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The Cuckoo

Name: The Cuckoo
Director: Aleksandr Rogozhkin
Released: 2002
Duration: 100 min

Representation Score

4.7/10

Fair

2002

PG-13

Director

Aleksandr Rogozhkin

Runtime

100 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The Cuckoo stands out by breaking down the rigid structures of the Second World War. By highlighting an indigenous Lapp woman, the film moves beyond the usual Slavic and Finnish wartime binaries to explore a deeper human truth. The film’s strongest point is its subversion of traditional gender roles. Rather than male soldiers driving the action, the female protagonist holds all the power, acting as the judge of justice and survival. However, the film does not include any representation of LGBTQ+ identities or disabilities. Its impact is primarily focused on gender, ethnicity, and the critique of state-driven nationalism.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Cuckoo have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or narratives. The story centers around the interactions between the three main figures.

How does The Cuckoo portray gender?

Good

Anni challenges wartime stereotypes by taking on the role of primary provider and protector. The male characters become vulnerable and dependent, shifting the story's focus to the female lead.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Cuckoo?

Good

By focusing on a Lapp woman, the film offers a perspective outside the typical Soviet and Finnish wartime binaries. This indigenous identity serves as the moral backbone of the story.

How does The Cuckoo represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The narrative questions institutional authority by emphasizing individual morality over state mandates. It examines secular humanism through the lens of human dignity versus nationalism.

Does The Cuckoo include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no depiction of characters dealing with visible or invisible disabilities as central plot drivers.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender roles by giving the female lead full control and protective responsibilities.
Provides a unique perspective through the indigenous Lapp identity, moving beyond standard wartime narratives.
Critiques institutional patriotism and nationalist ideologies with sophistication.

Limited or Absent

Does not include any representation of LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships.
Does not address characters navigating disabilities.

Official Synopsis

September of 1944, a few days before Finland went out of the Second World War. A chained to a rock Finnish sniper-kamikadze Veikko managed to set himself free. Ivan, a captain of the Soviet Army, arrested by the Front Secret Police 'Smersh', has a narrow escape. They are soldiers of the two enemy armies. A Lapp woman Anni gives a shelter to both of them at her farm. For Anni they are not enemies, but just men.

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