For this post, I choose a show that I think is executed exceptionally well from acting, cinematography, storytelling to plot. Yet, not many people seem to know about since it’s primarily an English show that has found a platform on Netflix USA. Peaky Blinders is a criminal gypsy gang in Birmingham during the early 20th century. The gang mainly consists of the Shelby family, with additional members to people who they view as family. The show begins in 1919 following the rise of the Shelby family, where Tommy Shelby, the leader, is finding new ways to move up in the world. I choose the pilot episode, season 1, episode 2, to dive into this show.
The most iconic signifier from the episode/show would be the tweeted newsboy caps that each male member wears. What makes this hat stand out from other newsboy caps is the blades located in the brim of that, this is how they got their name as the “peaky blinders,” they would remove the hats and use the razors to blind their opponents.
The signified for hat insinuated would be violence. Only the Peaky Blinders are wearing this hat, other characters in Birmingham can distinguish this gang from any other citizen and know not to mess with them. The metaphor for this hat would be violence-criminal organization anything that a gang usually stands for as this hat is their “mascot” in a sense. People see this hat and automatically associate the Peaky Blinders with it. The violence acted on in the first ten minutes of the episode against a rival gang.
The sign components form together for the show’s iconic and repetitive saying of “take his/their eyes,” this is said by multiple leading characters whenever they are at war with an enemy and throughout this episode. It’s to insulate they intend to blind them or scratch out their eyes entirely, which they do. The hat harness a violent meaning that they intend to wound seriously anyone who stands in their way. While not doing it with guns as they view this as more personal.
Maniscalco-Media 