You are here:

The Price of the Bride

Name: The Price of the Bride
Director: Tom Clegg
Released: 1990
Duration: 97 min

Representation Score

1.9/10

Minimal

1990

NOT RATED

Director

Tom Clegg

Runtime

97 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The Price of the Bride is a conventional Cold War-era espionage thriller that prioritizes geopolitical tension over social exploration. The narrative centers on the mechanics of intelligence defection and institutional suspicion between the CIA and KGB. As a procedural thriller, the film adheres to the genre conventions of 1990, focusing on the volatility of international espionage. It maintains traditional hierarchies, particularly regarding gender and geopolitical dynamics, rather than deconstructing social norms. Ultimately, the film functions as a standard genre piece. It reflects the socio-political preoccupations of its era, emphasizing state loyalty and national security within a Western-centric framework.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Price of the Bride have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film focuses on state-level intelligence operations and the transactional nature of defection. There is no depiction of LGBTQ+ identities or narratives challenging heterosexuality.

How does The Price of the Bride portray gender?

Limited

The plot centers on a male-dominated power struggle between the KGB and CIA. While the title mentions a bride, her role is unclear, suggesting she serves as an object of exchange.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Price of the Bride?

Limited

The narrative is framed through the binary struggle of Cold War powers. There is no indication of a diverse or non-Anglo-centric cast within the international conflict.

How does The Price of the Bride represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story adheres to traditional Western geopolitical frameworks. It prioritizes the preservation of institutional secrets and the stability of the intelligence apparatus over cultural subversion.

Does The Price of the Bride include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no mention of characters possessing visible or invisible disabilities.

Present on Screen

The film offers a clear, focused exploration of Cold War-era espionage clichés and institutional suspense.

Limited or Absent

The narrative reinforces traditional gender hierarchies by treating the female figure as a metaphorical object of exchange.
The story lacks racial and ethnic diversity, focusing almost exclusively on the binary struggle of Western and Soviet powers.
There is a lack of representation for LGBTQ+ identities or characters with disabilities.

Official Synopsis

After a KGB agent defects to the US, the CIA has the job of not only taking from him his dowry of information (ie. the price of the bride), but also making sure he isn't a 'plant' to uncover secrets from us. All of this is complicated when it is suspected that another man is the real agent, and the defector but a decoy.

How are these scores produced? →