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I Want What I Want

Name: I Want What I Want
Director: John Dexter
Released: 1972
Duration: 91 min

Representation Score

5.0/10

Fair

1972

Director

John Dexter

Runtime

91 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

I Want What I Want stands out for its progressive approach to gender identity during its time. By centering the story on a character's transition and the performance of femininity, the film challenges the rigid social structures of the early 1970s. However, the film is constrained by its narrow demographic focus, featuring a predominantly white, upper-class European cast and setting the story in high-society London. This results in a lack of racial and ethnic diversity. Ultimately, the film explores themes of identity and social subversion, excelling at deconstructing gendered roles while remaining confined within a specific, privileged Western social class.

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Category Breakdown

Does I Want What I Want have LGBTQ+ representation?

Good

The film focuses on a protagonist who transitions from a male identity to living as a woman, highlighting the challenges and opportunities of expressing non-traditional gender identities. It emphasizes the importance of personal choice and self-expression in a society that often assumes everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does I Want What I Want portray gender?

Excellent

The movie challenges traditional notions of masculinity by depicting a protagonist who uses her social and sexual influence to navigate and subvert patriarchal norms. She is shown to have significant control over her life and the lives of those around her, rather than being bound by conventional male authority.

How racially and ethnically diverse is I Want What I Want?

Limited

The cast is primarily composed of white, upper-class Europeans, with the story set in high-society London. This limits the representation of different races and ethnicities, creating a homogeneous environment.

How does I Want What I Want represent religion and culture?

Good

The film questions traditional moral values through the lens of a courtesan lifestyle. It highlights individual desires and moral relativism over conventional religious or familial values.

Does I Want What I Want include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence of characters with visible or invisible disabilities playing a central role in the narrative or serving as key plot devices.

Present on Screen

Provides an early cinematic exploration of non-traditional gender identities and self-expression.
Highlights the protagonist's ability to navigate and subvert traditional gender hierarchies.
Critiques traditional social morality through the depiction of situational ethics.

Limited or Absent

Lacks racial and ethnic diversity, focusing almost exclusively on a white, upper-class cast.
The narrative is confined to a narrow socioeconomic class within high-society London.
Does not engage in broader critiques of capitalism or Western privilege, focusing instead on internal decadence.

Official Synopsis

Roy leaves his abusive father's house and starts life anew as a woman, named Wendy. Through trial and error, she learns the skills and consequences of being a woman.

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