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Blackout

Name: Blackout
Director: Eddy Matalon
Released: 1978
Duration: 92 min

Representation Score

2.2/10

Limited

1978

Director

Eddy Matalon

Runtime

92 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Blackout (1978) operates as a typical urban thriller of its time, emphasizing genre-driven tension over progressive representation. The narrative structure relies on the conflict between criminals and the social order, limiting its capacity for addressing multiple aspects of diversity. The film reinforces traditional power dynamics and masculine clichés common to 1970s action cinema, lacking the intentionality needed to disrupt social hierarchies or offer nuanced character development beyond the central criminal premise.

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Category Breakdown

Does Blackout have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not include characters with non-binary genders and focuses on a high-stakes criminal premise that aligns with traditional social structures.

How does Blackout portray gender?

Limited

The story emphasizes masculine aggression through a group of criminals, and there is no indication of women taking significant roles or challenging traditional gender hierarchies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Blackout?

Fair

The Manhattan setting suggests a diverse urban environment, but the film does not make a deliberate effort to cast a non-white majority. The focus remains on socioeconomic tension.

How does Blackout represent religion and culture?

Limited

The plot uses the 1977 blackout to create tension, leaning on clichés of urban decay rather than critiquing Western institutions.

Does Blackout include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence of characters with visible or invisible disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

The Manhattan setting provides a backdrop for potential urban diversity during the 1977 blackout.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks intentionality in disrupting traditional social hierarchies.
There is a notable absence of non-traditional gender identities and diverse gender roles.
The narrative relies on conventional clichés of masculine aggression and urban decay.

Official Synopsis

Thriller about four sadistic criminals who, after escaping during a transfer, take over a posh Manhattan apartment complex and start looting and terrorizing its occupants during New York City's famous 1977 blackout.

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