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Stealing Heaven

Name: Stealing Heaven
Director: Clive Donner
Released: 1988
Duration: 108 min

Representation Score

3.7/10

Limited

1988

Director

Clive Donner

Runtime

108 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Stealing Heaven is a period drama that uses a 12th-century setting to explore the tension between individual autonomy and institutional power. While the film lacks modern demographic diversity, it successfully portrays Héloïse as an intellectual rebel who play a significant role in driving the story. The narrative emphasizes Héloïse's rebellion against patriarchal norms, offering a strong critique of gender hierarchies. However, the film remains constrained by the historical homogeneity of medieval Europe, offering no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or racial diversity.

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Category Breakdown

Does Stealing Heaven have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film is set in a strictly heterosexual and cisgender historical context. There are no representations of LGBTQ+ identities or same-sex relationships.

How does Stealing Heaven portray gender?

Good

Héloïse is portrayed as an intellectual rebel who challenges patriarchal structures. She defies traditional expectations of female passivity and asserts her own choices.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Stealing Heaven?

Minimal

The film reflects the predominantly white and Western European demographics of 12th-century Europe. The cast mirrors the historical makeup of the time.

How does Stealing Heaven represent religion and culture?

Good

The story critiques traditional Western institutions by showing religious and familial forces as oppressive. It explores the tension between personal beliefs and established doctrines.

Does Stealing Heaven include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no visible depictions of physical or neurological disabilities. The characters' struggles are mainly intellectual, social, and theological.

Present on Screen

Héloïse is portrayed as an intellectual force who play a significant role in driving the story.
The film effectively challenges traditional medieval gender hierarchies.
The narrative provides a complex critique of oppressive religious and familial institutions.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks any representation of LGBTQ+ identities or queer subtext.
There is no racial or ethnic diversity beyond the period's homogeneity.
No characters are depicted with physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Abelard, a famous teacher of philosophy at the cathedral school of Notre Dame, falls in love with one of his students, Héloïse d'Argenteuil. A sixteen-year old girl raised in a convent, Héloïse has an intellectual curiosity and rebels against the status of women in 12th century Europe. When others begin to suspect their relationship, Heloise's uncle Fulbert and the bishop of Paris work together to put a stop to it. Héloïse becomes pregnant with Abelard's child, and they are married in secret. Abelard struggles for acting against the will of God, yet is unable to escape his love for Heloise.

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