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The Flu That Killed 50 Million

Name: The Flu That Killed 50 Million
Director: Andrew Thompson
Released: 2018
Duration: 48 min

Representation Score

5.1/10

Fair

2018

Director

Andrew Thompson

Runtime

48 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The documentary reconstructs the 1918 pandemic, closely following the social hierarchies of the early 20th century. While it captures a global crisis, the perspective is shaped by the military and scientific institutions of the time. The film prioritizes historical accuracy and the scientific pursuit of a cure over questioning existing power structures. Consequently, the narrative reflects the era's conventions without challenging them through multi-layered approaches. Ultimately, the work serves as a historical chronicle. It lacks specific evidence of diverse representation or the subversion of traditional gender and racial hierarchies.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Flu That Killed 50 Million have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film focuses on the rigid social structures of 1918 and does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or narratives that question the era's assumptions about straight relationships.

How does The Flu That Killed 50 Million portray gender?

Fair

The story centers on soldiers, doctors, and politicians, roles predominantly held by men during this period. The plot follows traditional gender hierarchies, with civilians playing minor roles.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Flu That Killed 50 Million?

Fair

While the pandemic's global impact suggests a wide range of ethnicities, the film focuses primarily on Western military and scientific efforts, with no indication of a non-Anglo-Saxon majority.

How does The Flu That Killed 50 Million represent religion and culture?

Limited

The documentary presents a traditional historical account, focusing on scientific pursuits rather than critiquing Western institutions such as religion or capitalism.

Does The Flu That Killed 50 Million include disability representation?

Fair

The film depicts the horrors of physical illness and mortality but does not clearly show whether those suffering from the disease have real control over their situations or are merely used as plot devices.

Present on Screen

Offers a broad geographic scope by examining a global pandemic.
Uses eyewitness accounts from doctors, soldiers, and civilians to bring history to life.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities within the historical context.
Focuses heavily on male-dominated roles like military and scientific leadership.
Does not explicitly critique the Western institutional structures of the era.

Official Synopsis

It is 1918 and the end of WWI. Millions have died, and the world is exhausted by war. But soon a new horror is sweeping the world, a terrifying virus that will kill more than fifty million people - the Spanish flu. Using dramatic reconstruction and eyewitness testimony from doctors, soldiers, civilians and politicians, this one-off special brings to life the onslaught of the disease, the horrors of those who lived through it and the efforts of the pioneering scientists desperately looking for the cure. Narrated by Christopher Eccleston, the film also asks whether, a century later, the lessons learnt in 1918 might help us fight a future global flu pandemic.

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