New Showbiz

You are here:
Of Great Events and Ordinary People

Of Great Events and Ordinary People

1980

Director

Raúl Ruiz

Runtime

65 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

Synopsis

In 1978, Ruiz was commissioned to make a television documentary about the French elections from the viewpoint of a Chilean exile in Paris’ eleventh arrondissement. But, contrary to the producers’ expectation, the Left lost. Ruiz seized on this anti-climax to make a documentary about nothing except itself – a film whose central subject is forever lost in digression and ‘dispersal’, harking back to his Chilean experiments of the ‘60s. Its political content is deliberately left negligible: it’s hard to tell at the end who did actually win the election, let alone why.

Where to Watch

Diversity & Representation

Overall Score

6.8/10

Good

Category Breakdown

LGBTQ+ Representation

Fair

LGBTQ+ identities are not a central narrative pillar in this documentary. Inclusion appears through subtext rather than explicit character arcs, reflecting the era's experimental style. No verifiable on-screen evidence of non-cisnormative identities is present.

Gender Representation

Fair

The film disrupts the 'Great Man' theory of history by focusing on ordinary people rather than centralized masculine leadership. This refusal of decisive authority functions as a critique of patriarchal power structures.

Racial & Ethnic Diversity

Good

The film centers on a Chilean exile in Paris, providing a post-colonial lens on Western politics. This shifts the gaze away from Western norms to prioritize the immigrant experience.

Religious & Cultural Diversity

Excellent

Ruiz critiques Western democratic institutions by prioritizing subjective experience over objective political truth. The narrative undermines traditional political hierarchies through a focus on moral relativism and anti-climax.

Disability Representation

Minimal

There is no evidence regarding the depiction of physical or neurodivergent disabilities within the film.

Strengths

  • Centering a Chilean exile provides a vital post-colonial perspective on European politics.
  • The film successfully deconstructs traditional patriarchal structures of power and authority.
  • The narrative shifts the gaze away from Western-centric norms to highlight immigrant experiences.

Areas for Improvement

  • The film lacks explicit, verifiable depictions of LGBTQ+ identities.
  • There is no evidence of representation for physical or neurodivergent disabilities.
  • Specific character-driven gender subversions are not clearly established in the narrative.

AI Analysis

Raúl Ruiz utilizes a postmodern, fragmented approach to challenge the authority of official historical records. By centering a Chilean exile, the film successfully shifts the perspective away from traditional Western-centric narratives. While the documentary excels in systemic representation through its post-colonial lens, it lacks explicit focus on specific identity categories. The narrative prioritizes the deconstruction of power over individual character-driven arcs. Ultimately, the film's strength lies in its subversion of the 'Great Man' trope, though it remains thin on direct depictions of LGBTQ+ or disability-related identities.

How are these scores produced? →

Similar Movies

Movie poster for The Way South

The Way South

1981

No user ratings available yet
Diversity score: 6.3 out of 10

Rate this Movie

No rating selected
Use arrow keys to select a rating from 1 to 5 stars
Optional text review, maximum 2000 characters
Tip: Wrap spoilers with ||double pipes|| to hide them
0/2000 characters
You must be signed in to submit a rating

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts on this movie!

Use the rating form above to leave a star rating and optional review.