You are here:

Nana

Name: Nana
Director: Dorothy Arzner
Released: 1934
Duration: 90 min

Representation Score

3.3/10

Limited

1934

Director

Dorothy Arzner

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Dorothy Arzner’s direction offers a progressive framework for 1934 by centering a female perspective. The film challenges traditional melodrama by giving the protagonist ability to act and intellectual presence in a male-dominated world. However, it is constrained by the historical limitations of the Hollywood studio system. It lacks racial diversity and LGBTQ+ representation, focusing instead on conventional romantic and social hierarchies. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its gender dynamics, which disrupt the era's typical narrative structure despite a lack of broader demographic diversity.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Nana have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include characters with non-binary genders or same-sex relationships. It centers on heterosexual relationships and the consequences of infidelity.

How does Nana portray gender?

Good

Nana is shown to play a significant role in driving the story and determination, navigating male-dominated hierarchies through her own merit. Arzner’s direction highlights the female experience, allowing the protagonist to drive the plot.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Nana?

Limited

The cast is primarily white, reflecting the era's lack of diverse casting. Despite the Parisian setting, the film does not feature a diverse range of ethnicities.

How does Nana represent religion and culture?

Fair

The drama focuses on individual morality and social status without critiquing broader societal issues. It leans towards moral relativism but remains grounded in contemporary class structures.

Does Nana include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence of characters with visible or invisible disabilities in the narrative.

Present on Screen

The film features a strong female protagonist who drives the plot through her own decisions and charisma.
Dorothy Arzner’s direction provides a rare and progressive centering of the female experience for the 1930s.
The narrative subverts passive female clichés by highlighting the protagonist's professional rise and social navigation.

Limited or Absent

The cast lacks racial and ethnic diversity, reflecting the limited multi-layered casting of the era.
There is no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth gender expressions.
The film lacks characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Young Parisian Nana wards off of a boozed-up military officer at a local restaurant, and fellow diner Gaston Greiner is so impressed with her pluck that he decides to make her a performer at his musical theater. Soon, Nana is a star, and the girlfriend of Greiner and two other men. But when he learns that she's been getting around, Greiner fires her. As she tries to reclaim her singing job while dodging yet another suitor, her treachery might get the better of her.

How are these scores produced? →