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By the Sea

Name: By the Sea
Director: Angelina Jolie
Released: 2015
Duration: 122 min

Representation Score

3.3/10

Limited

2015

Director

Angelina Jolie

Runtime

122 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

By the Sea is a localized psychological study that prioritizes the internal landscape of grief over social representation. The narrative structure stays within a conventional social framework, emphasizing the fragility of human connections rather than diverse identities. The film operates through a traditional lens, highlighting domesticity and emotional isolation. While it avoids certain clichés by portraying characters as emotionally adrift, it does not seek to challenge systemic hierarchies or broaden its social environment. Ultimately, the work functions as a character-driven drama where personal tragedy takes precedence over the inclusion of diverse perspectives or the deconstruction of Western institutions.

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Category Breakdown

Does By the Sea have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film focuses on a traditional marriage between a man and a woman. It does not include any LGBTQ+ relationships or characters with non-binary gender identities.

How does By the Sea portray gender?

Fair

The story delves into emotional vulnerability and the breakdown of traditional gender roles. It highlights the struggles of characters dealing with grief and psychological trauma.

How racially and ethnically diverse is By the Sea?

Minimal

The setting is a homogeneous Western European environment. The narrative centers around a white couple and a predominantly white community, lacking ethnic diversity.

How does By the Sea represent religion and culture?

Limited

The film focuses on private mourning and personal ethics rather than religious or cultural critique. It avoids religious morality and instead emphasizes psychological realism and situational ethics.

Does By the Sea include disability representation?

Limited

Psychological trauma and grief play key roles in the plot. However, the film does not explore disability as a specific identity or lived experience.

Present on Screen

Avoids the cliché of the stable, competent husband by showing the male lead as emotionally adrift.
Offers a nuanced portrayal of gendered vulnerability through shared grief.

Limited or Absent

Maintains a strictly Eurocentric perspective, lacking ethnic diversity.
Does not include LGBTQ+ relationships or non-binary gender identities.
Uses psychological trauma as a plot device rather than exploring disability as a distinct identity.

Official Synopsis

Set in France during the mid-1970s, Vanessa, a former dancer, and her husband Roland, an American writer, travel the country together. They seem to be growing apart, but when they linger in one quiet, seaside town they begin to draw close to some of its more vibrant inhabitants, such as a local bar/café-keeper and a hotel owner.

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