You are here:

The Club

Name: The Club
Director: Bruce Beresford
Released: 1980
Duration: 96 min

Representation Score

3.6/10

Limited

1980

Director

Bruce Beresford

Runtime

96 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The Club serves as a sharp deconstruction of institutionalized privilege and the predatory nature of the 'old boys' club.' It exposes how established social hierarchies maintain unethical power dynamics through corruption. While the film provides a sophisticated critique of Western class structures, it remains limited by its hyper-masculine focus. The lack of racial diversity and minimal women's ability to drive the story reflect the homogeneity of the historical setting being critiqued. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its challenge to social norms rather than its breadth of representation.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Club have LGBTQ+ representation?

Good

The film recognizes male homosexuality and same-sex intimacy within the club's secretive environment. This presence challenges the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does The Club portray gender?

Limited

The narrative emphasizes a hyper-masculine structure that upholds traditional gender hierarchies. Women are often sidelined, serving as objects of the male gaze or victims of the social system.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Club?

Minimal

The cast is primarily white and Anglo-Saxon, reflecting the historical context of an exclusive Australian club. The film does not incorporate diverse racial perspectives into the narrative.

How does The Club represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film effectively critiques traditional Western institutions and class structures. It portrays the wealthy elite and their private clubs as sites of systemic decay and moral bankruptcy.

Does The Club include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities that drive the plot or serve as central character arcs.

Present on Screen

Offers a potent critique of traditional Western institutions and class-based corruption.
Challenges the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender by acknowledging non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth desires within elite spaces.
Deconstructs the myth of institutional integrity through a lens of moral relativism.

Limited or Absent

Lacks racial and ethnic diversity, focusing on a white, Anglo-Saxon cast.
Features minimal women's ability to drive the story, with women often relegated to the periphery of the story.
Emphasizes a hyper-masculine structure that reinforces traditional gender hierarchies.

Official Synopsis

The club buys a talented young player, Geoff, for a record sum of money. The team members do not like their new star and friction develops immediately. Game after game is lost until Geoff begins to realize that there is more at stake than just his own career.

How are these scores produced? →