You are here:
This is It

This is It

1971

Director

James Broughton

Runtime

10 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

James Broughton's creation myth, THIS IS IT, places a 2-year-old Adam and a bright apple-red balloon in a backyard garden of Eden, and works a small miracle of the ordinary. And since that miracle is what his film is about, he achieves a kind of casual perfection in matching means and ends.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

5.1/10

Fair


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Good

The film utilizes a surrealist approach to disrupt heteronormative expectations of intimacy. Broughton’s background in the San Francisco counterculture provides a framework for queer aesthetics and non-normative sexuality.

Gender Representation

Fair

Experimental montage and dream-like imagery deconstruct traditional romantic structures. This poetic exploration avoids reinforcing standard masculine leadership or submissive feminine tropes found in linear plots.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

The narrative centers on a localized, symbolic Garden of Eden involving a young child. There is no evidence of diverse casting or intentional racial blending within the mythic setting.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The work shifts focus from religious dogma toward a secular, individualized experience of existence. It aligns with postmodern traditions that challenge Western institutional authority through experimentalism.

Disability Representation

Minimal

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

Strengths

  • Challenges traditional narrative expectations through a surrealist and poetic structure.
  • Subverts conventional social hierarchies by utilizing avant-garde aesthetics.
  • Deconstructs traditional romantic structures through experimental montage.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks explicit demographic breadth and diverse casting.
  • Provides no visible representation of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.
  • Focuses on mythic symbolism rather than social realism or racial diversity.

AI Analysis

James Broughton’s experimental work functions as a disruption of conventional storytelling. By prioritizing poetic, non-linear narratives, the film avoids the social hierarchies typically reinforced by mainstream Hollywood structures. The film's strength lies in its subversion of traditional cinematic language. It favors a subjective, dream-like exploration of human experience over the reinforcement of established social or moral norms. However, the film lacks explicit demographic breadth. Its focus on universalist, mythic symbolism rather than social realism results in a limited representation of racial and ethnic diversity.

How are these scores produced? →

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.