You are here:

Calm at Sea

Name: Calm at Sea
Director: Volker Schlöndorff
Released: 2012
Duration: 90 min

Representation Score

5.3/10

Fair

2012

Not Rated

Director

Volker Schlöndorff

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

Calm at Sea is a historical drama that prioritizes political and moral interrogation over demographic variety. It functions as a study of individual moral decision-making under the duress of systemic violence during the German occupation of France. The film's progressive value lies in its narrative deconstruction of state authority. Rather than focusing on a diverse cast, it examines the corruption of institutional power and the heavy cost of political conviction. While the setting limits racial and LGBTQ+ representation, the film succeeds in its critique of established power structures and the struggle of the individual conscience.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does Calm at Sea have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film does not include any explicit references to LGBTQ+ characters or non-straight relationships. The story focuses on the political and existential struggles of the French Resistance.

How does Calm at Sea portray gender?

Fair

The story centers around a male-dominated conflict involving the military and the Resistance. However, it challenges traditional hierarchies by highlighting the psychological burden and moral struggle of the administrator.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Calm at Sea?

Fair

Set in 1941 occupied France, the film operates within the historical constraints of a predominantly white European setting. The conflict is defined by political and national identity rather than ethnic diversity.

How does Calm at Sea represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film offers a strong critique of traditional Western institutions and state-mandated order. It prioritizes individual moral decision-making against the oppressive, systemic machine of the German military.

Does Calm at Sea include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no evidence regarding the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the narrative.

Present on Screen

Strong critique of institutional authority and systemic oppression.
Deep exploration of individual moral decision-making against state-sanctioned violence.
Nuanced portrayal of the psychological burden of political complicity.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight characters.
Limited racial and ethnic diversity due to the specific historical setting.
Minimal focus on disability representation or neurodivergent perspectives.

Official Synopsis

October 1941. Eighteen months into France’s occupation by German troops, young Communist members of the Resistance shoot dead an officer of the German Army. In retaliation, Hitler demands the deaths of 150 Frenchmen, as 'retribution'. The targets are to be mostly young men believed to share the assassins’ political convictions. Most of these men are taken from an internment camp for opponents of the occupation; a 35-year-old French rural administrator is ordered to select the victims. Although the parish priest appeals to their conscience and moral sensibilities, both the German military and their French helpers slavishly follow their orders.

How are these scores produced? →