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The Son

Name: The Son
Director: Alexander Abaturov
Released: 2019
Duration: 71 min

Representation Score

2.7/10

Limited

2019

Director

Alexander Abaturov

Runtime

71 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The Son is a documentary focused on the personal tragedy of a soldier's death and the mechanics of military life. Its narrative structure revolves around traditional social systems, particularly the military and the nuclear family. While the film offers a nuanced look at the emotional impact of conflict and maternal grief, it does not aim to disrupt or deconstruct existing social hierarchies. The perspective remains centered on the specific experience of Russian service and familial loss. Overall, the film serves as a study of duty and remembrance. It lacks the broader diversity themes needed to address multi-layered issues, operating within conventional institutional frameworks.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Son have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film focuses on heterosexual relationships between soldiers and their girlfriends, without addressing non-straight identities or offering critiques of traditional sexual orientations.

How does The Son portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on the male experience of combat and training. It captures the emotional grief of mothers but upholds traditional gender roles without challenging them.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Son?

Fair

Set in ethnically diverse regions like Dagestan and Siberia, the film highlights the Russian soldier's experience but does not explore a broad range of racial backgrounds.

How does The Son represent religion and culture?

Limited

The film examines traditional institutions such as the military and the nuclear family, following a path of duty and mourning without critiquing state or religious frameworks.

Does The Son include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no depiction or mention of physical or invisible disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Provides a nuanced, humanizing look at the emotional impact of military loss on families.
Offers an observational, realistic portrayal of military training and the mechanics of service.
Captures the profound, personal reality of grief within a traditional familial structure.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of non-straight identities or LGBTQ+ perspectives.
Maintains traditional gender hierarchies without exploring diverse masculine or feminine identities.
Focuses on a specific cultural perspective without a broad, multi-layered racial spectrum.

Official Synopsis

In 2013, Dima Ilukhin, the cousin of the film’s director and a soldier in the Russian army, died on duty in the Republic of Dagestan in the North Caucasus. He was 21 years old. This incident marks the starting point for Abaturov’s reflection on the military. He films the training of new recruits in Siberia, as they bid farewell to their mothers and girlfriends, learn the mechanics of a Kalashnikov, or how to throw a hand grenade and administer first aid. While his parents try to cope with their loss, Dima’s former fellow recruits have to return to battle.

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