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Army

Name: Army
Director: Keisuke Kinoshita
Released: 1944
Duration: 87 min

Representation Score

1.0/10

Minimal

1944

Not Rated

Director

Keisuke Kinoshita

Runtime

87 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Army is a traditional period drama that upholds established social hierarchies and institutional authority. The narrative centers on duty, military discipline, and the preservation of family traditions, offering little disruption to conventional social norms. The film’s structure revolves around the hyper-masculine framework of the Imperial Japanese Army, which limits representation of non-traditional gender expressions and women's ability to drive the story. While the film maintains historical authenticity through an ethnically homogeneous cast, it does not engage with diverse casting or perspectives that reflect multiple aspects of identity.

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Category Breakdown

Does Army have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film adheres to a strict military structure that assumes everyone is straight and cisgender. It focuses on male camaraderie rather than exploring LGBTQ+ identities.

How does Army portray gender?

Minimal

The narrative emphasizes masculine discipline and suppresses individualistic traits. Female characters have limited roles and there is no challenge to traditional gender power dynamics.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Army?

Fair

The cast is ethnically uniform, featuring Japanese actors playing Japanese soldiers, maintaining historical authenticity for a domestic production set in the Meiji era.

How does Army represent religion and culture?

Limited

The film highlights the strength of traditional institutions and the importance of fulfilling family duties. It portrays discipline as essential to national identity.

Does Army include disability representation?

Minimal

The protagonist faces health issues, but the film does not explore these conditions in depth. Physical vulnerabilities are presented as obstacles to be overcome by military discipline.

Present on Screen

Maintains historical authenticity through an ethnically homogeneous cast appropriate for the Meiji era.
Provides a focused study of institutional discipline and the tension between individual identity and state collectivism.

Limited or Absent

Lacks women's ability to drive the story and fails to challenge traditional gender power dynamics.
Does not represent or explore LGBTQ+ identities or non-traditional gender expressions.
Treats the protagonist's health issues as obstacles to be overcome by discipline rather than a nuanced exploration of disability.
Offers minimal disruption to conventional social norms or diverse cultural perspectives.

Official Synopsis

Though plagued by ill health all his life, a young Japanese man is obligated to fulfill his family's longstanding military tradition.

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