You are here:

The 17th Parallel

Name: The 17th Parallel
Director: Marceline Loridan-Ivens, Joris Ivens
Released: 1968
Duration: 113 min

Representation Score

7.7/10

Good

1968

Director

Marceline Loridan-Ivens, Joris Ivens

Runtime

113 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The 17th Parallel is a vital piece of post-colonial cinema that disrupts Western-centric narrative structures. It succeeds by centering the ability to act of the Global South and deconstructing imperialist power dynamics. While the film lacks representation in specific identity categories like LGBTQ+ or disability, its strength lies in its radical political framing. It counters the Eurocentric storytelling common to its era. Ultimately, the work functions as a document of multi-layered resistance, prioritizing the collective struggle of the Vietnamese people against global superpowers.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The 17th Parallel have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on collective wartime mobilization. There are no LGBTQ+ characters or narratives present.

How does The 17th Parallel portray gender?

Good

The documentary highlights women's roles in labor and logistical support, challenging traditional war narratives centered on male combatants.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The 17th Parallel?

Excellent

The film centers the ethnic Vietnamese population, providing a nuanced look at a non-Anglo-Saxon society driving its own political destiny.

How does The 17th Parallel represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The narrative critiques Western hegemony and imperialism, prioritizing the collective struggle of North Vietnam over individualistic Western ideals.

Does The 17th Parallel include disability representation?

Limited

Injuries are shown as incidental consequences of conflict. There are no specific characters with disabilities given specialized narrative arcs.

Present on Screen

Centers the ethnic Vietnamese population as the primary subjects of history.
Highlights women's essential roles in labor and defense, subverting traditional gender hierarchies.
Provides a powerful critique of Western hegemony and capitalist-driven imperialism.
Offers an authentic, non-white-centric perspective on the North Vietnamese experience.

Limited or Absent

Lacks any LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight narratives.
Does not provide intentional character studies regarding neurodivergence or physical disability.
Focuses on the healthy working population rather than those with specific disabilities.

Official Synopsis

On the border of North and South Vietnam, civilians live underground and cultivate their land in the dead of night, farmers take up arms, and bombs fall like clockwork. Joris Ivens and Marceline Loridan’s record of daily life in one of the most volatile regions of a war-torn, divided country is both a hazardous piece of first-hand journalism and a shattering work in its own right, simmering with barely repressed anger.

How are these scores produced? →