We have put together a quick breakdown of the additional 1-minute scene that is found in the BBC iPlayer version,

but not the Netflix version. We didn’t

analyse every single scene in class as this would be impossible, however we thought it would be helpful to have a breakdown as you won’t be as familiar
with this sequence.

Remember that this is only 1-minute and the sequence you will see in the exam will be around 3-minutes.

POINT EXAMPLE/S EXPLANATION

If the question asks about REALISM
The scene creates a sense of realism through the The scene opens with an establishing shot of the London city
use of real locations skyline, before cutting to a long shot of a hospital corridor.
The continuation of the low-key lighting and colour grading
helps to create a sense of realism by drawing the locations
together. This scene was shot on-location rather than in a
studio, which Luther is well-known for, adding further realism
to the gritty crime drama.

The scene creates a sense of realism through In the long shot of the hospital corridor the audience can
diegetic ambient sounds. hear the ambient sound of the floor polisher, and as the
heavy doors close behind Ian the sound diminishes, creating
a clear verisimilitude.

The scene undercuts a sense of realism through Again in this long shot of the corridor the camera slowly pulls
the use of cinematography. away from the hospital door, creating a dramatic tone. In
addition, the extreme close-up shots of Luther
overemphasise his state of mind, drawing us too close,
meaning that some sense of realism is replaced by drama.
The scene also undercuts a sense of realism
through the use of lighting and colour grading.
If the question asks about representation of GENDER STEREOTYPES
The scene represents men as being vulnerable
and suffering with mental health issues.
The opening shot of the scene is an establishing shot of the
London city skyline. The lighting appears to be naturalistic,
however the use of colour grading adds a murky tone to the
scene. The green/yellow tone to the shot makes London
appear uninviting and a place of ruin. This in turn creates a
sense of foreboding, therefore increasing the dramatic
tension of the scene. Having said that, while it undercuts
realism, it’s great for communicating the gritty crime genre
to the audience.
The long shot of a hospital corridor reveals that this scene is
set in a psychiatric unit and a cross-cut edit take us to Luther
who is in the ‘day room’ or visitors room where Ian is visiting
him. An extreme close-up shot on Luther’s face engages us
with his turmoil through his tense facial expression as he
seemingly stares at nothing. We cut to a wide angle lens of
the room which shows Luther slouching in his chair and
scratching his head, his facial expression quite vacant. We
can see he is playing a game of chess with Ian who is taking
his turn, with Luther disinterested. Luther’s costume is casual
which contrasts with his now iconic suit and coat which
typically emphasise his high status and masculinity. Here he
is vulnerable and without purpose. A close up shot of
Luther’s face shows his anxiety as he bites his thumb nail and
ignores Ian’s attempt at a witty remark. At no point does
Luther make eye-contact with Ian or even really engage with
him, which suggests his fragile state of mind, as well as his
pre-occupation with thinking about the accident in the

If the question asks you about CRIME GENRE CHARACTERS OR ARCHETYPES
The typical hero is crime drama genre is a male
who displays masculine traits such as quick-
thinking, physically and mentally strong, and
unshakable. In this episode Luther is represented
as the ‘maverick’ cop who sometimes uses
dangerous methods to solve crimes. He can also
be seen as the ‘troubled’ cop, which is perhaps
the archetype we see here.
opening scene. We cut back to the wide shot of the room
which shows Luther sitting in the room alone and isolated. All
of this challenges the male gender stereotypes because it
shows that men can be vulnerable.
AS ABOVE The long shot of a hospital corridor reveals that this scene is
set in a psychiatric unit and a cross-cut edit take us to Luther
who is in the ‘day room’ or visitors room where Ian is visiting
him. An extreme close-up shot on Luther’s face engages us
with his turmoil through his tense facial expression as he
seemingly stares at nothing. We cut to a wide angle lens of
the room which shows Luther slouching in his chair and
scratching his head, his facial expression quite vacant. We
can see he is playing a game of chess with Ian who is taking
his turn, with Luther disinterested. Luther’s costume is casual
which contrasts with his now iconic suit and coat which
typically emphasise his high status and masculinity. Here he
is vulnerable and without purpose. A close up shot of
Luther’s face shows his anxiety as he bites his thumb nail and
ignores Ian’s attempt at a witty remark. At no point does
Luther make eye-contact with Ian or even really engage with
him, which suggests his fragile state of mind, as well as his
pre-occupation with thinking about the accident in the
opening scene. We cut back to the wide shot of the room
which shows Luther sitting in the room alone and isolated. All
of this challenges the ‘hero’ archetype because he is seen at
‘rock-bottom’ and vulnerable. However, he can be seen as
the ’troubled’ cop because he is clearly suffering because of
his own actions.