You are here:

The Boom

Name: The Boom
Director: Vittorio De Sica
Released: 1963
Duration: 89 min

Representation Score

5.7/10

Fair

1963

Director

Vittorio De Sica

Runtime

89 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Vittorio De Sica uses social satire to critique the moral decay caused by Italy's rapid economic expansion. The film prioritizes socio-economic commentary over identity-based representation, focusing on how market forces destabilize individual integrity. While the film lacks demographic diversity, it challenges traditional clichés. The protagonist is not a stable leader but a man compromised by debt, and the pursuit of luxury is framed as a dehumanizing force. Ultimately, the work functions as a cynical deconstruction of capitalist aspirations rather than a study of diverse social identities.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The Boom have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not include explicit LGBTQ+ characters or stories. It centers on the traditional family unit and the financial pressures affecting it.

How does The Boom portray gender?

Fair

The story follows a patriarchal structure where the husband's indecision and debt drive the plot. The wife acts as a disruptive force through her material desires.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Boom?

Limited

Reflecting the demographic homogeneity of 1950s Italy, the film focuses on internal class struggles. There is no evidence of non-white or non-Anglo-Saxon casting.

How does The Boom represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film offers a sharp critique of Western capitalist expansion. It portrays the pursuit of consumerism as a corrupting influence that breaks down traditional family stability.

Does The Boom include disability representation?

Fair

The narrative uses a medical procedure as a metaphor for economic desperation. It does not seem to explore the lived experiences of neurodivergence or physical disability.

Present on Screen

Provides a sophisticated critique of capitalist expansion and the dehumanizing effects of rapid industrialization.
Challenges the 'successful businessman' cliché by portraying the protagonist as indecisive and morally compromised.

Limited or Absent

Lacks demographic diversity, reflecting the limited racial and LGBTQ+ representation of its 1963 Italian context.
Focuses on traditional domestic structures rather than exploring diverse lived experiences or identities.

Official Synopsis

Sweet-sour comedy on Italy's 1950s rage to get rich as fast as possible! The businessman wants to satisfy his wife's craving for luxury and a "respectable life" so he becomes heavily indebted. In desperation he agrees to sell a precious part of his body for a large sum of money. But just before the crucial operation he panics...

How are these scores produced? →