The Killing
About Nordic Noir
Nordic noir is crime fiction, usually written from a police POV. The general tone is
dark and bleak, with the physical isolated setting of Scandinavia reflecting this. The
seemingly innocent surroundings often hide very dark secrets, like rape and murder.
Tension between Nordic countries is also often explored. The immense international
success of the genre has led to many adaptations all over the world.
The genre and its shows are praised by critics for its no-nonsense, gritty and precise
style. This style also owes something to the real-life Nordic political system, which
some say hides dark secrets and hate under the blanket of the famed equality and
social justice of the Nordic political system.
Themes and Representations
The killing explores themes of family structure, gender roles and political class,
themes which hadn’t previously been acknowledged in a show of its type. This
helped introduce these themes to the genre as a whole. Another notable quality of
the show and the genre as a whole is the inclusion of a female protagonist. To many
audiences this inversion in gender stereotyping is intriguing and appealing. However,
some feminists would say that the trope of using violence against women for mass
entertainment isn’t progressive at all, and counteracts the show’s seemingly offbeat
feel.
Patriotism and national pride are also addressed in the pilot in the animosity
between the nations of Sweden and Denmark. This feels like a direct attempt by the
show to demonstrate to an international audience that despite the Nordic countries’
famous progressive tendencies, there is still (sometimes vicious) national pride and
friction between the neighbouring countries
Genre
The Killing spans over 3 series. Each series has links but also work as standalone
series. This hooks audiences of the original series in to continue watching for a
continuation of the same kind of television, but the fact that each series works by
itself means there’s no stress over recapping the first series, plus it’s much more
accessible for new viewers or fans of the genre. This use of genre helps widen the
audience of the show.
Crime/drama genre is utilised to appeal to large demographic of TV viewers due to
the immense popularity of that genre at the time. Links to Neale’s genre theory
because links to other shows of same genre are evident, to draw in viewers familiar
with the genre, but a unique Nordic touch is used to create memorability and class.
Context and Audience
The Killing was the first milestone in international foreign-language shows being
distributed in the UK. It’s a case study for media production and circulation on a
worldwide scale with huge success, coming to the UK 5 year after its Danish
success. As with any media product, the audience’s reaction to the show’s
cultural and social aspects affects their personal reading of the show. Issues,
especially relating to feminism and gender equality are raised. Characters
representing these issues help an audience adjust their moral alignment. This
relates to cultivation theory, and would help and audience with changing their
morals according to role models on the show.
The Killing sparked a phenomenon of foreign language TV being watched
worldwide, and the genre of crime allowed the show to present moral issues to
the massive audience it amassed. It sparks conversations about multiculturalism
and immigration, as well as popularising an interest in Scandinavian culture in
the UK.
The Killing