You are here:

Hunger

Name: Hunger
Director: Henning Carlsen
Released: 1966
Duration: 112 min

Representation Score

4.0/10

Limited

1966

Director

Henning Carlsen

Runtime

112 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Hunger is a work of existentialist realism that emphasizes psychological depth over broad demographic representation. It focuses on the erosion of a single individual rather than a diverse ensemble. The film's low scores in LGBTQ+ and racial categories reflect its historical setting and its narrow focus on a specific European social stratum. It does not challenge straight-centered or racial norms, adhering to the era's social constraints. However, the film offers a dignified look at the human cost of socioeconomic failure by depicting the harsh realities of starvation and mental instability without mockery.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Hunger have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film centers on the protagonist's internal struggles and does not include any non-cisgender identities or same-sex relationships in the main plot.

How does Hunger portray gender?

Limited

Gender dynamics play a minor role in the story. Women appear as secondary characters through which the protagonist experiences emotional exhaustion rather than as independent figures.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Hunger?

Minimal

Set in the 1890s, the film reflects the demographic homogeneity of the time. The cast is primarily white, focusing on a specific European intellectual class.

How does Hunger represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative critiques 19th-century socioeconomic structures. It examines the alienation of intellectuals in a growing capitalist urban environment.

Does Hunger include disability representation?

Fair

The film presents a nuanced portrayal of the physical and mental impacts of malnutrition. It handles the protagonist's wasting and instability with dignity.

Present on Screen

Provides a dignified, non-sensational depiction of the physical and mental effects of chronic malnutrition.
Offers a critical view of 19th-century socioeconomic structures and capitalist urban environments.
Avoids romanticizing social order by focusing on the physical and social erosion of the protagonist.

Limited or Absent

Lacks meaningful roles for female characters within the narrative.
Features a highly homogeneous cast with almost no racial or ethnic diversity.
Provides no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisgender gender expressions.

Official Synopsis

In 1890, Pontus, the starving writer, wanders the streets of Christiania, in search of love and a chance to get his work published. All he meets is defeat and suffering while his sense of reality is withering. One moment he is delighted and the next he curses everybody. All the time he manages to maintain human dignity and pride.

How are these scores produced? →