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Our Betters

Name: Our Betters
Director: George Cukor
Released: 1933
Duration: 83 min

Representation Score

2.6/10

Limited

1933

Director

George Cukor

Runtime

83 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

George Cukor’s film offers a sophisticated look at female empowerment within a restrictive patriarchal society. By presenting marriage as a practical social tool, the protagonist challenges traditional views of virtuous womanhood. However, the film is constrained by its historical context. It lacks racial and LGBTQ+ diversity, staying within the demographic norms of the 1930s British aristocracy. The narrative explores gendered power dynamics and social maneuvering within class structures, yet it falls short in providing broader characters who reflect more than one aspect of diversity.

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Category Breakdown

Does Our Betters have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film centers on traditional romantic relationships and marriages. It doesn't include diverse gender identities or stories that question the assumption that everyone is straight or cisgender.

How does Our Betters portray gender?

Good

Pearl Grayston shows strength by navigating a marriage focused on social status. The film passes the Bechdel test by highlighting conversations among women about social obligations.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Our Betters?

Minimal

The cast is mostly white and uniform, reflecting the historical context of a 1933 British period piece. There are no non-Anglo-Saxon characters in the main social circles.

How does Our Betters represent religion and culture?

Limited

The story criticizes the rigid class structures and social norms of the British aristocracy. It portrays the upper class as a place where relationships are based on social transactions rather than genuine emotions.

Does Our Betters include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no visible or invisible disabilities shown in the film, nor are they used as part of the plot.

Present on Screen

Pearl Grayston manages her own affairs and navigates a marriage focused on social status.
The film passes the Bechdel test by centering female dialogue and perspectives on social obligations.
The narrative provides a nuanced critique of the emotional emptiness within rigid aristocratic class structures.

Limited or Absent

The film lacks any representation of LGBTQ+ identities or narratives that challenge the assumption everyone is straight or cisgender.
The cast is almost entirely homogeneous, offering no racial or ethnic diversity within the social setting.
There is no depiction of characters with disabilities, either visible or invisible.

Official Synopsis

Soon after being wed, American heiress Lady Pearl Grayston realizes her husband has married her for her money and is keeping a mistress. The two maintain a loveless marriage, a trade-off Pearl accepts in order to gain admittance to her husband's aristocratic social circle. While Pearl pursues her own affair with gigolo Pepi D'Costa, her visiting sister, Bessie, arrives and is appalled when Pearl's arrangement is revealed.

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