Period dramas are historical fiction films that depict a specific time period through elaborate costumes, sets, and culture. They often focus on the lives of famous historical figures and fictional stories based on real people and events. Common conventions include depicting the 1800s English culture through mansions, castles, and classical music, with the narrative usually centered around a strong female protagonist overcoming societal problems and courting suitors. Frequent themes involve religion, societal norms, romance, and etiquette.

1. B Y A L I C E W E B S T E R
What Are the Conventions of
Periodic Drama?

2. What Makes A Period Drama?
 A period drama can interact with several genres, however
they often focus on historical fiction and romances and
adventure films. Typically, the audience are attracted to
the culture, costumes, and other content
 Most commonly, period dramas are based on famous
people and historical events. Other historical dramas are
fictionalised tales that are based on real people, for
example, “Braveheart” (1995)
 A period film is a film that attempts to faithfully depict a
specific time period. “Les Miserables” can be an example
of this

3. Iconography in Period Dramas
 Elaborate costumes and sets to show the particular
time period
 Classical music, horse and carriage, grand mansions
and houses, large estates, castles, however these are
generally related to 1800s dramas. But, they are the
most common
 Most period drama movies are set in England, so the
historical English culture is most often shown in this
genre.

5. Iconic Period Dramas Examples
 The King’s Speech
 The Young Victoria
 Pride and Prejudice
 Jane Eyre
 The Picture of Dorian Grey
 The Importance of Being Earnest
 Atonement
 Sense and Sensibility

6. Character Types in Period Drama
 The narrative of the film usually focuses on a
woman, trying to overcome a problem.
 This can lead to the film being romantic, and
including other aspects of different themes
 The men are usually courting the women, and the
women is seen as strong...and yet also seem as
fragile. This is part of the romance aspect.

7. Common Themes
 Religion
 Over-coming a problem
 Being against society
 Romance
 Society
 Etiquette

8. An example...
Within the trailer of the movie “Sherlock Holmes”
(2009), the most common iconography is the
stereotypical London of when it would have been set.
There are horse are carriages in the trailer, the costume
is also elaborated, as well as the weapons that they had
around in the late 1800s.