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Ishtar

Name: Ishtar
Director: Elaine May
Released: 1987
Duration: 107 min

Representation Score

4.2/10

Fair

1987

PG-13

Director

Elaine May

Runtime

107 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Ishtar serves as a satirical critique of Western interventionism. By depicting traditional heroes as bumbling and flawed, the film undermines conventional heroic clichés and questions the concept of Western exceptionalism. The film effectively engages with cross-cultural dynamics, using a fictional Middle Eastern state to critique misplaced idealism. However, it remains centered around male characters and lacks diverse representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does Ishtar have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not prominently feature LGBTQ+ characters or stories. The main storyline focuses on a friendship between heterosexual men without addressing non-binary gender identities.

How does Ishtar portray gender?

Fair

Male characters drive the story but are shown as incompetent and ineffective rather than strong leaders. Although this challenges traditional masculine authority, female characters do not play central roles in the political storyline.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Ishtar?

Fair

The setting and cast include Middle Eastern characters to support the political satire. Non-Western political systems are placed at the heart of the conflict.

How does Ishtar represent religion and culture?

Good

The film criticizes Western institutions by highlighting the clash between Western sensibilities and local realities. It depicts the absurdity of Western involvement in a growing revolution.

Does Ishtar include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities used as central plot devices or character arcs.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional masculine authority by portraying male protagonists as incompetent and ineffective.
Offers a sophisticated critique of Western hegemony and the absurdity of political intervention.
Focuses on non-Western political structures and revolutionary movements within the narrative.

Limited or Absent

Lacks meaningful representation or narratives involving LGBTQ+ identities.
Peripheral roles for female characters that do not drive the central political plot.
No prominent depictions of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

Two terrible lounge singers get booked to play a gig in a Moroccan hotel but somehow become pawns in an international power play between the CIA, the Emir of Ishtar, and the rebels trying to overthrow his regime.

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