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The Moon by Our Teeth

Name: The Moon by Our Teeth
Director: Michel Soutter
Released: 1967
Duration: 78 min

Representation Score

4.9/10

Fair

1967

Director

Michel Soutter

Runtime

78 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Michel Soutter’s film serves as a critique of societal norms rather than a display of demographic diversity. It disrupts established social structures through a raw, documentary-inspired style. The film's strength lies in its rejection of traditional order in favor of a chaotic, personal human experience. Though the film lacks prominent racial or LGBTQ+ representation, it effectively subverts cultural norms. By portraying the protagonist's aimlessness as a critique of national identity, it challenges the perceived stability of the Swiss social order. Ultimately, the film's diversity is found in its ideological stance, using a vibrant, loose cinematic language to defy the conventional expectations of mid-century European drama.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Moon by Our Teeth have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film centers on the tension between William and Noelle, suggesting a departure from strict social norms through the protagonist's rebellious lifestyle. However, it does not explicitly address LGBTQ+ themes.

How does The Moon by Our Teeth portray gender?

Fair

The story challenges traditional mid-century masculine roles by focusing on a restless wanderer rather than a stable provider. Character interactions avoid typical courtship scenarios.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Moon by Our Teeth?

Limited

The film operates within a localized European setting and does not feature a diverse or non-Anglo-Saxon majority cast.

How does The Moon by Our Teeth represent religion and culture?

Good

The movie directly questions the Swiss myth of orderliness by highlighting social instability and institutional skepticism.

Does The Moon by Our Teeth include disability representation?

Minimal

There is no indication of the portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities in this work.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional gender hierarchies and masculine archetypes.
Offers a strong critique of national identity and social order.
Rejects established social frameworks through unconventional storytelling.

Limited or Absent

Lacks racial or ethnic diversity among the cast.
Does not provide explicit representation of LGBTQ+ identities.
Includes no portrayal of physical or neurodivergent disabilities.

Official Synopsis

The film follows William, thirty-ish, out of work and looking for a new life after apparently having been thrown out of his previous one. He meets up with Noelle, who seems intrigued by his restlessness - until her economist boyfriend shows up. Yet plot details do little to convey the power of the film, which lay in its capturing the anarchic texture of William's life - a life whose lack of direction was read as a rebuke of the Swiss myth of orderliness and self-satisfaction. With his roots in documentary, Soutter excelled at creating a loose, vibrant cinema, full of quick zooms and dynamic hand-held shots, with dialogue that often alternated between outright quotations and stylized interviews.

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