You are here:

Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...

Name: Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...
Director: Bořivoj Zeman
Released: 1955
Duration: 107 min

Representation Score

2.5/10

Limited

1955

Director

Bořivoj Zeman

Runtime

107 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

This mid-century Czech animation serves primarily as a satirical fairy tale. Though it lacks demographic diversity, it offers a progressive narrative that questions autocratic leadership. The film's strength lies in its subversion of gender hierarchies. By portraying the King as emotionally limited and the women as the true holders of wisdom, it challenges the notion of the infallible patriarch. However, the work is constrained by its historical context. The setting is ethnically uniform and lacks representation for LGBTQ+ identities or characters with disabilities.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film follows a traditional mid-century folk tale structure focusing on a family unit where everyone is assumed to be straight and cisgender. There are no non-conforming gender identities represented.

How does Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... portray gender?

Fair

The story challenges the idea of male dominance by highlighting the intellectual and emotional superiority of women. Although the King holds formal power, the narrative emphasizes the true wisdom held by his daughters and the magical herb woman.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Once Upon a Time, There Was a King...?

Limited

Set in a localized European folkloric kingdom, the cast and setting are ethnically uniform. The film does not include diverse racial or ethnic identities, reflecting its historical and regional context.

How does Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... represent religion and culture?

Good

The film critiques absolute monarchy through satire. It highlights the importance of communal needs and spiritual wisdom over material wealth, using the herb woman to challenge centralized, ego-driven authority.

Does Once Upon a Time, There Was a King... include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no visible or invisible disabilities portrayed as central to the character arcs or narrative ability to act within this story.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender hierarchies by emphasizing the intellectual and emotional superiority of women.
Provides a sharp satirical critique of absolute monarchy and ego-driven leadership.
Highlights communal values over materialist or capitalist definitions of worth.

Limited or Absent

Lacks racial and ethnic diversity due to its localized European folkloric setting.
Contains no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-conforming gender expressions.
Does not feature characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

A selfish self-centered widowed ruler, barely tolerated by his subjects and called appropriately enough, 'King Myself, First' asks his three daughters to name the measure of their love for him. When one of them says, "more than salt", he banishes her from the kingdom. Not understanding what she meant the King assumes love can only be measured by precious metals or one's own talent, the 'correct' answers from his other two daughters. The arrogance of the King leads him to gather all the salt in the kingdom and destroy it. Of course, this backfires as he slowly learns the universal value of the substance, and of course, the essence of his daughter's reply. With the help of the wise and magical old 'herb woman', the King also learns what it means to be a true and wise ruler.

How are these scores produced? →