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Rangeland

Name: Rangeland
Director: Paul Hurst
Released: 1922
Duration: 53 min

Representation Score

2.5/10

Limited

1922

Passed

Director

Paul Hurst

Runtime

53 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Rangeland is a conventional silent-era Western that closely follows the social and racial norms of 1922. While it avoids being a purely passive melodrama, it lacks the layered diversity seen in more modern storytelling. The film's primary strength lies in its subversion of gendered clichés, giving the female lead a survivalist motivation that drives the central conflict. This elevates her beyond a simple damsel in distress. However, the film is limited by the era's standard demographic exclusions. The lack of racial diversity and the absence of LGBTQ+ representation contribute to a narrow, traditional worldview.

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Category Breakdown

Does Rangeland have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight identities. The story centers around a traditional conflict between a deputy and a female protagonist.

How does Rangeland portray gender?

Fair

Betty Howard stands out as a strong female lead, driving the plot through her efforts to protect her siblings. However, she still faces vulnerability due to masculine hierarchies of force and abduction.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Rangeland?

Minimal

The film likely reflects the era's tendency towards homogeneous white casting common in 1920s Westerns. There is no indication of diverse racial backgrounds or non-Anglo-Saxon characters.

How does Rangeland represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative introduces moral complexity by portraying a thief as a victim of systemic poverty and familial loss. It remains grounded in traditional frontier survival and law enforcement themes.

Does Rangeland include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no information regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in this production.

Present on Screen

The female protagonist, Betty Howard, has significant narrative influence and motivation.
The story explores moral complexity by portraying a criminal as a victim of circumstance.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks racial and ethnic diversity, reflecting the era's homogeneous casting.
There is no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight narratives.
The female lead remains subject to traditional masculine hierarchies of power and deception.

Official Synopsis

Depury sheriff Ned Williams is sent to capture a cattle thief in the area. The thief turns out to be a young woman, Betty Howard, who steals to keep her young siblings form starving to death and their hardscrabble homestead after the father has died. Buck Kelly, an enemy of Ned's, frames him and abducts Betty.

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