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Roll the Drum!

Name: Roll the Drum!
Director: François-Christophe Marzal
Released: 2019
Duration: 90 min

Representation Score

5.1/10

Fair

2019

Director

François-Christophe Marzal

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Roll the Drum! uses a localized musical dispute in a 1970 Swiss village to mirror larger societal shifts. The film effectively uses the fracturing of a brass band to represent the erosion of traditional social orders and communal identity. The narrative's strength lies in its engagement with gendered political evolution, specifically through the lens of women's suffrage. This approach challenges the idea of the village as a static, unchanging institution. However, the film appears limited by its geographical and temporal setting. The focus on a small, isolated community results in a lack of racial and ethnic diversity, and there is no visible representation of disability.

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Category Breakdown

Does Roll the Drum! have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film suggests romantic tensions that add complexity to the main political conflict. However, it does not explicitly confirm any LGBTQ+ identities or challenge assumptions about straight relationships.

How does Roll the Drum! portray gender?

Good

By focusing on the 1970 women's suffrage vote, the film highlights women's ability to drive the story. This focus challenges the idea of the village as a purely patriarchal institution.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Roll the Drum!?

Limited

The story centers on a historically isolated Swiss village, implying a homogeneous community. There is no indication of a multi-ethnic cast despite mentions of foreign policy.

How does Roll the Drum! represent religion and culture?

Good

The narrative uses a local brass band to show dysfunction and link musical discord to broader political and institutional upheaval.

Does Roll the Drum! include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no information about the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent characters.

Present on Screen

Engages meaningfully with historical shifts in gendered power dynamics through the suffrage movement.
Uses a localized musical conflict to effectively critique traditional social and institutional stability.
Explores the tension between traditional village structures and modern political reform.

Limited or Absent

Lacks visible racial and ethnic diversity within the small, isolated village setting.
Provides no discernible representation or focus on characters with disabilities.
Offers insufficient evidence regarding explicit LGBTQ+ identities or non-assuming gender matches what was assigned at birth perspectives.

Official Synopsis

In the spring of 1970 a small village in Valais experienced unusual turbulence. Is it because of the federal vote on women's suffrage? Or in the upcoming foreign infiltration initiative? No, it's worse: the brass band is falling apart! Half of the village blames Aloys, the other half blames Pierre. What begins as a musical conflict soon leads to a political conflict and even extends to love.

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