You are here:

Index

Name: Index
Director: Janusz Kijowski
Released: 1977
Duration: 94 min

Representation Score

4.6/10

Fair

1977

Director

Janusz Kijowski

Runtime

94 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Index is a character study of institutional dehumanization. It follows a student's descent from academia to manual labor after refusing to compromise his integrity against a corrupt system. The film's strength lies in its sophisticated critique of how bureaucratic structures erode the individual. While the film offers a progressive thematic architecture regarding power and authority, it lacks demographic breadth. The narrative is deeply rooted in a specific, homogeneous historical context, resulting in low scores for gender, racial, and LGBTQ+ representation. Ultimately, the film prioritizes existential and moral themes over social diversity, functioning more as a critique of systemic oppression than a diverse exploration of identity.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Index have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any identifiable LGBTQ+ characters or narratives. Instead, it focuses on the socioeconomic and existential struggles of the protagonist within a rigid state apparatus.

How does Index portray gender?

Fair

Gender roles in the film remain traditional, with a male protagonist who feels alienated. Female characters are secondary figures and casualties of systemic pressure, lacking significant narrative power.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Index?

Limited

The film depicts a culturally and ethnically homogeneous society. While this reflects the historical context of 1970s Poland, it does not offer any diverse casting or multi-layered identities.

How does Index represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film effectively deconstructs institutions like the state and academia, portraying these organized structures as oppressive and faceless entities demanding the sacrifice of personal integrity.

Does Index include disability representation?

Limited

Physical trauma is present through a fatal industrial accident. However, disability serves primarily as a catalyst for the protagonist's moral crisis rather than exploring the lived experiences of disability.

Present on Screen

Provides a sophisticated critique of institutional power and bureaucratic dehumanization.
Offers a profound exploration of the friction between the individual and the collective state.

Limited or Absent

Lacks diverse casting and multi-layered identities within the narrative.
Features limited ability to act for female characters, who remain secondary to the male protagonist.
Does not explore neurodivergence or the lived experience of disability.

Official Synopsis

The story begins in March of 1968, the days of students protests. A hot- headed student protests the Dean's decision to expell a fellow student on fake accusation charges, upon which he drops out of university rather than make a compromise. He loses everything in the process: his girlfriend, housing privileges - he becomes a coal deliverer. On the job he witnesses an accident that causes death of a fellow worker. He decides to write a story, which is good and a publishing house wants to print it, but only after some corrections are made. He refuses again and the story is not printed. Finally, a story is commercialized and made into a succesful film and brings fame to the original author.

How are these scores produced? →