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22nd of May

Name: 22nd of May
Director: Koen Mortier
Released: 2010
Duration: 89 min

Representation Score

6.7/10

Good

2010

Director

Koen Mortier

Runtime

89 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

22nd of May is a postmodern critique that prioritizes psychological fragmentation over demographic representation. It avoids traditional heroic structures, focusing instead on the randomness of suffering and the fragility of social order. The film earns its score by challenging simple moral hierarchies and rejecting straightforward justice systems. While it lacks diversity in terms of LGBTQ+ and racial identities, its narrative structure offers a nuanced, relativistic view of human ability to act. Ultimately, the work functions as an unsettling exploration of existentialism, emphasizing complex thematic depth over conventional narrative arcs.

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Category Breakdown

Does 22nd of May have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film centers on the immediate trauma of a violent explosion and its aftermath. There are no explicit LGBTQ+ characters or narratives focused on non-straight identities.

How does 22nd of May portray gender?

Fair

The protagonist is defined by exhaustion and hysteria, disrupting traditional ideas of heroic masculinity. A female character serves as a pivotal figure but the film avoids typical masculine leadership clichés.

How racially and ethnically diverse is 22nd of May?

Fair

Set in a contemporary European environment, the film depicts a localized and relatively homogeneous society. The narrative focuses on a specific local event, suggesting a lack of diverse casting.

How does 22nd of May represent religion and culture?

Good

The film questions fixed moral absolutes, presenting the distinction between guilt and innocence as ambiguous. It emphasizes existential crisis and moral relativism over traditional Western values like patriotism or religious comfort.

Does 22nd of May include disability representation?

Good

The film highlights psychological and physical vulnerability through the protagonist's descent into hysteria. These depictions of trauma and injury are central to the story's exploration of the human condition.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional moral hierarchies and rejects simple 'hero vs. villain' clichés.
Offers a sophisticated, relativistic view of human ability to act and systemic chaos.
Explores psychological vulnerability and the human condition through a lens of existential crisis.

Limited or Absent

Lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight identities.
Depicts a localized, homogeneous society with limited racial or ethnic diversity.
Focuses more on the exploration of suffering than the empowerment of character's ability to drive the story.

Official Synopsis

Sam wakes up, gets ready and goes to do his daily job. And then the unexpected happens. A bomb explodes in the center of the shopping mall where he works. He drags himself towards the entrance to save the victims. One by one he pulls them out, until something terrible takes place. In complete hysteria he runs off till he falls down from exhaustion. A woman's voice makes him raise his head. She's one of the victims he saved. She wants to know why the suicide bomber did it. This encounter projects him back in history and even in a surreal world. Thereafter he runs into everyone he saved and feels that their defeat shows many parallels with his own. Even his confrontation with the wrongdoer isn't that straightforward as he thought it would be and confronts him with the fact that guilt and innocence can be pretty much alike.

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