The Wire Analysis

HOW DOES THE WIRE USE GENERIC CODES AND CONVENTIONS OF A CRIME DRAMA WITHIN THE OPENING OF THE PROGRAMME?

In the opening clip of The wire, you can see there is a black police officer who clearly has a lot of authority. This is a countertype as black men are often represented as being criminals in media. However, there is also a black man being interrogated who conforms to black stereotypes as he is being arrested and swears a lot.

The camera zooms in to the police officers face when he is talking. This means all the attention goes to what he is saying and the viewer feel captivated and immediately understand what is happening. However, it does not have an establishing shot, which many crime dramas do, so it makes the overall scene more mysterious.

After the criminal confesses, at the end the Police officer walks away with a cigar in his mouth. This conforms to the stereotype that men smoke and are very masculine. 

Overall, it is very clear to see who the different characters are. For example, you can easily identify the main police officer is as he is wearing a suit, is questioning someone and talking in an authoritative tone.