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Night of the Cobra Woman

Name: Night of the Cobra Woman
Director: Andrew Meyer
Released: 1972
Duration: 85 min

Representation Score

4.7/10

Fair

1972

Director

Andrew Meyer

Runtime

85 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Night of the Cobra Woman successfully subverts gendered expectations by featuring a female protagonist who possesses formidable strength and intellect. Lena drives the plot rather than being a passive victim, challenging traditional hierarchies through her supernatural abilities. However, the film's impact is limited by a lack of diverse representation. While the Philippine setting introduces non-Western elements, the portrayal risks falling into the era's tendency to exoticize foreign locales. The absence of explicit LGBTQ+ representation also limits its progressive score. Overall, the film offers a moderate level of progressive narrative structure. It replaces conventional morality with a situational, ritualistic survivalism, though it remains tied to certain genre clichés regarding non-Western spirituality.

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Category Breakdown

Does Night of the Cobra Woman have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not explicitly include queer identities or non-straight relationships. Instead, it challenges traditional romance by depicting a predatory, consumption-based relationship.

How does Night of the Cobra Woman portray gender?

Good

Lena is a strong female protagonist with supernatural abilities and physical dominance. She rejects traditional domestic roles and biological aging, subverting the cliché of the vulnerable female victim.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Night of the Cobra Woman?

Fair

The film is set in the Philippines, providing a non-Western landscape. However, the use of the locale might fall into the common practice of exoticizing foreign settings from the 1970s.

How does Night of the Cobra Woman represent religion and culture?

Fair

The narrative explores moral relativism through ritualistic survival. However, the reliance on priestess clichés may lean into traditionalist views of non-Western spirituality without offering a deeper critique.

Does Night of the Cobra Woman include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence within the narrative regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Present on Screen

The female protagonist has significant supernatural powers and physical dominance.
The narrative subverts the cliché of the vulnerable female victim.
The film explores moral relativism through ritualistic survival.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities.
The setting risks using the locale as a mere exoticized backdrop.
The reliance on priestess clichés may lean into traditionalist cultural depictions.

Official Synopsis

After being bitten by a cobra in the Philipines, Lena can turn herself into a snake and she stops aging. The curse comes with a price. The priestess Lena must consume cobra venom and vital young men to stay young.

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