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So This Is Africa

Name: So This Is Africa
Director: Edward F. Cline
Released: 1933
Duration: 65 min

Representation Score

1.0/10

Minimal

1933

Director

Edward F. Cline

Runtime

65 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

So This Is Africa is a product of its time, relying on traditional comedic and adventure clichés from the early 1930s. The narrative structure prioritizes Western perspectives and colonialist frameworks over nuanced character development or social critique. The film's heavy reliance on exoticized clichés and expedition-style storytelling reinforces the social and cultural hierarchies of the period. It lacks complexity in reflecting multiple aspects of identity, focusing instead on standard adventure archetypes. Ultimately, the work upholds rather than challenges the Eurocentric norms prevalent in early sound-era cinema.

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Category Breakdown

Does So This Is Africa have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

There are no LGBTQ+ characters or narratives that question the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does So This Is Africa portray gender?

Limited

The film features women who are portrayed as passive objects to be admired from afar, rather than characters with significant roles in driving the story.

How racially and ethnically diverse is So This Is Africa?

Minimal

The story involves a Western expedition to Africa, which may reinforce colonial hierarchies. Such narratives from this era often rely on racial stereotypes to advance the plot.

How does So This Is Africa represent religion and culture?

Minimal

The film focuses on a Western expedition to a foreign culture, which seems to promote a colonialist perspective rather than critiquing Western institutions.

Does So This Is Africa include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence of the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

The film offers a historical glimpse into the slapstick adventure and physical comedy styles typical of director Edward F. Cline.

Limited or Absent

The narrative strips women of individual ability to act by portraying them as passive objects to be admired.
The plot reinforces colonialist hierarchies and Eurocentric perspectives through its Western expedition framework.
The film lacks any meaningful representation of LGBTQ+ identities or neurodivergent characters.

Official Synopsis

Broke lion tamers travel to Africa to make a movie about Amazon women, from a distance.

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