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This Is Cinerama

Name: This Is Cinerama
Director: Merian C. Cooper, Gunther von Fritsch
Released: 1952
Duration: 115 min

Representation Score

1.1/10

Minimal

1952

Director

Merian C. Cooper, Gunther von Fritsch

Runtime

115 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

This documentary primarily showcases the Cinerama widescreen process through grand-scale visual spectacle and immersive landscapes. It prioritizes visual awe over character-driven storytelling or social commentary. While the film offers exposure to various global ethnicities, it does so through a mid-century lens that can feel exoticizing. This approach lacks the depth and ability to act found in modern representations. The work reinforces traditional Western perspectives and mid-century social norms, serving as a celebration of wonder rather than a tool for social critique.

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Category Breakdown

Does This Is Cinerama have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film contains no characters or romantic arcs and does not depict any LGBTQ+ themes or gender identities.

How does This Is Cinerama portray gender?

Limited

Gender dynamics play a minor role in the documentary, reflecting mid-century social norms without challenging traditional hierarchies or masculinity.

How racially and ethnically diverse is This Is Cinerama?

Fair

The film showcases a variety of ethnicities, including African tribes and Pacific Islanders. However, these subjects are often presented as part of an exotic visual spectacle.

How does This Is Cinerama represent religion and culture?

Limited

The film celebrates Western technological achievements and national pride. It lacks critical examination of systemic power structures, presenting global cultures through a traditionalist lens.

Does This Is Cinerama include disability representation?

Minimal

The film does not depict any individuals with visible or invisible disabilities.

Present on Screen

Provides significant visual exposure to a wide array of global ethnicities and landscapes.
Captures diverse cultural spectacles, including African tribes and Pacific Islanders.

Limited or Absent

Lacks character's ability to drive the story, often framing non-Western subjects as mere visual spectacle.
Relies on an ethnographic lens that can feel exoticizing to global cultures.
Reinforces traditionalist Western perspectives and mid-century social norms.

Official Synopsis

Designed to introduce the then-new widescreen process Cinerama, audiences experience the roller coaster at Rockaways' Playland, the temple dance from Aida, Niagara Falls, a Viennese choir, the canals of Venice, a military tattoo in Edinburgh, a bullfight, and more. The film concludes with a view from the nose of a low-flying B-25 while America the Beautiful plays.

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