New Showbiz

You are here:
Nana

Nana

1934

Director

Dorothy Arzner

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

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.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

3.9/10

Limited

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film lacks evidence of non-cisnormative identities or same-sex intimacy. The plot focuses on heteronormative romantic entanglements and social consequences of infidelity.

Gender Representation

Good

Nana is depicted with significant agency and pluck, navigating male-dominated hierarchies through her own merit. Arzner’s direction prioritizes the female experience, allowing the protagonist to drive the plot.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Limited

The cast is predominantly white, reflecting the era's lack of intersectional casting. Despite the Parisian setting, the film does not utilize diverse ethnic ensembles.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Fair

The drama focuses on individual morality and social status rather than systemic critique. It moves toward moral relativism but remains anchored in contemporary class structures.

Disability Representation

Minimal

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

Strengths

  • 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 tropes by showcasing the protagonist's professional rise and social navigation.

Areas for Improvement

  • The cast lacks racial and ethnic diversity, reflecting the limited intersectional casting of the era.
  • There is no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-cisnormative gender expressions.
  • The film lacks characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

AI Analysis

Dorothy Arzner’s direction provides a progressive framework for 1934 by centering a female perspective. The film subverts traditional melodrama by granting the protagonist agency and intellectual presence in a male-dominated world. However, the film is limited by the historical constraints 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 architecture despite a lack of broader demographic intersectionality.

How are these scores produced? →

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.