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This Thing Called Love

Name: This Thing Called Love
Director: Alexander Hall
Released: 1940
Duration: 98 min

Representation Score

1.6/10

Minimal

1940

Approved

Director

Alexander Hall

Runtime

98 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

This screwball comedy disrupts traditional gender power dynamics by giving the female lead authority over the relationship's terms. Her intellectual parity and active role provide a refreshing contrast to typical submissive femininity. However, the film is limited by the era's lack of diversity. It lacks racial and cultural breadth, focusing instead on a narrow, Anglo-centric high-society environment that offers little multi-layered depth. Ultimately, the film remains a period piece that prioritizes romantic negotiation over broader social representation, staying tied to the conventional studio system of 1940.

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Category Breakdown

Does This Thing Called Love have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film follows strict 1940s social norms where everyone is assumed to be straight or cisgender. There is no depiction of LGBTQ+ identities or non-traditional gender expressions.

How does This Thing Called Love portray gender?

Good

The female lead plays a significant role in driving the story and shows intellectual parity. She challenges traditional gender roles by dictating the terms of her marriage.

How racially and ethnically diverse is This Thing Called Love?

Minimal

The cast is mostly made up of white actors, reflecting the era's lack of diversity. The setting emphasizes a narrow, Anglo-centric social norm without giving much ability to act to characters of color.

How does This Thing Called Love represent religion and culture?

Limited

The narrative focuses on traditional social structures and conventional morality. It serves as a romantic resolution rather than a critique of Western institutions or the family unit.

Does This Thing Called Love include disability representation?

Minimal

No visible or invisible disabilities are shown. Characters are depicted according to the typical physical and neurotypical standards of the era's romantic leads.

Present on Screen

The female lead plays a significant role in driving the story and shows intellectual parity.
The plot challenges traditional gender roles through the wife's authority.

Limited or Absent

The cast lacks racial and ethnic diversity, remaining predominantly homogeneous.
There is no representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-traditional gender expressions.
The film lacks any portrayal of characters with visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Two professional people marry, but the wife insists that they be celibate for the first three months to make sure they are truly compatible.

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