You are here:

Sole

Name: Sole
Director: Carlo Sironi
Released: 2019
Duration: 103 min

Representation Score

6.8/10

Good

2019

Director

Carlo Sironi

Runtime

103 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Sole is a character-driven drama that challenges traditional gender roles within a historical setting. By placing a woman at the forefront as a tactical leader, the film defies conventional wartime narratives. However, the film’s diversity is limited by its 1940s Italian setting. This historical context means there is no representation of LGBTQ+ or racial diversity, as the narrative adheres to the social norms of the time. Overall, the film excels as a critique of institutional authority and an exploration of female leadership, though it remains narrowly focused demographically.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Sole have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film stays true to its historical context, where LGBTQ+ identities are not central to the story. There is no explicit portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters or challenges to the assumption that everyone is straight.

How does Sole portray gender?

Excellent

The film stands out by giving the female protagonist a strong role in driving the plot, rather than depicting her as a passive observer. She leads both politically and tactically, breaking away from traditional domestic roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Sole?

Limited

The film focuses on the Italian occupation period and lacks racial diversity. However, it avoids idealized representations by highlighting the fragmented, class-based society under occupation.

How does Sole represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film provides a nuanced look at oppressive power structures, including the Fascist state and Nazi forces. It examines the tension between political needs and traditional religious or state authority.

Does Sole include disability representation?

Fair

The film touches on the physical and psychological impacts of war but does not focus on disability as a main theme. Characters' struggles are more defined by political and existential pressures.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender roles by giving the female protagonist significant political and tactical influence.
Offers a sophisticated critique of authoritarian power structures and corrupt state institutions.
Examines complex moral tensions between political liberation and traditional religious authority.

Limited or Absent

Does not include explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities or perspectives outside of straight-centered assumptions.
Focuses on a localized demographic with minimal racial or ethnic diversity.
Does not emphasize the ability to act of characters with neurodivergence or physical disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Lena is seven months pregnant and she's ready to sell the baby in her belly. Ermanno agrees to pretend to be the father. Fabio, the uncle of Ermanno, will pay them to buy the child that he and his wife Bianca cannot have. A fake adoption between relatives, a loophole to bypass the law in Italy. A world in which money is the only standard of value, the only thing that matters. Ermanno and Lena are two strangers that must pretend in public to be a couple and live together until the delivery. They are used to only thinking about themselves and they fight all the time. But living side by side they start becoming what they were only pretending to be.

How are these scores produced? →