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The Burning Times

Name: The Burning Times
Director: Donna Read
Released: 1990
Duration: 57 min

Representation Score

3.6/10

Limited

1990

Director

Donna Read

Runtime

57 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The Burning Times serves as a powerful historical revisionist work that uses feminist theory to question systemic violence. It successfully reframes the witch hunts as a calculated mechanism of social control used to dismantle female-centric ways of life. While the film excels in its deconstruction of gendered power and religious authority, it lacks modern multi-layered breadth. The focus remains narrow, primarily addressing the intersection of gender and institutional corruption rather than broader social identities. Ultimately, the documentary is a sophisticated critique of how patriarchal and religious structures weaponize legal frameworks against underrepresented individuals to maintain social stability.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Burning Times have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any explicit LGBTQ+ characters or stories. It discusses the dangers of not conforming to societal norms but does not provide any specific examples of queer identities or relationships that go beyond the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does The Burning Times portray gender?

Excellent

The documentary strongly criticizes traditional gender hierarchies. It highlights the systemic persecution of women and the vulnerability of women's ability to drive the story against patriarchal structures.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Burning Times?

Limited

Set in 16th-century England, the film reflects the homogeneous European population of the time. The narrative focuses on socio-religious dynamics without considering ethnic diversity.

How does The Burning Times represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film deconstructs Western institutions by portraying religious dogma as a tool of oppression. It presents the destruction of organic ways of life as a result of institutionalized power.

Does The Burning Times include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no significant portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the film's narrative or thematic overview.

Present on Screen

Offers a sophisticated deconstruction of gendered power dynamics and patriarchal hierarchies.
Critiques religious dogma and state-sanctioned judicial processes as tools of oppression.
Reframes historical witch hunts as a calculated mechanism for social control.

Limited or Absent

Lacks modern multi-layered breadth regarding racial and sexual orientation diversity.
Does not feature explicit LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight-centered relationship dynamics.
Maintains a homogeneous European demographic consistent with its 16th-century setting.

Official Synopsis

This documentary takes an in-depth look at the witch hunts that swept Europe just a few hundred years ago. False accusations and trials led to massive torture and burnings at the stake and ultimately to the destruction of an organic way of life. The film questions whether the widespread violence against women and the neglect of our environment today can be traced back to those times.

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