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Don’t Cry, Pretty Girls!

Name: Don’t Cry, Pretty Girls!
Director: Márta Mészáros
Released: 1970
Duration: 84 min

Representation Score

6.0/10

Good

1970

Director

Márta Mészáros

Runtime

84 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Márta Mészáros delivers a sophisticated piece of social realism that challenges conventional romantic stability. The film succeeds by framing systemic structures, such as law enforcement and housing, as obstacles to personal autonomy. The narrative's strength lies in its focus on the emotional lives and ability to act of women, offering a nuanced critique of institutional authority. However, the film remains limited by its demographic homogeneity and a lack of visible LGBTQ+ representation. It functions primarily as a localized study of Hungarian social realities during the era.

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Category Breakdown

Does Don’t Cry, Pretty Girls! have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The story focuses on heterosexual relationships, particularly the romance between Savanyú and Juli. There is no indication of characters with non-binary gender identities or queer narratives.

How does Don’t Cry, Pretty Girls! portray gender?

Good

The film centers on the tension between young women and restrictive environments like workers' hostels. It prioritizes the emotional lives and ability to act of women over traditional domestic roles and marital expectations.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Don’t Cry, Pretty Girls!?

Fair

The cast reflects the demographic homogeneity of 1970s Hungary. While there is no evidence of diverse casting, the film functions as a localized social realist study without promoting exclusionary hierarchies.

How does Don’t Cry, Pretty Girls! represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The story highlights the conflict between individual desires and systemic structures like housing and state authority. It emphasizes communal experiences like concerts and shared living struggles over consumerist success.

Does Don’t Cry, Pretty Girls! include disability representation?

Minimal

The film provides no information regarding characters with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Present on Screen

Focus on the emotional lives and ability to act of women.
Critique of systemic structures and state authority.
Authentic portrayal of communal social realities and industrial life.

Limited or Absent

Lack of visible LGBTQ+ identities or queer narratives.
Limited racial and ethnic diversity within the cast.
Absence of representation for characters with disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Savanyú and his friend work at a plant. After the monotonous shifts they engage in the pleasures of the afternoon and the night, i.e. parties and concerts. Savanyú dates Juli, they are already engaged. The young men live as sub-tenants, the young women in workers' hostels. None of these places are suited for spending time together. They are in need of an apartment. Out of the ruinous apartment which they lay siege on, however, they are sent away by the otherwise friendly policeman. At a concert held in the Park of Youth, Juli gets to know Géza. They flirt, then go to the country with a pop-group. Savanyú and his friends follow them. A minor fight cools the atmosphere.

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