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Joshua

Name: Joshua
Director: Larry G. Spangler
Released: 1976
Duration: 83 min

Representation Score

3.0/10

Limited

1976

Director

Larry G. Spangler

Runtime

83 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Joshua (1976) disrupts the traditional Western genre by focusing on a Black protagonist. By shifting the lead role from a white bounty hunter to a Black Union soldier, the film challenges the genre's historical homogeneity. The narrative employs the bounty hunter framework to explore themes of racial trauma and vengeance. It shifts the focus from frontier expansion to a underrepresented individual's struggle for justice. While the film excels in racial representation, it falls short in other areas. Female characters are limited to catalytic roles, and there is no visible representation of LGBTQ+ or disability issues.

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Category Breakdown

Does Joshua have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any characters with non-binary or LGBTQ+ identities. The story focuses on racial conflict and personal revenge.

How does Joshua portray gender?

Limited

The story emphasizes a male-driven pursuit of justice. The mother's death propels the plot, but she is portrayed primarily as a victim rather than an active participant.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Joshua?

Excellent

By centering a Black Union veteran as the main character, the film challenges traditional Western clichés. It highlights racial violence and the quest for justice through a underrepresented perspective.

How does Joshua represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative examines the failures of institutional protection and the need for extrajudicial justice in a corrupt social structure. It delves into the complexities of systemic corruption and the search for justice outside the law.

Does Joshua include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no mention of characters with physical or cognitive disabilities in this film.

Present on Screen

Highlights a Black protagonist in a traditionally white-dominated genre.
Gives significant narrative importance to a character of color.
Addresses the realities of post-war racial violence and trauma directly.

Limited or Absent

Does not represent LGBTQ+ identities.
Female characters are defined by victimization rather than active roles.
Does not depict physical or cognitive disabilities.

Official Synopsis

A black soldier returns from fighting for the Union in the Civil War only to find out that his mother has been murdered by a gang of white thugs. He becomes a bounty hunter, determined to track down and kill the men who killed his mother.

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