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The Irishman

Name: The Irishman
Director: Martin Scorsese
Released: 2019
Duration: 209 min

Representation Score

3.6/10

Limited

2019

Director

Martin Scorsese

Runtime

209 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Martin Scorsese presents a detailed crime drama that emphasizes historical accuracy and the deconstruction of mid-century masculinity. The film focuses on the themes of isolation and aging rather than a diverse cast of characters. Despite the lack of representation across various social categories, the film offers a sophisticated critique of cultural institutions. It replaces traditional gangster narratives with a focus on the decay of societal structures. Ultimately, the film uses a homogeneous setting to explore universal themes of the breakdown of the social contract and the failure of traditional structures.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Irishman have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film adheres closely to traditional norms and does not include any characters with non-traditional gender identities or sexual orientations.

How does The Irishman portray gender?

Limited

Men dominate the narrative, while women are mostly confined to supporting roles such as wives or daughters, providing support to the male leads.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Irishman?

Limited

The cast is primarily white, representing the specific Italian and Irish-American working-class communities of the time. The film lacks broader diversity.

How does The Irishman represent religion and culture?

Good

The film excels in critiquing Western institutions like labor unions, showing the decay of these systems with great nuance.

Does The Irishman include disability representation?

Minimal

Disability is minimally represented, focusing on the physical decline of aging characters without highlighting specific disabilities.

Present on Screen

Sophisticated critique of Western institutions and labor unions.
Nuanced depiction of systemic corruption and moral relativism.
Rich historical context of mid-20th-century ethnic subcultures.

Limited or Absent

Limited diversity and representation of non-white individuals.
Women have minimal influence in the narrative.
No LGBTQ+ identities or non-traditional gender perspectives.

Official Synopsis

Pennsylvania, 1956. Frank Sheeran, a war veteran of Irish origin who works as a truck driver, accidentally meets mobster Russell Bufalino. Once Frank becomes his trusted man, Bufalino sends him to Chicago with the task of helping Jimmy Hoffa, a powerful union leader related to organized crime, with whom Frank will maintain a close friendship for nearly twenty years.

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