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The Key

Name: The Key
Director: Tinto Brass
Released: 1983
Duration: 110 min

Representation Score

2.8/10

Limited

1983

Director

Tinto Brass

Runtime

110 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Tinto Brass’s period drama uses 1940s Venice to explore the breakdown of traditional marital structures. It shifts the focus from domestic stability to a psychological examination of sexual ethics and personal freedom. The film successfully challenges traditional gender roles by giving the female protagonist a significant role in her own sexual awakening. However, it remains confined by a lack of diversity and a strict focus on heterosexual relationships. Ultimately, the work is characterized by its moral relativism, presenting infidelity as a nuanced exploration of human desire rather than a simple moral issue.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Key have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships. The story revolves around the interactions between a husband, wife, and a third party.

How does The Key portray gender?

Good

The story challenges traditional gender roles by focusing on the wife's sexual awakening and her active role in driving the plot. She is not a passive figure but instead takes control of her own journey.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Key?

Minimal

Set in wartime Italy, the film features a cast with no racial diversity, reflecting the historical and geographical context of the time.

How does The Key represent religion and culture?

Good

The film presents infidelity as part of a complex psychological landscape rather than a moral failing. It emphasizes subjective desires over traditional religious or cultural norms.

Does The Key include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no depictions of physical or neurological disabilities among the main characters.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender roles by emphasizing the female protagonist's active role in her sexual awakening.
Offers a sophisticated exploration of moral relativism, presenting infidelity as a complex psychological issue.
Provides a nuanced look at personal freedom by prioritizing individual desires over conventional norms.

Limited or Absent

Lacks any representation of LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships.
Features a cast with no racial or ethnic diversity.
Does not include portrayals of physical or neurological disabilities.

Official Synopsis

In 1940s Venice, after twenty years' marriage, retired art critic Nino Rolfe and his younger wife Teresa feel their passion waning. To help her shed her inhibitions and rekindle their relationship, the professor records his sexual fantasies in a diary.

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