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The Gangster

Name: The Gangster
Director: Luis Alcoriza
Released: 1965
Duration: 98 min

Representation Score

4.3/10

Fair

1965

Director

Luis Alcoriza

Runtime

98 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Luis Alcoriza’s film is a culturally grounded social satire set in Mexico City. With a local cast, it avoids Western-centric biases and provides an authentic look at the Mexican middle class and criminal underworld. However, the film is limited by the social norms of its time. It offers almost no visibility for LGBTQ+ identities and provides female characters with limited ability to act. Ultimately, the work focuses on socioeconomic friction and moral relativism rather than a progressive exploration of identity.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Gangster have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or those with non-traditional gender identities. It follows the assumption that everyone is straight and cisgender, which was common in 1960s Mexican society.

How does The Gangster portray gender?

Fair

Female characters play important roles but have little control over the main criminal storyline. They are often confined to domestic or reactive roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Gangster?

Good

The film offers a genuine depiction of Mexican society with a primarily Mexican cast. It avoids the whitewashing often seen in mid-century global cinema.

How does The Gangster represent religion and culture?

Good

Alcoriza uses social satire to challenge traditional moral views. The story critiques external cultural influences and questions the role of societal institutions.

Does The Gangster include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no significant portrayal of visible or invisible disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Authentic Mexican setting and casting avoid Western-centric biases.
Effective use of social satire to critique traditional morality and institutions.
Strong cultural specificity that resists external racial hierarchies.

Limited or Absent

Lack of LGBTQ+ representation or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth identities.
Limited women's ability to drive the story within the primary criminal and social plots.
Adherence to traditional, straight-centered gender roles.

Official Synopsis

An old gangster returns from the United States to Mexico City to live with his sister-in-law and his two nephews, where he will face the daily life of a middle-class family.

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