You are here:

Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red in It

Name: Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red in It
Director: Christopher Kirkley
Released: 2015
Duration: 75 min

Representation Score

6.4/10

Good

2015

Director

Christopher Kirkley

Runtime

75 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film stands out as a landmark of cultural sovereignty, centering the Tuareg people through the use of the Tamashek language. It avoids common pitfalls of global cinema by presenting a sub-Saharan world where indigenous culture is the primary lens of reality rather than a secondary backdrop. While the romantic and gender dynamics follow somewhat traditional frameworks, the film challenges expectations by focusing on musical expression and localized social structures. The tension between artistic freedom and religious authority provides a rich, culturally specific conflict. Ultimately, the work succeeds by reclaiming narrative space for a underrepresented linguistic group, making it a profound achievement in ethnic and cultural representation.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red in It have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on a romantic pursuit between the protagonist and a local woman. Although it doesn't explicitly include non-binary gender identities, it avoids harmful stereotypes and steers clear of typical Western romantic clichés.

How does Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red in It portray gender?

Fair

The narrative emphasizes the musical roles of both the protagonist and a central female character. While conflicts often revolve around masculine competition, the film prioritizes artistic expression over traditional patriarchal dominance.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red in It?

Excellent

This is the film's strongest area, centering the Tuareg people of the Sahel region. By using the Tamashek language, it achieves exceptional ethnic specificity and presents a non-Western, indigenous-led narrative.

How does Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red in It represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The story explores tensions between individualistic art and traditional religious authority. It successfully shifts away from Western norms by emphasizing indigenous linguistic nuances and localized social dynamics.

Does Rain the Color of Blue with a Little Red in It include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no visible or mentioned depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the film.

Present on Screen

Exceptional ethnic specificity through the centering of Tuareg culture and the Tamashek language.
Successful subversion of Western-centric storytelling by prioritizing indigenous linguistic and social nuances.
A profound reclamation of identity that avoids common cinematic whitewashing.

Limited or Absent

The romantic arc relies on a traditional framework that lacks explicit non-binary gender representation.
Primary conflicts remain centered on masculine competition, limiting the depth of gender-based subversion.

Official Synopsis

Prince goes Sahel in this colorful homage to Purple Rain. Set among the sub-Saharan Tuareg people, and reputedly the first feature film in their Tamashek language (which has no word for "purple," hence the title). Resplendent in a purple robe and matching chopper, smoking hot guitarist Mdou Moctar arrives in a music-mad Niger town and sets about wooing a local beauty, clashing with his pious father, and fencing with the jealous king of the local scene (Kader Tanoutanoute, as wily and dapper as Morris Day) until their climactic six-string shootout.

How are these scores produced? →