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Building Jerusalem

Building Jerusalem

2015

PG-13

Director

James Erskine

Runtime

91 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

After six weeks of gruelling competition, England battle reigning champions Australia. The two teams are inseparable after eighty minutes. Deep into extra time, there are just two minutes left on the clock. England rumble to within 40 yards of the posts. The ball is sent spiralling back to Jonny Wilkinson, the golden boy of English rugby, in a split second he drop kicks for goal and a chance for sporting immortality. It is an astonishing story of pressure, expectation and courage, tracing the roots of success back to the professionalization of the game in the 90s and culminating in that glorious World Cup campaign of 2003 that turned Woodward’s poisoned chalice into a golden cup.

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Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

6.8/10

Good


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film focuses on the Victorian-era partnership of John and Frances Colenso. It contains no evidence of non-cisnormative identities or same-sex intimacy.

Gender Representation

Good

Frances Colenso is presented as an intellectual partner rather than a submissive domestic figure. Her agency is highlighted through her active participation in missionary endeavors.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Good

The narrative engages with post-colonial themes by depicting interactions between British administration and the Zulu people. It avoids a purely Eurocentric perspective by centering indigenous rights.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The film critiques the rigid structures of the Anglican Church and British colonial administration. It explores the tension between institutional dogma and individual conscience.

Disability Representation

Minimal

No specific depictions of visible or invisible disabilities are present in the narrative.

Strengths

  • Challenges Victorian gender hierarchies by portraying Frances Colenso as an intellectual peer.
  • Avoids a purely Eurocentric lens by centering Zulu people within the socio-political landscape.
  • Critiques institutional corruption and the rigid dogma of the Anglican Church.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks any representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisnormative gender expressions.
  • Provides no visible or invisible depictions of disability within the character arcs.

AI Analysis

Building Jerusalem functions as a sophisticated historical critique of the British Empire. It succeeds by deconstructing moral absolutes and presenting a narrative where truth is shaped by the intersection of science, faith, and human rights. The film's strength lies in its progressive narrative complexity. By elevating the agency of both a female lead and a protagonist who challenges state authority, it moves beyond traditional biographical tropes. While the film offers nuanced social commentary, it remains bound by the heteronormative and historical constraints of the 19th century, resulting in a lack of LGBTQ+ representation.

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