therefore it is more fitting for those who are middle aged or above. As well as this, being a film about english history and being made by english production companies, this film would be aimed at England in general. However, the themes can still be applied universally.

Movies relating to our planning stage: Mother Joan of the Angels

Summary: Mother Joan of Angels is a 1961 polish drama about demonic possession, based upon a novel called 'Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz'. The movie is set in the seventeenth century and begins as Father Suryn goes to investigate a seemingly possessed convent. As he embarks on his work, the Father comes across the most possessed mother in the convent, Mother Joan. Father Suryn must descend into the depths of hell in order to save her soul and in doing so, he will be condemned to darkness. The reason why I chose to anylise this film is due to the fact that the supernatural themes and the seventeenth century setting relate directly to our film about witches. As well as this, the fact that the film was set in the sixties and focuses more upon technique than actual budget is better for us and we can derive inspiration.

1) Main movie titles: The movie starts with an old indent and is followed shortly after by a high angle shot of a priest worshipping on the ground, setting the religious theme for the entire film with the audience from the very start. The main title is followed by this in a white, eerie font. The white stands out from the dark grey tones in the background, making it easier for the audience to see, as well as this the white colour may be relating to how pure the religion is meant to be, creating an overall sense of irony as the film was banned for blasphemous themes. The creepy text relates directly to the supernatural side of the film and so, it works stylistically. The rest of the titles are shown in the same font and the shot stays the same for approximately two minutes. Then the movie begins.

2) Shot types: At the very beginning of the movie, there is a high angle shot of a worshipping priest. This is a dominating shot type to use and it therefore directly mirrors the fact that the priest is succumbing to a God. The priest then gets up with a Downward panning shot and there is a zoom in leading to a close up on his face. After this, there is a medium shot which shows the priest with some shadow behind him. This makes me think of a very iconic shot from German expressionist film, Nosferatu and it sets an ominous tone for the audience. A tracking shot of the priest is then followed by a close up to a window, possibly symbolising small town claustrophobia. As the windows open we can see an establishing shot of the town with rule of thirds and possibly depth of field. There are strong hints of expressionism in this movie and the camera shots, angles and techniques have been used to their full potential, claiming many awards over the years.




3) Music/Sound: The movie is in polish, however it is very clear that the priest is praying at the start, establishing the religious theme. He speaks in whispers which are almost seemingly frightened, setting an ominous tone once again. The next form of sound is a bell which is in sync with the priests steps towards the camera, which is ultimately building tension. The sound is asynchronous and tells us that there is a church somewhere near. After this is the synchronous sound of the window open, followed by a man shouting off screen. This leads to a downwards tilt o that we see the man and his horses. Clearly he is offering a trade and this links us back to the seventeenth century setting.

4) Mise en scene: The mise en scene in this film is very basic as in keeping with the minimalistic views of religion. The use of lighting creates definite shadow and depth, presenting an almost expressionistic feel. The costume is that of traditional Polish monks and nuns, as well as the villagers. Everything is in-keeping with the time in which the film is set.

5) Codes and conventions: Generally this film follows the conventions of a period drama. The seventeenth century setting is conveyed truthfully and authentically throughout by the use of mise en scene and sound. The camera angles along with numerous other techniques subtly convey the supernatural references all throughout the film, making it a classic. However, it is fair to say that the film definitely did challenge codes and convention at this time by being so outspoken. It was banned in many countries after its original release and is still banned in some for being blasphemous. It takes the codes and conventions of a supernatural drama to new extremes by showing religion and possession side by side.

6) Target audience and social groups: This film clearly wasn't intended for children due to the fact that it has been banned for many years. As well as this, social groups with a strong relegious background would find the supernatural themes in this movie blasphemous. Therefore, I believe this movie was made for a minority of people who aren't offended by the challenging nature of this film and therefore, it can certainly be called an 'independent' film. Nowadays, it has become fashionable to watch old black and white movies by a social group who call themselves 'hipsters' which may lead to more viewing in recent years. The film company is "KADR" which is Polish and the movie is in polish as well and has only been translated recently into English, therefore the Polish and English are the only two groups that this film is suitable for.

Movies relating to our planning stage: The New World

Summary: The New World (2005) is a historical period drama and was directed by Terrace Malick. Arriving with a British expedition in Virginia in 1607, Capt. John Smith (Colin Farrell) is captured by Native Americans. His life is spared thanks to Pocahontas (Q'orianka Kilcher), daughter of the tribe's chief. Smith and Pocahontas fall in love, to the mutual dismay of the Native Americans and the British. Smith is sent away, and his death is reported. An unhappy Pocahontas marries settler John Rolfe (Christian Bale). When Smith turns up alive, Pocahontas is torn between the two men.


1) Main movie titles:

The movie opens with a short introduction speech and a shot of the sea, followed by a snippet of a girl spinning with her arms in the air, seemingly part of the uncolonised nation. This is followed shortly after by a constantly panning animated image of an old map. The map begins it's sequence with colour, accompanied by an orchestral instrumental soundtrack. Everything has a seemingly happy tone until there is a shift to a more sinister tone, whereby the music turns to the minor and black and white images are shown to symbolise the devastation of the colonisers to the audience. The background fades to black then there's the title 'The New World' in white font, centred in the middle. This stands out to the audience and is stylistically, very clear cut and concise. As the black fill backing begins to fade out,  the map shot comes back again with music in the major, showing the audience what the movie is to be about. i.e. colonisers. Already, an enigma has been set up and the movie begins.

2) Shot types:
The very opening shot for this movie is a medium shot of riveting water, symbolising freedom and nature to the audience. After some time, pollution comes through, setting a slightly more ominous tone with the audience. A low angle medium shot of a little girl with her arms up to the sky, twirling, follows this, once again showing freedom. After a long panning shot of an animated map, there is a panning shot that is underwater. We can see an exotic fish swim by, which shows the audience the location as well, as once again symbolising nature. After this, there is a medium shot of someone swimming past the camera, then a low angle shot of people looking into the water. The final shot for the opening sequence is three ships, the colonisers coming to Virginia.

3) Music/sound:
Music and sound plays the biggest part in the opening scene of this movie. Before we even see anything on screen there are asynchronous ambient nature sounds, setting an 'earthy' tone for the audience. Followed by this is a short, yet powerful quote read in a child's voice. Orchestral soundtrack (Richard wagner's vorspiel) in the major key comes in and the title sequence starts, the music is very grandiose, showing the better side of the expedition made by the colonisers. However, this music soon shifts to the minor, foreshadowing tragic events to come. The minor modulation is accompanied by the sudden sound of crows which generally symbolise 'evil' and 'death'. As the main title sequence comes in, the music is in the major again, possibly mirroring the structure that the movie will take.

4) Codes and conventions:
Generally, this film follows the codes and conventions of a period drama. The setting is authentic and truthful, giving the audience a better sense of what the 1600's were like. As well as this, the free nature of the indigenous peoples has been captured very well, which also gives the audience some insight into their culture. However, because this film was made in 2005, using modern technology, it challenges the original take on a period genre, by using quirky camera shots and SFX effects. The director is clearly thinking outside the box. The overall theme of the film is forbidden love and such a complex plot line is a typical convention of a period drama.

5) Mise en scene:
The location for this movie is important, as it shows the two very different worlds of the uncolonised and the colonisers. Here, the 'earthy' uncolonised land has been presented. The set location was by the chikamohiny river, which gives the audience a feel for authenticity. The two very contrasting worlds including, grandiose costume and props of the colonisers in juxtaposition with the basic and simplistic lifestyle of the indigenous peoples work in conjunction to create a feel for the historical truth. Different lighting methods were used in the film. Mostly natural, but on one occasion, the set producers had to use four wicks per candle to brighten the interior shots.

6) Target audience and social groups:
This move was released by newline and doesn't contain any specifically strong or explicit themes, leaving it open for most audiences. However, the story is a history piece and so, generally older people will prefer this as a means of gaining knowledge, as younger people might find it quite boring. The movie might be aimed at the native Americans who want to know a little more about their history as well. Mainly, I believe the film was targeted at the 'historians' and the 'intellects' as they can derive knowledge from it.

Movies relating to our planning stage: Jane Eyre

Summary: Jane Eyre is a 2011 period drama directed by Cary Fukunaga. Another literary adaptation. As an orphaned child, Jane Eyre (Mia Wasikowska) is first cruelly abused by her aunt, then cast out and sent to a charity school. Though she meets with further abuse, she receives an education, and eventually takes a job as a governess at the estate of Edward Rochester (Michael Fassbender). Jane and Rochester begin to bond, but his dark moods trouble her. When Jane uncovers the terrible secret Rochester has been hiding, she flees and finds temporary refuge at the home of St. John Rivers. This film relates closely to ours due to the themes of the mistreatment of women and their role in society, as well as this, the setting and dress will help us to create authenticity in our film.

1) Main Movie Titles:

The oppening few minutes of this film convey a sinister tone, creating an ominous and foreboding atmosphere for the audience. There is no dialougue at all and only the use of soundtrack and asyncronous/ syncronous sound. The film opens with two idents which are shortly followed by the oppening credits. The main title 'Jane Eyre' then comes in with the same font design - A black background with standard gold text. The golden text however fades in and out very slowly in time with the music and shimmers like embers from a fire. This may convey the sense of anxiety in parallel with the character of Jane. This is followed by the oppening shot, which has a cool and desaturated tone, conveying a calamitous atmosphere towards the audience.

2) Camera shots:
Camera shots are used very effectively in the oppening of this film in order to contribute to the overall sinister tone. The movie begins with a medium shot from behind the protagonist, casting her as a silhouette as she opens a small window to show trees. This is followed by a close up on her face which shows she has clearly been crying. Already, tension has been created for the audience. A medium shot of Jane running down the steps in a garden follows, however, the shakey camera represents the uneasy mood, along with the cool tones that are used, conveying to the audience that it is a cold, winters day. A long shot and establishing shot show the location, as well as a shot showing the protagonist running down a misty, english country lane. A crane shot shows her in a field confused about which direction she should go in, possibly a symbolic reference to the confused direction of her life. After this, there are a number of effective shots, whereby location is referenced and pathetic fallacy is shown in the form of a storm, mirroring the turbulent series of events in the storyline. Throughout the film, clever techniques are used to mirror the symbolic literary references in 'Jane Eyre'. However, these references are very subtle, meaning that the movie may be more open to those who have studied the book.


3) Music/sound:
In the oppening of this film,  soundtrack is used effectively. An instrumental orchestral piece plays in the minor .i.e. the key of sadness. The music's dynamics are quiet, representing the timid nature of Jane and the depressing events of her life. This plays throughout the oppening, creating an introductory section of sorts. After this, we hear the protagonist crying slightly along with the synchronous crunching of leaves below her feet as she trunches through the garden. There is use of atmospheric nature sounds as in birds and wind. As the protagonist runs down the country lane, there is the asynchronous sound of a horse, representing the loaction once again. Asyncronous sound is used again in the form of a crow, representing 'death'. This creates an ominous tone. There is also the sound of thunder, which may also create a sinister and metaphorically stormy mood.

4) Mise en scene:
The use of mise en scene is very important in a period drama as it shows authenticity of the events throughout history. Therefore, Jane wears the correct costume, a victorian dress and cloak, as well as minimal makeup and very stylised, plaited hair. As well as this, the location must be truthful to the events. Therefore, an atmospheric English setting has been chosen to convey the whereabouts to the audience. The movie has also been filmed in Winter, giving an a cold atmosphere. In connection to this, only natural lighting has been used, which is congruous with the Victorian times, due to the fact that electricity hadn't been invented yet.

5) Codes and Conventions:
This film generally follows the codes and conventions of a period drama as it remains authentic throughout. The opening scene sets the mantra, along with enigma by building atmosphere. The mise en scene is perfect and has been heavily researched, along with the location, giving way to the truth in the movie and hence, making viewing better. As well as this, the main theme for this film is family issues, as is standard for period dramas. The plot is very complex and there is extreme character development. However, this film challenges the codes and conventions of a typical period drama by being somewhat 'independent', whereby unique techniques and shots have been used in order to convey the story differently and therefore, making it more applicable to the audience. One main reason why the director may have adapted her own individual style, is so that the 2011 movie cannot be compared to the one made previously in 1996. Once again, the mistreatment of women is recurring theme in period dramas, which is what we will look into in our own project.

6) Target audience and social group:
'Jane Eyre' is a literary adaptation of Emily Bronte's novel of the same name, meaning that many of the viewers of this film may have read the book already. This creates high expectations, especially as the 1996 movie already became very critically acclaimed. As well as this, the film was produced by the BBC which is predominantly an english company, meaning that the majority of the audience will be from the uk. The film is in english already (obviously for being one of the greatest English literature works ever made), however it has been translated into a number of languages making it open to more social groups. That being said, I think the main groups for this movie are the 'thesbians', as Jane Eyre was adapted also as a play, so the acting would be closely speculated upon. Like most preiod dramas, this movie is for intulects of some description and not really for children nor teenagers who might find it boring. Those who are middle aged or above might find 'Jane Eyre' more appealing and especially those with a love for history or english.

Codes and conventions of Independent films

When thinking about the genres we could use for our Media Studies 'opening sequence', we had to take in to consideration what we had to work with, so obviously we couldn't produce an elaborate feature film, because we didn't have the necessary tools, say for example, CGI effects and professional cameras. Then, after lots of watching media coursework from the past, it finally occurred to me that the "Indie" genre was the way to go.

"Indie" is short for independent, basically meaning the film is a professional feature length film that is  not produced in a major film studio, mainly due to budget restrictions. Although some people do think that indie films are less inticing, I often think that more work has gone into them because they cannot rely on special effects or fantastic backdrops, and therefore, the actors and storyline are a lot better. Independent films are produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, as well as major companies may also release these films. Some major companies may include 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Dream Works and some indie companies are Film4, Working Title Films, Rogue pictures and TriStar Pictures.

According to the AboutFilmSchools website the codes and conventions of an indie film are as follows:

1) Author’s movies, the director plays a preponderant role and it almost always uses its own scripts and takes charge of other aspects like sound and photography allowing him to express creatively and to capture its feelings and restlessness.

2) Thematic, it faces a series of topics that conventional films don’t take in consideration such as prostitution, drugs, homosexuality, the family decadence, etc.
Financing, the independent film directors consider that, the more relationship with a study, the smaller independence, for this reason, its filming doesn’t fall inside the rigid schemes of the big film studies.
3) Aesthetics, it includes different formats and ideas, they use different techniques such as black and white, shiny colours, etc.
4) Beyond these characteristics, an independent film director should possess an own artistic vision that takes him to be free in the creative process.

The fact that the director plays such a predominant role in the overall process is very important to me, as it allows me to work freely and exercise the muscle. Ideally, independent films can be abstract and there are no rigid guidelines to follow and for me, this means that some indie movies really stand out to me for their quirks. E.G. I recently saw a movie called 'Under The Skin' which was absolutely whacky

and weird, but the cinematography, setting, actors and methods were all incredibly intriguing. There were actually parts in the movie whereby people didn't even know they were being filmed, let alone how to act, capturing the raw essence of humanity. Methods and techniques like these are very rarely used and definitely couldn't be used in a major movie set up.
Independent films very open to the interpretation of many different sub-genres, some being that of romance, thriller and sci-fi, which is important to our group as we have a wider variety to choose from in the foundation and planning stages. We don't want to put ourselves in a box at the minute and my plan is to view as many sources of inspiration as possible before settling of a final sub-genre. Indie films generally deal with very important and sensitive issues, raising awareness and making the audience question the bigger picture.

I also think that before you can actually jump straight in and explore film making, you need to study the directors. Some really out there directors would be Wes Anderson, Danny Boyle, The Coen Brothers and Richard Ayoade. In my next few blog posts, you will see me analyse some incredible work by the likes of these directors.
Personally, I think everything lies in the details of the set design because film is a visual art. I love to see an extra effort being made in the set, whereby a prop will reflect a symbolic reference or the location will be extraordinary. One good example of this is in Richard ayoade's 'Submarine', where water is used as a symbolic reference throughout to symbolise a depression. There is water in almost every scene bringing us back to the constant reminder of the recurring theme.

Codes and conventions of period dramas

A period drama, otherwise known as a ‘Historical Period Drama’, is a film which is reminiscent of a certain period in history. However, period drama’s are not timescale specific, they can range from anytime in history right up to events that happened earlier this year, an example of a contemporary historical event period drama is ‘Ashes to ashes’. Normally, they are set on historical figures or significant points in history.
They are a crossover of genres and hence are very open to sub-genres and themes such as dramas, romances, adventures and sometimes comedies.  Some historical dramas are docudramas, which attempt an accurate portrayal of a historical event or biography, using as much truth as possible. E.g. ‘Apollo 13’ (1998) and others may be based solely upon fiction, E.g. ‘Braveheart’ (1995). We are gearing more towards a historical docudrama at this point due to the fact that the Islandmagee Witch trial which is a true event that happened between 1711-1710.
Period dramas are substantially literary adaptations, for example ‘Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Jane

Eyre’, however some are not and are based solely on historical figures in history, for example ‘The Duchess’, which was made to challenge the stereotypical treatment of females in the late 1700s.
This genre relies heavily upon Mise en scene, such as truthful costume, props and set design. Any flaws in research with Mise en scene give way to weaknesses within the actual period drama. Another extremely important aspect of period dramas are their filming locations. For example, if the event being filmed happened in a specific location or house, it is always better to try and recourse this exact point as then the film will be even more believable. A general example includes a period drama set in the victorian era, which should be filmed in an authentic Victorian house with typical victorian costume i.e. large dresses and pale makeup with rouge.
In connection to this, the budgets are usually very high for period dramas in order to make them visually effective and historically truthful. We can see grand set design and lavish props along with agrandiose dresses. Seeings as our movie is leaning more towards 'independent' however due to our available equipment and budget, we will have to have very basic costume and a minimal and rural irish location in order to make the film more effective and not tacky. We were quite selective in what we chose to film, as we knew we needed to think about all of the other components making up the film. For example,  the budget for 'The Duchess' was £13.5 million.

flourish of
The plot lines usually focus upon forbidden beliefs, love and family issues and normally contain a young hero or heroine as the protagonist who is working against the antagonist. However the plot lines are also usually very complex and we can see that single character development and emotions are intwined with a well thought out plot, as well as character interaction and reactions towards each other. An example of this is in 'The Other Boleyn Girl'(2008), which contains a convoluted plot line relating to the theme of love.
Another feature that period dramas include are challenging typical stereotypes. An example of this is'The Scarlett Letter'(1995) which was adapted from a romantic novel written in 1850. Hester is a young, humble woman who is tried for adultery, humiliated and made to wear a scarlett letter 'A'. There are themes of mistreatment towards women in the 1600's along with stereotypical small town hysteria in Salem, Boston. I think the reason why the film was made in the first place was to represent how unfair the treatment towards Hester was. This is why plot lines surrounding which trials make for good period dramas too, which is ideally what I shall be looking more closely into.