You are here:

The Exam

Name: The Exam
Director: Péter Bergendy
Released: 2011
Duration: 89 min

Representation Score

4.2/10

Fair

2011

Director

Péter Bergendy

Runtime

89 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The Exam is a historical drama that critiques political institutions rather than demographic diversity. It uses a specific historical context to examine the mechanics of power and control. While the film lacks significant LGBTQ+ or racial diversity, it offers a powerful critique of systemic corruption. The narrative explores the psychological impact of institutionalized suspicion.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Exam have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not include explicit LGBTQ+ storylines or diverse gender identities. Set in 1957 Hungary, the narrative emphasizes political survival and state surveillance over queer representation.

How does The Exam portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on security officials and state machinery, reflecting patriarchal structures. The film does not challenge traditional gender roles or portray masculinity as ineffective.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Exam?

Limited

Set in mid-century Budapest, the film focuses on a culturally and ethnically uniform Hungarian population. The Eastern Bloc setting restricts opportunities for multi-ethnic casting or diverse racial dynamics.

How does The Exam represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film effectively portrays the state as a deceptive and oppressive entity. By depicting the exam as a tool of systemic oppression, it challenges conventional respect for authority.

Does The Exam include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no indication of characters with physical or neurodivergent disabilities in the film.

Present on Screen

Provides a strong critique of centralized power and state-mandated morality.
Deconstructs the legitimacy of state authority and institutional stability.
Explores the psychological impact of systemic corruption and surveillance.

Limited or Absent

Does not feature significant LGBTQ+ visibility or diverse gender identities.
Has limited racial and ethnic diversity due to its homogeneous setting.
Maintains a traditional dramatic structure centered on patriarchal institutional hierarchies.

Official Synopsis

Budapest, Hungary, Christmas 1957. The state, insecure after the defeated revolution of 1956 and increasingly put under the influence of a renewed Stalinist atmosphere, has decreed that all security officials must pass an exam to verify their loyalty. But to be actually effective in a shadowy world where suspicion and secrets reign, the subjects must be unaware that they are being tested.

How are these scores produced? →