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Living Is What Matters

Living Is What Matters

1987

Director

Luis Alcoriza

Runtime

112 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

A drifter named Candelario asks to spend the night at the hacienda of Don Lazaro. Once there, he gets the offer to stay and work as a laborer with a fixed salary. Over time, Candelario is gaining the confidence of his employer, and becomes indispensable. The situation will change radically when Don Lazarus discovers that Candelario is having a love affair with his wife.

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Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

5.1/10

Fair


Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Minimal

The film lacks evidence of non-heteronormative identities. The central conflict is framed entirely within a traditional romantic triad.

Gender Representation

Fair

The wife acts as a catalyst for systemic change rather than a passive figure. Her affair with a subordinate challenges the patriarchal control of the landowner.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Good

The story utilizes class-based hierarchies common in Latin American contexts. The laborer's rise to an indispensable role challenges the perceived superiority of the landed elite.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Good

The narrative critiques traditional colonial institutions like the hacienda system. It favors a subjective morality by centering on transgressions against established property and family structures.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no information available regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Strengths

  • Subverts traditional patriarchal hierarchies by giving the wife agency.
  • Critiques rigid class structures and the colonial hacienda system.
  • Uses romantic conflict to challenge the stability of the landed elite.

Areas for Improvement

  • Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or queer narratives.
  • Provides no information regarding disability or neurodivergent representation.

AI Analysis

Luis Alcoriza uses a character-driven study of social transgression to undermine the sanctity of the landed aristocracy. The film moves beyond simple romance to critique established power structures and bourgeois morality. While the film lacks modern identity-based representation, such as LGBTQ+ or neurodivergent characters, it succeeds in subverting class and patriarchal hierarchies. The romantic conflict serves as a tool to deconstruct the stability of the ruling class. Ultimately, the film functions as a satirical look at how interpersonal upheaval can disrupt rigid socio-economic systems.

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