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The Duke

Name: The Duke
Director: Roger Michell
Released: 2021
Duration: 96 min

Representation Score

2.5/10

Limited

2021

Director

Roger Michell

Runtime

96 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The Duke is a period piece that emphasizes class struggle and critiques institutional power structures. While it lacks diverse representation regarding race, gender, and sexual orientation, it challenges economic power through a progressive lens. By framing a crime as a moral imperative for communal enrichment, the film questions the sanctity of legal and financial authority. Its focus on social equity makes it radical despite traditional casting and gender dynamics. Ultimately, the film's diversity profile is uneven. It remains traditional in its casting and gender dynamics but becomes radical through its critique of economic systems.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Duke have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or representations of non-straight relationships. The social environment stays true to the mid-century standards.

How does The Duke portray gender?

Fair

The narrative focuses on the male lead, who drives the story forward. Female characters such as Jean provide emotional support, reinforcing traditional family roles and domestic structures.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Duke?

Limited

The cast is primarily white and Anglo-Saxon, reflecting the 1960s British context. The story highlights socioeconomic differences within the working class.

How does The Duke represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film criticizes Western financial institutions and capitalist authority. It portrays the theft as a justified redistribution of resources for the community's benefit.

Does The Duke include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no significant or central depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities among the main characters.

Present on Screen

Provides a sophisticated critique of Western financial institutions and capitalist authority.
Challenges the moral authority of the state through themes of communal enrichment.
Explores class structures and socioeconomic stratification in a nuanced manner.

Limited or Absent

Does not represent LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight relationships.
Features a predominantly white, Anglo-Saxon cast.
Narrative ability to act is concentrated in male leads, reinforcing traditional gender roles.

Official Synopsis

In 1961, a 60-year-old taxi driver stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery’s history. What happened next became the stuff of legend.

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