You are here:

The Great Darkened Days

Name: The Great Darkened Days
Director: Maxime Giroux
Released: 2019
Duration: 95 min

Representation Score

6.4/10

Good

2019

Director

Maxime Giroux

Runtime

95 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film serves as a sophisticated critique of mid-century societal norms. Instead of adhering to a traditional heroic arc, it employs a dreamlike style to dismantle myths of Western exceptionalism and wartime duty. The narrative emphasizes subjective experience and identity over patriotic or meritocratic clichés. By portraying the protagonist as a figure navigating systemic failure and moral decay, the film offers a deconstruction of the American Dream. While the film successfully challenges traditional gender and cultural structures, it lacks specific evidence regarding disability representation or detailed LGBTQ+ romantic relationships.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Great Darkened Days have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film features a protagonist who stands out socially, suggesting a departure from typical wartime narratives focused on masculinity. While there are no detailed romantic pairings, the character’s impersonation of Charlie Chaplin challenges traditional masculine roles.

How does The Great Darkened Days portray gender?

Good

The story challenges conventional masculine leadership by focusing on a protagonist who avoids combat for performance. This approach goes beyond familiar hyper-masculine archetypes found in mid-century war dramas.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Great Darkened Days?

Fair

Set in the American West, the film uses a Québécois outsider to explore multiple layers of identity. This perspective shifts away from Anglo-centric views to highlight the tension between diverse cultural identities.

How does The Great Darkened Days represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film critiques Western institutions and the sanctity of patriotism. It presents a world of moral relativism where traditional social orders are replaced by a subjective struggle for survival.

Does The Great Darkened Days include disability representation?

Minimal

There is insufficient information to evaluate the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the narrative.

Present on Screen

Effectively deconstructs traditional masculine archetypes and wartime heroism.
Offers a strong critique of Western institutions and the myth of the American Dream.
Provides a multi-layered perspective by centering a Québécois outsider in the American West.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit detail regarding specific LGBTQ+ romantic pairings or identities.
Insufficient evidence or presence of disability representation within the narrative.
Limited clarity on the specific racial diversity of the supporting cast.

Official Synopsis

While a world war rages, Philippe, a draft-dodger from Quebec, takes refuge in the American West, surviving by competing in Charlie Chaplin impersonation contests. As Philippe makes his long journey home, he encounters various characters under the sway of a destructive madness borne of the chaotic times. His voyage, both violent and fascinating, is a hallucinatory initiation to the darker side of the American dream.

How are these scores produced? →